Mobile Phone Companies Back Google’s Android
On Tuesday, fourteen of the world’s largest mobile phone companies, including Sony Ericsson, Vodafone Group Plc, and ARM Holdings Plc, joined the Open Handset Alliance to support Google’s Android mobile device platform.
The group’s oath to back the platform is a major step for Google’s foray into the mobile phone industry. The move sets up Google’s T-Mobile G1 phone to rival Apple Inc’s popular iPhone 3G.
On Tuesday, Sony Ericsson announced that it plans to release a mobile phone by mid-2009 that will be based on the Android platform.
"Android is set to become a significant application framework for mobile phones," said Robert Puskaric, Ericsson’s head of mobile platforms.
Each of the members of the Open Handset Alliance have committed to developing applications for mobile devices using Google’s Android platform. Currently, there are 47 companies involved with the alliance.
Google and Apple have both worked to persuade developers to create applications for their devices, but Apple Inc has kept tight reins on the iPhone hardware and operating platform. The Google Android platform is open to being updated and changed by developers outside of Google, making it more appealing to application developers.
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