Motorola focus on Android

We have already heard of different reports of Motorola expanding their development team or to work on an Android social networking handset but it appears that Android will take an even bigger part in Motorola's next year's linup.

At their Q3's conference call, Motorolo Co-CEO Sanjay Jha spoke of their plans to focus solely on three operating systems: Android, Windows Mobile and their own P2K platform for low-costs handsets. This will reduce OS development costs and Motorola will focus on handsets to offer high ends smartphones.

As far as Android is concerned, Motorola plan to release several handsets, going from medium end to high end ranges at different prices. The first Android phone should land at Christmas 2009. This is later than we expected, with the original date announced for second quarter of 2009.

Will Motorola get back to the top thanks to Android? They seem to believe so.

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Motorola hires for a mysterious Android project

Motorola, who already declared their interest in Android, are looking to recruit for an "Android Social Networking SmartPhone" project.

The Motorola Interaction Design Team have posted an job add on Coroflot and it clearly gives away the fact that Motorola is going droid.

"As a Senior Staff Interaction Designer, you will be responsible for leading and actively participating in the concept, design, documentation and development of user interfaces for our mobile products including our new Android Social Networking SmartPhone. You’ll lead brainstorming and work sessions, usability and innovation reviews and other forums of design development. In addition to your primary responsibility in the delivery of great design, you will also be expected to mentor other designers, bringing your personal strengths to the rest of the team."

There are few details as to what exactly an "Android Social Networking SmartPhone" is but it sure is intriguing!

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Android, a game changer

MobileTechNews have a very interesting article on how Android can become a game changer in the smartphone industry. Android if proved to be a success, will shift around not only consumers' habits, but also mobile networks' strategies and phone manufacturers.

Smarthphones only represent 14% of the total mobile traffic so a standardization, says MobileTechNews is the way forward for Google to push Android all the way to the top. The trick is to convince Mobile networks and especially phone manufacturers that not only smartphones should run on Android but also "normal" phones to offer a more coherent lineup and a more efficient, better service.

This is all based on an ABI research on Smartphone and OS Markets and according Kevin Burden, ABI Research director, "If Android is to become the ubiquitous mobile phone platform that Google and the Open Handset Alliance hope it will be, it will be because operators and handset OEMs recognize the value to their own business models of using standard platforms, not because wireless subscribers clamor for feature-rich phones, much less an Android-based phone."

This is definitely an interesting one because there is a lot at stake with Android. If Google manages to bring their experience in the Mobile world, especially its ad-funded strategy, it will change the conception we, mobile networks or phone manufacturers have on phones. Google's implementation in the mobile business has been slow but steady and the success of the Google Maps app for iPhone for exemple is a simple proof of that.

For the full ABI Research "Smartphone and OS Markets", click here.

Handango wants to go droid

Handango, an app retailer for smartphones, have also declared their interest in supporting Android, via a parallel app store!

The independent store plans to offer Google's products, as soon as the G1 hits the store in less than three weeks. Handango is also looking at developers to directly upload their apps on their own app store so that they could give or sell them or even offer suscriptions.

This particular bit coul interest EA who recently declared that they would consider developing their big gaming licenses on Android Market, only if there was a way to gain some profit out of it.

For more infos, check out Handango's website here.

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Palm should go Android

Times are rough and this is especially true to smartphone maker Palm. Palm were almost the first to kick-start the smartphone era but have long lost the market to new comers like Apple's iPhone or RIM's Blackberry.

Fortune, a CNN blog, asks this very interesting question: why doesn't Palm join the Android train.

As we saw in previous posts, Android is on everyone's lips and this would not be a bold move from Palm.
Palm have not yet released their Linux-based OS, only due to be out in 9 months. Besides one can wonder how would Palm really benefit from releasing their own OS when you know that Android is a free open source plateform.

This article also reviews all the changes that the smartphone market has encountered with the arrival of appealing brands like Nokia, Google, Apple and so on!
Who knows? Maybe one of those big decision-makers at Palm will also have a curious look at this!

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