Comments on: NYT: Google's Android coming soon on HTC handset

HTC, T-Mobile, and Google are gearing up to release a phone based on the Android software over the next couple of months, according to The New York Times, echoing an earlier report.

[Kwasiowusu]

"Google will be competing against other operating system licensers such as Symbian and Microsoft for design wins around the world"

Since Nokia owns Symbian, and Nokia accounts for over 40% of all cell phones sold on the planet(and still increasing), that is 40% of the market that is off limits to Google's Android right off the mark. Not to mention HTC makes most of it's money from Window Mobile smart phones, being one of the first OEM's to make Window Mobile phones. I'd like to know how Android handles corporate email like Microsoft Exchange, without which business will simply not be interested in Android.

[Remo_Williams]

1) By your math, 60% of all phones are therefore fair game. That's good enough.
2) HTC makes its money from being an OEM, but is not beholden to Microsoft -- obviously -- and your point is what exactly? HTC is making an Android phone!
3) Businesses might not be interested, but the employees will, and that really a good question for Android later in its lifecycle.

--#

[Kreuzer33]

Well, it looks like the rumors may finally be coming true. This has been a topic LONG discussed!

http://kreuzer33.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/google-android-coming-to-t-mobile/

[JCPayne]

They should add me as a product tester.... I can give the the feedback they'd want.

[JCPayne]

(quote)

Since Nokia owns Symbian, and Nokia accounts for over 40% of all cell phones sold on the planet(and still increasing), that is 40% of the market that is off limits to Google's Android right off the mark. Not to mention HTC makes most of it's money from Window Mobile smart phones, being one of the first OEM's to make Window Mobile phones. I'd like to know how Android handles corporate email like Microsoft Exchange, without which business will simply not be interested in Android.
(end quote)

Your logic is flawed... For one- if it was 40% of the market... That is 40% that is very much up for grabs because there is no guarantee that after that current handset becomes outdated (in about 2-3 years time) there's no guarantee that person may buy another Nokia. Plus phone O/Ses are different from Computers. On computer you tend to want something compatible with the existing files/apps that you have. On cell phone this is less true. Usually you just want that contact list to carry over. Also. the reason this logic doesn't work is because if you buy a new phone you're at the mercy of that manufacturer... Android though is changing this. During the testing people like myself were complaining about the bugginess of Symbian on Sony Ericsson phone and encouraging Android developers to include a way for people with Symbian phones to be able to flash their phone's internal hardware and load Android (similar to how you can flash Sony Ericsson phones and load different Symbian verisions using things like WotanServer and so on.) So I think they got the message and saw the power of having a way where people can choose their O/S on whatever piece of headset hardware of their choosing.

So your 40% may indeed be much up for grabs.

[Kwasiowusu]

@ JCPayne : "Your logic is flawed... For one- if it was 40% of the market... That is 40% that is very much up for grabs because there is no guarantee that after that current handset becomes outdated (in about 2-3 years time) there's no guarantee that person may buy another Nokia"

Its your logic that is flawed.
FACT: There is a higher probability that someone who bought a Nokia phone this year, will buy a Nokia phone next year and the years beyond, than for someone to buy a no-name cell phone based on an Android operating system that consumers have not even heard of.
FACT: Nokia has dominated the cell phone business for over 15 years, and just keep incresaing their market share, profits and sales every year. Around the globe, especially in by far the biggest cell phone markets on the planet in China, the European Union and India, Nokia cell phone totaly domimate everyone else.
Why on earth would anyone buy an HTC cell phone based on Android in these cuontries, instead of a Nokia phone?
I can't think of a ingle reason why.

[Kwasiowusu]

@ JCPayne :"Plus phone O/Ses are different from Computers. On computer you tend to want something compatible with the existing files/apps that you have. On cell phone this is less true"

Maybe. That is why the one that owns the biggest market share on cell phone hardware, rules.
Nokia will never use Android, and they dominate the hardware sales worldwide. In India, China and the European Union, which account for by far most cell phone sales on the planet, consumers want Nokia cell phones(with the Symbian operating system that they come with).
No one cares about HTC or Android brands. In a fight between Android and Nokia branded cell phones, Nokia wins every time with consumers worldwide.
Ummm..about that 40%..that is just Nokia's cell phone share alone. Sony Ericcsson, Samsung and LG also Symbian OS, making Symbian hardware share even bigger.

[Rahsut]

I think the Google brand will give android credibility in the minds of consumers and encourage smartphone users to atleast try it out.

Also your statistics might be true but are irrelevant because they refer to total cell phone market. The android would target the smartphone market, which is dominated by windows mobile and blackberry.

[jtloner]

@Kwasiowusu

you logic flawed my man. You state that Nokia will beat Android everytime good game man I am glad that you have seen the future with Nokia already beating Android. Moto and Samsung are massive in China right now and guess what they are making Android phones and the OS is free. Symbian will not even be open source untill 2010 giving Google plenty of time to make sure Android phones are in users hands.

[JCPayne]

@Kwasiowusu (quote)
Its your logic that is flawed.
FACT: There is a higher probability that someone who bought a Nokia phone this year, will buy a Nokia phone next year and the years beyond, than for someone to buy a no-name cell phone based on an Android operating system that consumers have not even heard of.(end quote)

Me: Perhaps... But the real fact of the matter is there is no guarantee. What about people who have the IPhone??? I mean 3 years ago there was no IPhone so where did they come from? Exactly they migrated from all the other providers more than likely.... Meaning all of those people converted did they not? So I take it you say Nokia is soo special no Nokia people will ever leave their product? I guess the same thing would be true for all the people hooked on the Motorola Razer craze from a few years back.... Surely all of those people will only buy Motorola today again right????

All that needs to happen is for some mobile manufacturer to create the right phone at the right time and people will jump on the bandwagon, there are some who are loyal to brands but if you give them a good enough phone across the aisle they will cross it.

ALSO I'm confused you call Samsung? Motorola? T-Mobile? LG? Sprint-Nextel? NTT DoCoMo? Telefónica? etc. as "no name"???? These are the companies that have united in the Open Handset Alliance and are pushing Android it is on their phones that Android will come on .
SOURCE: http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/oha_members.html

@Kwasiowusu (quote)
FACT: Nokia has dominated the cell phone business for over 15 years, and just keep incresaing their market share, profits and sales every year. Around the globe, especially in by far the biggest cell phone markets on the planet in China, the European Union and India, Nokia cell phone totaly domimate everyone else.
Why on earth would anyone buy an HTC cell phone based on Android in these cuontries, instead of a Nokia phone?
I can't think of a ingle reason why.
(end quote)

Me: If "Joe shmoe" or "Jane shmoe" walk into the store *I think*, that you think these people will run right ove to the Nokia section and say "Yes, I have heard all about these Symbian phones! I want one." The fact of the matter is, people will buy whatever they see in the store and like... The fact that already T-Mobile, Sprint, NTT DoCoMo and Telefónica(currently the 3rd largest mobile company in Europe)... those companies are backing these android based phones in their store from makers like Motorola, LG, Samsung etc. there's no guarantee these people are not going to buy a phone with the Android operating system on it in the future. In fact it can be argued that these phone makers might even start producing more of their own features on android because they have more control over it.
Also just because you can't think of a reason doesn't mean that is the same for everyone. To be a realist here your reasoning is not the end of all ends. If someone walks in a store and the rep shows them an android phone they'll buy it. If they walk in the store and they see a Nokia they'll buy that. If they walk in and see an IPhone they'll buy that. People don't stay loyal just because of brands anymore.

[Kwasiowusu]

@ JCPayne: "But the real fact of the matter is there is no guarantee. What about people who have the IPhone??? "

Umm..how many peple actually own the iPhone?
out of over 1.2 billion cell phones that were sold on this planetin the past 12 months, at least 480 million were Nokia cell phones. The iPhone didn't even sell 10 million.
In the just ended June quarter, Nokia sold over 1.3 million cell phones every single day. Nokia sold more cell phones every single day, than Apple sold iPhones for the ENTIRE QUARTER of 3 months.
People who own the iPhone are so insignificant, they don't even appear on the radar screen of wor;dwide cell phone sales.
Nokia simply dominates. the iPhone is insignificant. As for Andiod, its just another vaporware, that has been "pending release" for over a year. A total joke

[AppleSuxLeo]

You are right...Nokia phones make the iPhone look like a girly-phone. iPhones are for girly-men.

[Kwasiowusu]

@ JCPayne: "If "Joe shmoe" or "Jane shmoe" walk into the store *I think*, that you think these people will run right ove to the Nokia section and say "Yes, I have heard all about these Symbian phones! I want one."

That "Joe Schmoe" you are talking about, has been walking into the shops, and demanding and buying Nokia phones for over a decade.
In China, by far the brand that the Chinese demand as their cell phones when they go to a shop is Nokia. And China is by far the biggest cell phone market on the planet, totally dwarfing the US cell phone market. Same thing in Europe, who's cell phone market is much bigger than that of the US.
Nokia's brand rules. Android cell phone is just another wannabe pathetic joke.
There is simply no reason whatsever for any sane individual, who owns an excellent Nokia cell phone, to turn round and buy another brand just because that brand has Android in it.

[Laserdisc]

I dunno... I'm no iPhone lover or Nokia for that matter but if Nokia sells 480 million phones and been leading (as folks say) for 15 years or so with over a dozen of different phone types all over the world but iPhone which is a product that's been around for only a year or so and sells 10 million (mostly in North America) that's kind of impressive.
Back to the subject, I was really looking for Android and the last demo left me disappointed. Google has the right idea but the execution is lacking (IMHO), kinda like the OpenMoko phones. But in this industry things can change quickly so I'm reserving final judgment until these phones hit the mass market (goes for both Android and OpenMoko).

HTC skin now available for Google Android Emulator!
http://teavuihuang.com/android

To install, download and unzip "HVGA-P-HTC.zip" to the Android skin directory, e.g. "C:\android-sdk-windows-0.9_beta\tools\lib\images \skins". To run the Android emulator with this HTC skin, enter this on the command line: "emulator -skin HVGA-P-HTC".

[besidetheriver]

I don't understand why the hostility. I for one welcome the open source project and the hopes that what i've been holding off and the reason that i haven't renewed my contract will be coming soon. I thought the IPHONE was going to get me but v1 didn't (no gps) and V2 was a flop...no third party developers, no turn by turn...not a big deal? wrong! windows mobile offered that two version ago...and in a new big city you want to keep you eyes on the road not on a handset!
then i look at the market place and BAM there are already accessories and apps for gps!
like it or not windows is THE OS in the desktop.
Why has it stayed there? THIRD party developers! tons of free apps and competition for pay apps.
competition bring innovation which brings stability which then bring more competition. Put that together in an easy to navigate interface and wham! you got a winner...IPHONE got most of it right except the competition part which i think is what is going to keep them below 15% of the market always.
From what i have seen HTC might have a new user here soon.
integretion with my calendar/email.
instant messaging.
gps
and
music
with a good quality camera (5 meg not a chesy 2.5 )
and
FULL internet (not on the iphone)

and third party development from all over the world...
sounds like if the promise is true we might just have a mobile device that trumps the iphone.