First Look at Google's Android Mobile Platform

[MacEyeDoc]

Not quite so Googlelicious

Don't forget that Symbian is the leading smartphone OS worldwide.

Palm is still working on their new Linux-based OS, but it could very well be too late for them. Their only hope is to ship earlier in 2008 before Android-based products get out the door.

The level of competition is pretty weak, and the iPhone -- lovely as it is -- will probably always be a niche player (albeit a profitable and influential one), so Google has a pretty good opportunity here if they can deliver. One major stumbling block will be not only if Google can deliver, but if their partners can deliver, as well. HTC is a good bet on the hardware side, as they make some interesting devices that should be even more intriguing once divorced from Windows Mobile.

One thing's for sure: Sergey Brin is no Steve Jobs when it comes to giving presentations.

Yes, the Android stuff sounds great, but who has signed on so far? The #1 handset maker (Nokia) - no - and will likely never sign on because it competes with their Symbian software. The #1 and #2 wireless carriers (Verizon and AT&T) - no. Palm? - no. Microshaft? -no. And the maker of the best phone on the market (Apple) - no.

Google good, Google cool, but iPhone cooler, and already in my hand.

 

[Padraig]

Yes, the Android stuff sounds great, but who has signed on so far? The #1 handset maker (Nokia) - no - and will likely never sign on because it competes with their Symbian software. The #1 and #2 wireless carriers (Verizon and AT&T) - no. Palm? - no. Microshaft? -no. And the maker of the best phone on the market (Apple) - no.

Google good, Google cool, but iPhone cooler, and already in my hand.

FYI... Nokia says Google alliance participation "not ruled out at all"

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/06/nokia-says-google-alliance-participation-not-ruled-out-at-all/

Verizon and AT&T are only the 10th and 11th biggest mobile phone operators in the world and are pretty much confined to just the U.S.

 

[Vidd]

Windows Mobile sucks just like the Palm OS sucks.

I actually quite like Windows Mobile's interface although I'm using it with HTC add-ons. It's no iPhone OS but it's not intended to be.

I'd be interested in the Google OS if it supported current phones (which might be asking too much) but since that's not going to happen: no thanks.

 

[0098386]

That's a bit brilliant!

I've been wanting a proper touch screen phone for years, then 2 (good) ones come along at once!

 

[0098386]

But can it play Doom?

Without proper controls, can either machines play Doom

 

[leigh.roy]

My god you guys are embarrassing.

Half of you seem to act as if Steve Jobs invented the mobile phone. He didn't! Apple took existing features and made them pretty and usable. That's it.

They didn't invent Coverflow, they bought it, and really it's just a pretty version of Alt-Tab.

They didn't invent the dock, that particular UI style has been available with unix fvwm for the last 20 years probably longer.

WebKit is an open source fork of KHTML. The rendering engine and everything was already coded when apple got their hands on it.

Yes Apple have innovated, but they copy just as much as everyone else.

The look and feel of this is NOT the iPhone!

Android is a Good Thing! It is a free open platform, something that the iPhone is not.

 

[kresh]

Google CEO on Apple's BOD

If Google starts to be a competitor (real or percieved) to Apple then surely Google's CEO must step down from the Apple Board of Directors. There is clearly a conflict of interest, the same as would be if Steve Balmer was on Apple's BOD.

 

[yg17]

t's no iPhone OS but it's not intended to be

No, it's not. I can run 3rd party apps, use any carrier I like, and send MMS on my Windows Mobile phone


The new Google OS looks great. I don't think they're copying anything (and I'm sure if I got bored enough, I could find several things on the iJoke that Apple copied) and can't wait for a phone running Android to come out. I might just have to buy one.

 

[NicP]

My god you guys are embarrassing.

Half of you seem to act as if Steve Jobs invented the mobile phone. He didn't! Apple took existing features and made them pretty and usable. That's it.

They didn't invent Coverflow, they bought it, and really it's just a pretty version of Alt-Tab.

They didn't invent the dock, that particular UI style has been available with unix fvwm for the last 20 years probably longer.

WebKit is an open source fork of KHTML. The rendering engine and everything was already coded when apple got their hands on it.

Yes Apple have innovated, but they copy just as much as everyone else.

The look and feel of this is NOT the iPhone!

Android is a Good Thing! It is a free open platform, something that the iPhone is not.

I agree completely, the competition can only mean that both platforms will improve over time.

 

[synth3tik]

I don't know if I am all that into it, but it looks like a rather nice interface.

 

[zwida]

If Google starts to be a competitor (real or percieved) to Apple then surely Google's CEO must step down from the Apple Board of Directors. There is clearly a conflict of interest, the same as would be if Steve Balmer was on Apple's BOD.

I think their goals are relatively aligned. They can compete while moving together to wipe out their other competition. Pretty smart thinking, I'd say.

 

[MacEyeDoc]

Still not all that Googlelicious

FYI... Nokia says Google alliance participation "not ruled out at all"

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/06/nokia-says-google-alliance-participation-not-ruled-out-at-all/

Verizon and AT&T are only the 10th and 11th biggest mobile phone operators in the world and are pretty much confined to just the U.S.

OK, good use of selective quotation. From the same article on engadget: "Tuutti (spokesperson for Nokia) then went on to say that "We should never close any doors." Of course, that's still a long way from actually jumping on board, which seems to remain a fairly unlikely proposition, "open doors" aside."

And from an article linked to your article, also on engadget: "The Symbian folks stated the obvious: "If Google was not involved the industry would have just yawned and rolled over."

Your serve.

 

[Stella]

I think their goals are relatively aligned. They can compete while moving together to wipe out their other competition. Pretty smart thinking, I'd say.

Apple couldn't alone, at least not until the following occur:
- iPhone becomes a lot cheaper
- more flexible and cheaper contracts - a lot of people could not justify spending so much
- iphone is no longer exclusive to carriers

Google alone could swipe up significant market share.

 

[Motley]

Wonder how this will affect the OpenMoko People?

Can't help but think it might leech some talent.

Either way, I say the more the merrier. I'd like something with iPhone-like features, but am on a pay as you go T-Mobile plan and don't feel like putting up with the risk of unlocking the iPhone (I'd be happy with just surfing at hotspots).

 

[gmanrique]

All I meant was that...

since the iPhone introduction, Apple mentioned web development and also said they were 'working' on providing a secure and better way to develop applications for the iPhone. They did not say it was or it will be an open type of device, which is a no surprise. I mean, is the Mac open (in a linux type of way)? No. Are there development tools provided to create third party apps for the mac? Yes. And that is what seemed to me that Apple was trying to accomplish, or at least that is what I understood from Jobs comments. Granted, english is my second language and the crowd was a little noisy in San Fran when he announced it, so it could had been me.

I don't necessarily think that Apple changed their plans because of the hacker community, but I do think Apple may change their plans due to Android.

Regardless, Apple official stance in January was that web-apps were the only way to go. There were some offhand comments by Jobs in interviews that there may be "limited" apps coming, but this was certainly not public company policy.

Right now the iPod has "limited" 3rd party apps available to it, but it would be a stretch to say that the iPod is open to 3rd party development.

arn

 

[mixel]

that web page history viewer seems like a little Cover Flow clone

If you open multiple windows on the PS3, you browser between them in the same way.. Its a pretty standard UI element, nothing apple-inspired about it.

 

[MacinDoc]

It's a nice concept, but will take a while to reach fruition. When it does, it will push Apple to continue to innovate, just as iPod competitors have.

Interesting point about the BOD, Kresh, this may have some implications for it...

...or there may be some unannounced partnership with Apple. Could we be looking at the basis for iPhone 3? Or will Apple continue to seek total control of the device and user experience?

 

[rhpenguin]

My god you guys are embarrassing.

Half of you seem to act as if Steve Jobs invented the mobile phone. He didn't! Apple took existing features and made them pretty and usable. That's it.

They didn't invent Coverflow, they bought it, and really it's just a pretty version of Alt-Tab.

They didn't invent the dock, that particular UI style has been available with unix fvwm for the last 20 years probably longer.

WebKit is an open source fork of KHTML. The rendering engine and everything was already coded when apple got their hands on it.

Yes Apple have innovated, but they copy just as much as everyone else.

The look and feel of this is NOT the iPhone!

Android is a Good Thing! It is a free open platform, something that the iPhone is not.

Well said, I wish more people realized this.. Allow me to add.

Darwin, the underpinnings of OS X is a branch of FreeBSD.

A lot of the lowlevel apps apps are FLOSS, GNU stuff... Such as... Well, most everything you do in terminal.

The iPod is just an MP3 player with a fancy interface. IIRC, Diamond had one out long before Apple.

The iRiver Clix did touch sensitive mp3 playing long before the iPod Touch.

.... Feel free to chime in. Its all advertising, and a lot of you buy it. Im not saying Apple's products aren't good, I love OS X. I just don't think they manufacture the end all and be all of products. Im game to see someone do better at whatever because I like innovation. Im not saying that Apple isn't innovative, God no.. Bringing an easy to use OS based on Unix to the table with commercial support is awesome. But, In this market if Google can make a wicked mobile OS, great.. Im down to develop my own stuff for it and since its Java, I don't have to learn much.

Edit: Im also happy I can use this on an HTC phone (Eventually). They're nice.

 

[leigh.roy]

This is a really good video talking about some of the technical stuff Android is capable of.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPukbH6D-lY&feature=PlayList&p=D7C64411AF40DEA5&index=2

There are 3 in the series, and this is the third. I post this one first because it is probably the least technical and provide some really interesting information about what the platform is capable of.

 

[tonkaxxtuph]

Still gonna need hardwar

My first impression is...so what new? My other thought is, you are still going to need excellent hardware. Most phones today are awful! Maybe once the hardware catches up to the software can we take full advantage of android. But then again, its just another Window Mobile.

 

[scottrichardson]

Purely speculative, but, would it be possible that this platform borrows from from Apple's own mobile OS X platform? I mean, aside from Open GL acceleration, Android seems pretty much the same as iPhone.

Considering the great relationship between Apple and Google, would it be wrong to imagine that there is some sharing of technology going on?

The similarities are just too close. Look at the browser, it looks like the dock when attached to the left or right of the screen in Leopard. Maps, IM styled text messaging.... I mean, sure Apple has no strong hold on those ideas, but for there to be such hooplah about this Android OS seems a little anti climactic. iPhone already does all this? The only difference is that they're licensing to other hardware makers.

Although it does seem like this platform has really been developed with developers in mind, with a full SDK available now.

And in saying that.. are we about to see another Microsoft vs Apple battle in the form of Google vs Apple... where Apple kept their platform closed and on one brand of hardware, while Microsoft (in this case Google) builds the software platform and licenses it to everyone else.

Had it not been for the success of Apple's iPhone platform, I doubt Google would have been pushing theirs so hard. I bet they are hoping for history repeating itself, as many hardware manufacturers flock to take advantage of something as close as they can get to the superior iPhone platform.

Scottie

 

[arn]

since the iPhone introduction, Apple mentioned web development and also said they were 'working' on providing a secure and better way to develop applications for the iPhone.

January: Apple announces iPhone. no 3rd party apps. hints of "secure" method to develop apps for the iPhone
June: Apple announces Web 2.0 + AJAX as the "secure" method to develop apps for the iPhone

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/11/steve-jobs-live-from-wwdc-2007/

"We have been trying to come up with a solution to expand the capabilities of the iPhone so developers can write great apps for it, but keep the iPhone secure. And we've come up with a very. Sweet. Solution. Let me tell you about it. An innovative new way to create applications for mobile devices... it's all based on the fact that we have the full Safari engine in the iPhone."

"And so you can write amazing Web 2.0 and AJAX apps that look and behave exactly like apps on the iPhone, and these apps can integrate perfectly with iPhone services. They can make a call, check email, look up a location on Gmaps... don't worry about distribution, just put 'em on an internet server. They're easy to update, just update it on your server. They're secure, and they run securely sandboxed on the iPhone. And guess what, there's no SDK you need! You've got everything you need if you can write modern web apps..."

 

[yg17]

But then again, its just another Window Mobile.

Nothing wrong with that....Windows Mobile kicks ass.

 

[mtthab]

Ehhh

Honestly, the first thing I noticed about that video was that both of those men are pretty bad speakers. They both look and sound like nervous mice. Aside from that though, android looks like it will work nicely to at least put a fire under Apple. The interface looks pretty sketchy at this point when put next to the iphone, but it is still very early. Is that phone all touch? Where are the tactile buttons? Can we see the buttons on the side if there are any? Not a great first glimpse but I think android will work out to be something significant. They have great ideas as far as openness goes, but it will be interesting to see how long it takes for that openness to translate to some horrible virus or glitch. Its kind of like the police saying anything is legal but please dont do anything wrong. We shall see...looks interesting though.

Also, to Leigh.roy and rhpenguin,

When you say Apple "makes (blank) pretty" you don't realize that making something "pretty" is actually a ton of work for designers, people who make a living off of making things intuitive and presentable, or "pretty" as the less embarrassing among us call it. You don't realize that more then half of the worth of an OS or electronic device is it's "prettiness" or design. Sure apple didn't invent the computer (actually, I think they may have) but the reason the iRiver clix hasn't sold 100 million pieces is because it is not designed well and the iPod is. Some people, like you, are more into the technical aspect of coding and whatever else. I admittedly know almost nothing about that but I am part of the group of people who appreciate and know good design. What you write off in a word I understand as being what makes something useable. Please don't assume that design is not a huge part of electronics because it certainly is and the pile of money that Steve Jobs sleeps on every night is a testament to that.

 

[MacFly123]

that web page history viewer seems like a little Cover Flow clone

Almost, but it is an exact clone of "Carosel" which Apple just announced in iPhoto '08 Web Gallery

http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/#webgallery