Open Handset Alliance

"Open Handset Alliance™, a group of more than 30 technology and mobile companies who have come together to accelerate innovation in mobile and offer consumers a richer, less expensive, and better mobile experience. Together we have developed Android™, the first complete, open, and free mobile platform."

http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/index.html

Article (TechCrunch)

Interesting. There's quite a many platforms already. Many where to choose from.

Erisan wrote:

"Open Handset Alliance™, a group of more than 30 technology and mobile companies who have come together to accelerate innovation in mobile and offer consumers a richer, less expensive, and better mobile experience. Together we have developed Android™, the first complete, open, and free mobile platform."

I'd hate to be on the Windows Mobile team at the moment, fairly small marketshare already and the potential here to lose some of it... let's see what Mr Rubin has up his sleeve - can't wait to learn more about Android.

Well I've never used it but I've always had a very good impression of Windows Mobile. So unless this can outperform Windows mobile I don't see what the risk is.

GoddersUK wrote:

Well I've never used it but I've always had a very good impression of Windows Mobile. So unless this can outperform Windows mobile I don't see what the risk is.

FOSS's decentralised and inherently fragmented nature gives rise to well-defined specifications for interopability between small programs which "do one thing, and do it well".

Ordinarily that's fine, but it means hell when it comes to developing consistent and effective user-interfaces (essential for mobile devices), this is where Apple and Microsoft's advantages are (well, relativly, WM's UI has a long way to go).

Whither OpenMoko?

Dharma Punk wrote:

Whither OpenMoko?

I'm glad you linked to OpenMoko.  My first  thought on the "first open" platform was what don't they know about OpenMoko which has been along for a long time?

Oh goody.  Now we can look forward to 3700 mobile OS distros now.

I love how they say that it is so great because it is "open".  How exactly does this equate to a benifit for the consumer?

Open Handset Alliance™ is just a voluntary group of people who leave their phones on during movies and operas. Nothing more.

I think OHA real goal is to enforce a fair montenazation of mobile technologies. I see the cell phone market very similair to AOL in its hey day who use to get away with charge by the hour for internet access on the basis of superficially better experience.
 
Eventually the mobile phone carrier market will have to realize they can't continue to charge unfair rates for basic internet access. Mass Wireless will probably be what needs to happen for this bubble to burst. I don't think it is a question of will its a question of when. There has to be technological shift I don't think this will be a willing change.

odujosh wrote:

I think OHA real goal is to enforce a fair montenazation of mobile technologies.

Call me a pessimist, but Google is the one organizing all of this. Why would Google do that? Google doesn't do things that don't have some chance of being a business opportunity.

Now, what is Google's only business?

Advertisements.

kettch wrote:

Now, what is Google's only business?

Advertisements.

Phone: *ring ring*
User: Hello?
Phone: Hello, this is Google Mobile AdSense [beta], I see you're passing by a Pizza Hut, would you like to hear today's specials?
User: No.
Phone: Ok, you're looking for Wal-Mart. Please left on Jefferson Ave and travel-
User: What the hell...
Phone: Connecting to Dell Customer Service, please hold.

This "android" site is a JOKE!
Just a mockery to laugh at all "open".

JeremyJ wrote:

I love how they say that it is so great because it is "open".  How exactly does this equate to a benifit for the consumer?

Maybe not directly to consumers but developers and hopefully in that way it will be great thing to consumers.

I have used open platform on my N800 and 770 and as a developer I just love it. 100% customizable. No companies saying "if you don't like it... well, no can do."

BlackTiger wrote:

This "android" site is a JOKE!
Just a mockery to laugh at all "open".

Yes, it still lacks of information.

But - "An early look at the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) will be available on November 12th", so wait a week and visit there again.

Well, I hope it goes well; competition is always good.

I am concerned that there are carriers involved, because they certainly don't have consumer interests at heart.

And as someone else said, what was wrong with OpenMoko.

I'm with Fake Steve Jobs on this one... It's a feeble attempt to claw some attention back from the iPhone.

(Loved his comment about an "Open Search Alliance"...)