High Tech Computer’s first phone using Android has been unveiled to the press on September 23th; and shippments are due one month later. Although the comparison is often taken for granted, the gPhone is not an all-round product like the iPhone, but rather a collaborative platform between hardware makers, software designers and mobile networks.
The product is backed up by Google, the World’s leading search engine, and it also has a physical kewboard going for it. Overall, the HTC G1 received a mitigated response: reviewers questionned the partnership with T-Mobile for the USA, where it will be released first. Online sales leader Amazon.com entered a partnership to sell DRM-free MP3’s on the device. Reviewers were a bit confused about the product’s target category: is it meant to tackle the “multimedia” slot of Apple Inc.’s iPhone or the “business” slot of RIM’s Blackberry? I guest the effective use of the gPhone will be determined by the top Android applications Google has been awarding money for.
As far as the other players are concerned, Nokia announced the unveiling of its iPhone competitor for October 2nd; Motorola has been shifting its development towards Android and Palm is still working on its next generation operating system for the last two years.
The mobile phone market is currently the fastest groing one, so there is plenty of room for Android if they get their act right.
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