Andoid is a mobile-phone platform built in partnership with over 30 companoes including T-Mobile, Motorola, Samsung and Intel.
It compromises of an open-source, Linux-based OS with a smartphone interface and applications. Although it comes with loads of ready-made apps, including Google Maps, a web browser, Google seach and text chat, the idea is that any developer can quickly build their own content for it
As if it wasn't enough, now google are trying to get onto our phones too.
This was announced some months ago. Its just Googles latest attempt to run a company out of business, namely Symbian.
Well im afraid Google are not realising that they are not just taking on Symbian, but they are actually primarily taking on Nokia who develop the S60 format based upon Symbian Series 60 and SonyErricson who have done a lot of development on the Series 90 UIQ over the past few years.
Symbian, alongside Nokia and SE have a lot of backing within the mobile phone market for their smart phone solutions and if Google really think they are going to impact on it somehow, they have got another thing coming.
The biggest smartphone manufacturer by far and wide is Nokia. They are not going to ditch years worth of development and millions spent on their S60 OS for anything else. Many manufacturers license and are happy with S60/Series 60 and wont be in a rush to ditch it any time soon.
After Sony Erricson with their UIQ development, that leave the likes of Motorola, LG, Samsung and Toshiba. Out of them four, the only manufacturer who has much interest in smart phones outside of Asia is Toshiba, and they primarily back Microsoft Windows Mobile, but also they dont sell a lot of handsets.
The only way this will ever be successful is if someone like RIM decides to take a punt at it, but even then it would be lacklustre sales wise compared to S60. Im afraid Google should stop wasting time and money and just stop trying to drive companies out of business.