What is Google Android™?
Android™ is an open source operating system which can be used to control all types of mobile devices. Google lead the development on this platform along with HTC, T-Mobile, Qualcomm and Motorola. All these companies are under the Open Handsets Alliance umbrella.
The main goal of the Open Handsets Alliance is to drive forward technology within mobile technology and produce a platform that will give a better user experience. Due to the open door policy of OHA many third party companies and developers will be able to get involved by building various plugins, helping improve the user experience. Many heads are better than one! We should see massive improvements in speed and performance of mobile devise over the next few years due to the openness of the platform offered by the Open Handsets Alliance.
Android is the first open source platform released by the OHA. Having this platform will allow manufacturers to react a lot quicker to the users needs and drive down the costs involved in developing a new handset. The android platform is made up of a operating systems, middleware (this helps connect software like the OS to applications like GPS navigation), GUI (graphical user interface) and many powerful applications. The number of applications will grow considerably as more third party companies jump on the android wagon!
The android platform is freely available to operators and manufacturers to build upon and distribute with their products. The Open Handsets Alliance have release a Software Development Kit to allow developers to begin developing applications with the platform. The release of this open source platform is really exciting times for mobile devices and we are expecting a massive surge in development over the next 18 months.
Google Android mobile phones
T-mobile in partnership with HTC released the first Android operated mobile phone, the G1. This was a very good first attempt and the response by users has been good. There are sure to be more Android powered mobile devices hitting the market in 2009, we will keep you posted as they get confirmed.
