Report: Motorola expanding Android team

The talk of the tech town lately has been Android, Google's cell phone operating system. Last week, Google and T-Mobile showed off the forthcoming G1--the first phone that will be powered by the open platform.

But the plan was never about just one Google phone, as Google CEO Eric Schmidt said in a statement last fall: "Our vision is that the powerful platform we're unveiling will power thousands of different phone models." Thus, Google formed the Open Handset Alliance--big players in the wireless industry charged with helping form the development community for Android devices.

So it's not surprising that Motorola, one of the original members of the Open Handset Alliance, would be beefing up its ranks working on Android, according to a post on TechCrunch. Motorola reportedly has about 50 people on its current team but is expanding it to 350, according to the post. Its source is an Android developer who was contacted by a headhunter to become part of Motorola's team.

TechCrunch reported that the same source spotted Nokia and Verizon people at an Android developer conference not long ago, though neither company is listed as a member of the Open Handset Alliance.

[Galaxy5]

Any interface has to be better than the abortion they shipped with the RAZR.

[joetesta70]

Google = OPEN
Apple = CLO$ED

Google will grab Apples 3% marketshare in 9-12 months topps as developers flee and OEMs come on board.

Think irrelevant.

[limefan913]

I'm really hoping that Verizon gets onboard with this. Sure the Dare has a nice interface, but lets face it. That phone won't ever see any updates or 3rd party software that isn't through VCast. Windows Mobile is the only standalone OS offered by Verizon, and it's a shame.

[maverick_nick]

Anybody who thinks that the difference between closed and open source means anything to regular consumers are smoking their socks. Apple and MS will always be up there, because their customers don't care about access to the source - they just want a good product.

[brian.lee]

For what it does Apple covers all the consumer bases. It doesn't have the email power a BlackBerry has but consumers don't need that... Consumers are more concerned about the iPhone being stable and that's what Apple is doing with the App Store... while I don't agree with this that's only because I want more business applications.

[samkass]

Motorola should just buy MontaVista or one of the other small embedded Linux development houses.

And as for the iPhone, as long as customers love it and buy it developers will keep developing for it. And it's a wonderful device, so I have no doubts it will continue to expand its market share at the expense of Windows Mobile.

[atish505]

Windows Mobile Sucks, Big TIme. Period. It is a useless platform.
G1 is a good start. But it could have been a lot better in terms of look and feel, features etc.

Hope other devices will fill int he missing blanks: Video recording, streaming videos over 3G, Interface to connect Laptop to 3g using the phone (HSDPA adapter), Corporate email sync, and others.