Android’s real Challenge
Just two weeks ago we celebrated Android’s first birthday. (When google announced it as an OS last year) We saw the making of Open Handset Alliance a slew of hardware manufacturers like LG, Samsung, HTC software developers – eBay, Google itself and some hardware supporting companies.
THE PAST..
Now we’ve got the HTC manufactured T-Mobile G1 out, Not bad for a start but then.. not good enough. Lets not go this way.. we’ve said what’s wrong a number of times. Instead lets look at what other OHA members are doing and are there any potential problems?
You’d expect announcements by many companies about the impending android powered device. The most we’ve heard up till now is a confirmed report about Motorola hiring people to design and develop a “social-network” mobile phone which is kinda rumored to be powered by Android.
COMING UP..
OpenMoko is an unconventional mobile company by industry standards that believes in empowering end user. Androidguys revealed openmoko’s plan and specs about android-powered mobile. Koolu is customising android source and coming up with their own image thats gonna run on FreeRunner. OpenMoko is willing as far as to throw in a screwdriver for you to play with its hardware. The question here is, How far is too far for Google’s Android?
THE PROBLEM..
That was the past & present, whats in store for us in the future though? The big players in the market have kinda critiqued Google Services embedded within the OS.
Mats Lindoff, Sony Ericsson’s chief technology architect, said that the firm had been testing Android with prototype devices, and that Google’s was a ” holistic” approach.
“[But] to go with mass production and working with prototypes are two different things,” he explained. “If you want to give every service away to Google, then Android is the perfect solution.”
That statement [ via Yahoo News ] will make all the difference between Android and Symbian. Symbian captured the developing economies. Its not Opensource but its not locking you down either.
Nokia’s Senior Software Manager Ivan Kuznetsov lays out the potential problems Android’s likely to face on multiple manufacturers
Android is a new guy on the block, and it is not all roses. It still has to survive the harsh reality of hardware products manufactuing world and maintaining API compatibility between versions and devices in order to establish itself as a real platform. Because of the Apache license used for Android SDK “applications designed to be compatible with Google’s platform could be made incompatible with a particular device, by a handset vendor who removes core Android APIs and replaces them with their own closed source alternative“.
THE LIKELY FUTURE..
The defining moment in Android’s actual success will be in its reception in developing markets especially in this global economic crisis – China, India and Middle East & Africa. Prepaid phones dominate in these markets. These are countries that saw lukewarm response to iPhone debut (yea, that’s hard to believe).
Samsung, LG phones that are usually unlocked will play a role in Android’s competitive challenge. Both Samsung and LG have announced their willingness to roll out a device early 2009. What kind of Googleness will be attached to an unlocked GSM phone will be crucial in defining android’s future.
Samsung LG Motorola are also members of Symbian Foundation including Sony Ericsson. Its gonna be rough! Both Operating Systems have to create their own niche target.
BOTTOM LINE: We need a larger broad audience targeted smartphone hitting the market soon that takes on Nokia N Series. Year 2009 will be very interesting IndeeD
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3 Responses to “Android’s real Challenge”
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June 6th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Great blog found this via twitter im just adding to my blog now.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
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July 18th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
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