Google Apps are popular on the iPhone and they add functionality to an already hot mobile device. But now that Android is taking shape, Apple will soon have to decide whether or not it wants continue supporting Google or compete directly.

A perfect example of Google’s enthusiasm for the iPhone is Gmail for iPhone application, which adds features like preloading recent messages and auto-completing e-mail addresses.

But, Apple’s strong pattern of creating high quality (and often highly priced) closed systems conflicts with a basic tenet of Google Android, and by extension, open source. Macintosh, iTunes, and the iPhone are all examples of this business model, which seems to be working well for Apple.

But, if Google and the Open Handset Alliance continue to succeed in marketing Android, and mobile telecommunications companies choose to adopt it as a premiere mobile operating system, Apple may struggle to maintain some of its prized iPhone contracts with companies like AT&T.

The iPhone already faces lots of competing “me-too” phones with touch screens and svelte form factors, it’s the marketing craze that drives demand for Apple’s product. That may be cause for concern because Google also creates buzz almost effortlessly. The search king even received news coverage for providing employee haircuts.

Maybe Apple will come to the table and work with developers to build an iPhone that runs Google Android, but based on comments from Steve Jobs that’s not likely.

Jobs said “I actually think Google has achieved their goal without Android, and I now think Android hurts them more than it helps them. It’s just going to divide them and people who want to be their partners” according to the New York Times.

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Entry was posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 at 6:15 pm under Apple, Google, Open source.

Read more entries by Matt Jansen.
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