Parse the onslaught of announcements streaming out of the Mobile World Congress confab in Barcelona and it's clear that Google phones aren't ready for prime time.
Though this year's show had been widely seen as the global launching pad for the Internet giant's mobile developer platform, Android, the few handset prototypes on display from chipmakers ARM, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments lack sophistication.
ARM's model resembles a plain, clunky smart phone. Qualcomm's is an ungainly mélange of circuit boards and screens. TI's boasts a large screen full of square icons for one-click access to messaging, videos, lists and maps. All are somewhat speculative test models, however, as Google hasn't yet released specifications for Android phones. Nevertheless, a Google representative at the show confirmed that Android handsets will hit the market in the second half of the year as planned.
The threat of Google appears to be inspiring some match-ups between Microsoft and other mobile firms. Microsoft announced Monday that it agreed to acquire Danger, the maker of Sidekick phones, which have been a hit with teens. The move could bolster Microsoft's mobile business against Android by broadening its reach and appeal beyond Windows Mobile-powered smart phones. In an interesting twist, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Danger was founded by Andy Rubin, who now heads Android.
Sony Ericsson, which holds a 16% stake in Symbian, the company that produces the mobile operating system of the same name, announced Sunday that its flashy new smart phone, Xperia X1, would run on Windows Mobile, a key Symbian rival. Microsoft has hinted that Nokia, which owns half of Symbian, will also start licensing Windows Mobile.
Other open-source alliances are also battling Google. LiMo, a global consortium of mobile companies, is working overtime to release an open-source mobile platform before Android gets more traction.
Those at the Barcelona conference searching for sleek phones have been rewarded with dozens of new playthings. Beyond its flagship Xperia X1, Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Sony and Ericsson, demonstrated several touchscreen handsets and some Cyber-shot-branded camera phones. Nokia unveiled four new multimedia mobile phones, including a successor to its best-selling N95 phone, which plays TV shows. LG also debuted four handsets, including an advanced version of its famous Prada phone. Samsung showed a dozen handsets that filled every market niche, from high-end smart phones with 5 megapixel cameras to simple, $200 candy bar-style phones.
The conference itself is undergoing a transformation. Formerly called 3GSM World Congress, in a nod to the mobile technology that's dominant in Europe, it was long viewed as a European-focused trade show. This year, the show, which expects 50,000 attendees, is more globally focused. CEOs from North American tech giants Cisco Systems, Qualcomm and Research in Motion are scheduled to give keynotes alongside executives from China Mobile, Finland's Nokia, Korea's SK Telecom and the U.K.'s Vodafone.
Source: Forbes
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