Android Explained

Android is the newest platform to launch in the crowded mobile operating system space. It was developed by Android Inc, and then later purchased by Google, and most recently the Open Handset Alliance. Android has received huge praise from the mobile development community and handset manufacturers because of its “open source” design. Open source development allows developers to learn from each other and improve upon existing code, therefore advancing the entire industry. This is a relatively novel concept in mobile since all of the other platforms (i.e. iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm, BREW, etc) are a closed-source format, therefore Android drives higher adoption rates.

Why All the Buzz?

There are many factors contributing to the buzz factor surrounding Android, but one of the main reasons is that it’s backed by Google, a behemoth in all things tech. Wherever Google goes, there’s bound to be a huge following and a lot of buzz. With the launch of the new handset Droid, came the mark of mainstream Android adoption. Before then, Android was mainly used by developers.

From a marketing standpoint, Droid has been positioned against the iPhone, so everyone is curious to see which handset the Droid or the iPhone will come out on top.

What to Watch For

2010 will be an interesting year for mobile. Android hit the scene with a big splash but everyone will be watching closely to see if they can deliver. There are several other handsets that will be running on the Android platform, so it will be exciting to see if Android can chip away at Apple’s market share – or anyone’s for that matter.