Android phone system expanding in principle and practice
By John Lister
The Open Handset Alliance, the administrative body behind Google’s Android phone system, has taken on 14 new members. It’s not just a bureaucratic move though: reports suggest Sony Ericsson and HTC are both planning to release further Android devices next year.
The new members also include Vodafone and chip-manufacturer ARM. It brings the total membership to 47 organizations, including most leading phone producers.
In theory, every new member should contribute code to the project and/or eventually produce devices based upon Android. However, T-Mobile is the only firm to manufacture an Android phone to date, with some sources speculating the other members were waiting to see how well it fared before risking their own investment.
With estimates of half a million of T-Mobile’s G1 phone sold, and the device stocked by Wal-Mart, the signs look good for further Android devices. Sony Ericcsson may well be next in line, with a European spokesman quoted as saying the firm will launch a high-end Android phone in the summer. That may link in with news that the company has just received FCC approval for a 3G phone with 8 megapixel cameraphone.
Meanwhile HTC, the manufacturer of the G1 phone, is said to be planning a wide range of Android devices for next year, with reports that it may concentrate on more attractive slimline handsets.
Perhaps the most notable of the other new members of the scheme is Garmin Ltd, a company which specializes in satellite navigation devices. That’s a strong sign that Android will, as intended, be adapted for use in mobile products other than smartphones.
The announcement of the new members is a significant step: while not all firms involved are ready for manufacturing, there’s clearly enough interest to suggest a real market for the system, particularly given that using Android to make a phone is considerably cheaper than licensing either Nokia’s Symbian system or Windows Mobile.
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