09/29/2008, 10:15am, EDT
Monday, September 29thMoto betting on Android, Nokia to follow?
Motorola's investment in phones based on Google's Android will be a heavy one, says a reported source for TechCrunch. The American company has just 50 staffers refining Android for future phones but is said by a potential recruit to be swelling its ranks to include a full 350 team members and thus making a serious commitment to the open-source platform, which only just got its start this month with formal news of HTC's T-Mobile G1.
Motorola currently uses the Linux-based MOTOMAGX and Symbian-based UIQ operating systems on some phones but has so far had little success in using these to spur new sales and avoid losing market share. The company's smartphones have so far been limited to the more business-oriented Windows Mobile and have suffered versus the iPhone, Nokia's Nseries hardware, and other offerings with friendlier interfaces.
Nokia itself may also be at least exploring the possibility of using Android, the same tipster claims. Representatives from the phone maker were reportedly spotted at an Android developer conference that was limited to companies developing apps for Google's platform, triggering speculation that it may release an Android phone of its own.
The Finnish company has historically avoided writing apps alone for outside platforms and so hints by its presence that it may have Android phones in development, though it's unknown whether this would involve a full expansion or whether it involves a simpler investigation into Android for research purposes. Nokia is heavily invested into the competing Symbian platform and recently bought Symbian outright with the intent of establishing the Symbian Foundation and encouraging cross-platform use.
The addition of Nokia would significantly boost Android and increase competition in the touchscreen phone space, which has relatively few non-proprietary platforms. Sony Ericsson has also recently expressed interest in Android as a substitute for UIQ or Windows Mobile.
Filed under: industry, mobile phones
Other story tags: Linux, Google, Nokia, T-Mobile, Motorola, htc, Android, Sony Ericsson, Symbian, UIQ
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More like: "Moto waiting for an OS to be developed for them because they're out of ideas...."
Don't get me wrong: I'm positive on what Android could be, I'm just sick and tired of lazy companies who can't figure out why they're failing.
Agreed.
gambit-7: Very true.
I also believe that what is best for Android, Windows Mobile, and Symbian is also best for Apple/iPhone--the harder 'they' work on making their respective platforms competitive, the better the iPhone will be.
Personally, I think the iPhone is at least a full year ahead of anything else, and two years at best.
Agreed 2
I don't know about Nokia, but Motorola definitely can't design an OS. Android is their best shot. Gambit-7, I feel your pain. Makes me wonder how some of these companies have lasted as long as they have.
JaunGuapo, I also have high hopes for Android as competitor for iPhone and all that means for both OS'. I don't think Apple would have stopped pushing the tech - it's what they do - but Steve Jobs won't be around forever and who know what Apple would look like in a 10-year post-jobs era. We've all seen Apple go through a lot of changes since the late '70s, but their most inspiring have arguable been under Jobs.