Bring on Android: Google's mobile phone OS
Danny Gorog28 November 2007, 7:10 AM
Android, a free operating system for mobile phones was announced by Google this month. While it's not the GPhone we had hoped for, it could lead to lots of GPhones in the near future.
Google's new mobile software platform called Android is now finally in the open, and all developers can freely download the SDK. If you still haven't heard about Android, according to Google, 'it will deliver a complete set of software for mobile devices: an operating system, middle-ware and key mobile applications.'
While Android compatible hardware won't be released till mid-2008, the SDK contains everything developers need to build and run Android applications, including a true device emulator and advanced debugging tools. Google are also trying to kick-start Android development by releasing the Android Developer Challenge which will award $10 Million to developers who build great apps for Android.
Along with Android, Google also announced the Open Handset Alliance, billed as 'a group of mobile and technology leaders who share this vision for changing the mobile experience for consumers.' Members of the new OHA include HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Google, Intel, Sprint, T-Mobile and NTT DoCoMo.
The best news for phone developers (of which Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Palm were conspicuously absent) is that Android will be available to them for free. Also, the partnerships with US cell carriers means that Google applications, like Gmail and Google Maps will be installed by default on devices that run Android.
For cell phone manufacturers who survive on razor-thin margins the choice of operating system will likely come down to economics. A Windows Mobile license costs $x and Android is free.
But strangely so far, the reaction from the tech press and potential competitors has been underwhelming at best. Fake Steve Jobs for example said:
The only companies that join consortia are the ones who are too stupid or shitty to make a great product on their own. It’s like, Hey, we’ve got forty spazzo companies that can’t fuck their way out of a paper bag; let’s put them all together and maybe they’ll magically become some kind of big bad powerhouse. More likely it’ll just be some scary ass Frankenstein monster, walking around drooling and tripping over its own tongue.
While Steven Frank said:
A 34-company committee couldn’t create a successful ham sandwich, much less a mobile application suite.
Steve Balmer, CEO of Microsoft isn't worried about Android. He said at a recent Microsoft product launch that Android was just 'words on paper' and 'wake us when there's something to comment on', while Scott Horn from Windows Mobile marketing team said 'It really sounds that they are getting a whole bunch of people together to build a phone and that's something we've been doing for five years'.
Success or failure, hopefully Android will help revolutionise the true mobile data revolution. And if it is success, hopefully the Android mobile experience won't be cluttered with annoying ads.
 The logo for the new Open Handset Alliance |