16 January 2008

Google Android vs. Nokia S60
What would it take to build a better mobile phone?

I've just finished my daily tour over the numerous blogs, sites and forums that I read frequently with a very interesting find and I thought I'd share it with you all and share my thoughts on it as well.

As you may or may not have already known, few moths ago Google has cut off the months and months of the endless gossip and blog posts about the GPhone with a new mobile platform based on the Linux named as Android.

Android is developed by Google and others under the umbrella of the "Open Handset Alliance." The platform is based on Linux and other open-source elements and offer a complete set of phone components, including an operating system, middleware stack, customizable user interface as well as applications.

There is no doubt that even without a long awaited gPhone, Android is fascinating in its own way and same as Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android have caused the mobile industry to open up to new ideas and new ways of the operating.

The CEO of Symbian Nigel Clifford said said at a Tokyo news conference when asked about Google's new phone platform he's already spoilt for choice with Linux-based cell phone platforms and that Google's Android software appears to be just another to add to the list.

Although I also wasn't that much impressed with the Android and although my first reaction was something like “What, no GPhone?” I tend to disagree with Mr. Clifford.

Android is undoubtedly much more than just another Linux platform, and there is no doubt that Google and its Android will be among Symbian's the most serious competitors.

From other hand of the incredible high Symbian’s global percent in the global handsets market share and also because of the size of Nokia itself I don't see a large impact on the Series 60 position especially if Nokia continues with providing innovative hardware solutions supported with the improved S60 UI that is under heavy development.

Anyway, here is the interesting find from the begging of the article:

Ivan Kuznetsov that works as a Software Asset Manager in Nokia has published an article about Google’s Android and its impact on the currently leading Smartphone platform. Ivan’s comparison is undoubtedly interesting and objective overview of the current situation on the smartphone scene and definitely worth reading.

In conclusion he says:

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“.

Integration with the real hardware can bring more surprises than anticipated by a company with software background. So I wouldn’t count on seeing first Android devices earlier than Christmas 08.

Google got many things right and made a very good start. Android looks quite promising, and Google seems to be quite serious about making it world leading mobile platform. At the same time Nokia has an established platform, a huge base of S60 devices already on the market and talented S60 R&D team. Year 2008 promises to be very interesting.

So just go there and have a nice reading... .. . .