One of the world's leading software companies (Google) deciding to become a hardware manufacturer is an extremely significant event. It could also be extremely disruptive, potentially creating lots of problems for Google's existing partner, despite the search giant's claims to the contrary.
For this reason it's easy to see why the Google/Motorola merger has come under serious scrutiny from trade authorities the globe over. Announced almost a year ago, it has taken Google thousands hours to get the deal finalised. China finally signed off on the deal last week confirming the buyout – but there were ‘conditions.’
Keeping Android open source for five years
To get support from the Chinese authorities Google has had to commit to keeping Android open for 5 years, which reinforces the perception that these will continue to be ‘interesting times’ for the software platform. Does Google plan to eventually make Android closed source?
The history of mobile software and hardware platform relationships has always been challenging. The software companies offering mobile operating systems have generally struggled to get traction and then momentum with hardware OEMs.
Microsoft’s mobile problem
Despite its overall industry clout Microsoft has always struggled to get mobile momentum, but is hoping things might be different with a hardware legend like Nokia.
The Finnish company’s software past is not so legendary as its hardware. Symbian, which Nokia was first a major investor and then took total control of in 2008, started with the strong mobile handheld computer heritage of Psion, spiced it with the involvement of major telecoms handset players, but still failed to become dominant, especially outside of Europe.
The death of Palm
The demise of the other major mobile handheld platform Palm, partly due to its own failings, and partly the ineptitude of its acquirer, HP, is another example of how once apparently unassailable market leaders can falter.
Palm had both hardware and software under its control, a strong application ecosystem and even an online ‘app’ store, but failed among the powerbases of operators as IT converged with telecoms.
Apple redefining the market
This is where Apple succeeded. Despite (or because of) the consumer appeal of the iPod, the narrowest of handset ranges and a closed platform, its relationship with mobile operators started on a different footing.
The industry dynamics and commercial models have been changed forever – mobile networks have become open like the internet, operator control and walled gardens have become overrun, and ‘over the top’ services are no longer preventable.
This should be the perfect environment for open mobile platforms to thrive, and Google’s Android acquisition in 2005 (Oracle lawyers notwithstanding) was astute and well timed. There are other open mobile platforms, especially in the mobile Linux camp, where Palm momentarily dallied, and some have enjoyed considerable growth in numbers, particularly in China and Asia, but have thus far struggled to get much attention in the noisy US and Western European mobile markets.
T-Mobile Flogs £20 Touchscreen Smartphone - Itproportal
T-Mobile has cut the price of the Alcatel OT-813F by two thirds and is offering it exclusively via KGB Deals until midnight tonight. The smartphone costs a whopping £60 on T-Mobile's online store with an extra compulsory £10 topup excluded.
It comes with a full QWERTY keypad plus a 2.4in touchscreen display (possibly with a 320 x 240 pixels resolution). Other features include Bluetooth, GPRS (no 3G), Wi-Fi, a FM radio and audio player, a two megapixel camera, Java capabilities and up to 10 hours battery life as well as a 30 days standby time.
Sadly though there seems to be no microSD card slot and the display is likely to be resistive rather than capacitive. As for the OS, it is a proprietary model from Alcatel itself with built in Facebook access via a dedicated key.
It's worth noting that T-Mobile's £10 top up could allow you to access the web for a fair few months although that will be next to useless on the OT-813F given that it is GPRS-only.
Source : KGBDeals
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