Google announces Android

Published on November 5th, 2007

No, not the robot – the cellphone!

Google has unveiled a new software platform and a broad alliance of mobile handset makers and communications companies in a bid to accelerate the slow development of the mobile internet.

While there had been widespread reports that the internet search giant would announce alliances to create its own handsets, potentially even carrying its own brand, Google instead laid out a strategy that would give it only a background role.

The first handsets to take advantage of the new technology should go on sale in the second half of next year, Google said.

Google also announced a new Open Handset Alliance of mobile and technology companies to further the adoption of the new software. Its 34 members include handset makers like Motorola and Samsung as well as mobile operators like NTT DoCoMo and T-Mobile.

So, now, just like the run-up to the iPhone – we’ll get photoshopped prototypes and more myths about what the phone will actually do.

16 users responded in " Google announces Android "

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# 1 The Answerq said, on November 5th, 2007 at 12:01 pm

So if I am getting this right. Google bought up all that aerial bandwidth just to make internet on cell phones run at computer speed? Well certain cell phones. And android is the operating system it will use? I don’t get it. For what 20 second audio google ad sense ads?

# 2 Kucing said, on November 5th, 2007 at 12:10 pm

Its official. No Google phone before Christmas.

# 3 Angus said, on November 5th, 2007 at 12:12 pm

Google creates software that only cell phone companies can use, for cellphones that won’t appear until second half of 2008 at the earliest. This might be the most important announcement of the year in that it’s the most boring, fluffed, and ultimately disappointing announcement of the year.

# 4 James Hill said, on November 5th, 2007 at 12:20 pm

Time out.

If any other company were to announce this, we’d all be saying “these consortium efforts never work”. Why shouldn’t we expect anything different (as in, failure) from Google?

Personally, I think this is a great idea… but there’s already one open platform phone out there, and it hasn’t taken off. I don’t see all of these guys playing well together in the same sandbox, not to mention the idea of building phones to get an OS working (as opposed to the current model of building the OS to work on the phone).

It will be interesting to see how the closed architecture of the iPhone does long term against the open architecture of this project, however.

# 5 gquaglia said, on November 5th, 2007 at 12:27 pm

but there’s already one open platform phone out there, and it hasn’t taken off.

I guess your talking about “Open Moko” The name kills it right off the bat. What the hell is a Moko. Anyway, it will different with Google behind it. Look for this to take off and blow Win Mobile right off the map. The only reason it is popular now is because there is little other choice.

# 6 Improbus said, on November 5th, 2007 at 12:49 pm

The reason that OpenMoko hasn’t taken off is because they haven’t released the phone for general consumption yet. From what I understand OpenMoko has only released development kits. I plan on buying one of the handsets when they are available.

# 7 Personality said, on November 5th, 2007 at 12:53 pm

I heard the software will turn on the heat in your house when you are 3 towers away so you will be warm and cozy when you get home. In the northern states that is.

# 8 MikeN said, on November 5th, 2007 at 3:26 pm

Any chance their phones will let you download your own ring tones?

# 9 Angel H. Wong said, on November 5th, 2007 at 3:29 pm

“It will be interesting to see how the closed architecture of the iPhone does long term against the open architecture of this project, however.”

I could say “Just look at Linux” but I doubt it will happen considering the amount of large corporations mixed into the bunch, I see a lightweight effort at the beginning but when they start to seriously patent code then all things will eventually break down.

# 10 JFetch said, on November 5th, 2007 at 8:52 pm

So if anyone can make apps for it, how do they plan to stop a lot of really bad apps that break the phones from showing up?

# 11 eggfou said, on November 5th, 2007 at 9:40 pm

Its just an operating system, and since its open, the phone makers and operators can still lock it down as much as they want to on their end. If they don’t want you to add third party apps, its up to them.

# 12 JFetch said, on November 5th, 2007 at 10:06 pm

They are releasing the code in a couple weeks so everyone can make apps for it. Closing it to those apps would go against the point of having Android on your phone in the first place.

# 13 HisMostHumblyExhaultedSupremeGlobalWarmingMajesty said, on November 6th, 2007 at 7:57 am

As long as I can have a 640×480 (at least) screen and can make my own ringers for free, I’ll have everything I need in a phone.

# 14 James Hill said, on November 6th, 2007 at 12:31 pm

#5, meet #9.

“Because it’s Google” doesn’t cut it.

# 15 Angel H. Wong said, on November 6th, 2007 at 5:31 pm

#15

““Because it’s Google” doesn’t cut it.”

Nope, it won’t cut it because it’s going to be cheap and if the average joe can afford it, then the other average Joe will avoid it because he/she doesn’t want to be associated with a cheap product.

# 16 Glenn E said, on November 7th, 2007 at 12:40 am

“So, now, just like the run-up to the iPhone – we’ll get photoshopped prototypes and more myths about what the phone will actually do.”

Not to mention borrowing a clip of a popular tune, like Apple did for their “spec ad” for the iTalk product that never happened. BTW, that was Z7’s “Waiting Line”, in case you wanted to know. It’s on YouTube.

Just by coincidence, the CTIA has been running Tv ads about how great all the Telco service is in the US, because we have so many choices. Yeah, confusion is so much better than a single unified service standard. All the other communications media is a single standard. Radio, Tv, Cable, DIsh, Internet, wired Telephone. Only wireless phones (in the US) came up with proprietary carrier service.

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