Android eyes market leadership | Bangkok Post: tech

While BlackBerry became fashionable in a very short time in 2009, its popularity is expected to shrink this year. Meanwhile, Google's Android is expected to become increasingly attractive.

HTC Tattoo, an Android-based phone, to which users can download thousands of popular applications and games, features a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera and 3.5mm stereo headset jack.

Google recently launched Nexus One, an HTC-built phone using Android mobile software platform. Some believe that Android could enjoy the greatest mobile OS market share within the next few years.

Google claimed that Nexus One may not be a game-changer in terms of technology or pricing, but it does reinforce the company's ambition to become the first managed device platform (MDP) vendor.

In the US, Android has reached critical mass across multiple carriers, but not yet in Thailand.

HTC (Thailand) country manager Nattawat Woranopakul, who pioneered the Android platform last year, admitted that it's pretty hard to encourage the market, however HTC has confidence in the potential of the open Android platform.

HTC has developed the innovation of an on-top user-interface.

There are already more than 10,000 applications in the Android marketplace,with more coming this year, said Nattawat, adding that he expects the market to become more exciting once Google takes more action in the Thai community.

"There are many amazing and unique Android applications and the advantage of Android is that almost all the applications are free of charge, contrary to many of those on the iPhone," he said. Furthermore, the whole internet can be searched and data retrieved by Android-based handsets.

"If you want to download a song, you can do it on the phone legally, while users can upload to YouTube, for example, through their Android phone. And if you want to send a song to someone beside you, just cock your wrist to have your phone pointing to his."

And this is differentiation of Google - it wants to expand services to the mobile market, where the growth is much more higher than in desktop computers.

Viroj Assawarungsi stated that the BlackBerry is likely to be in downturn by this year, especially if it offers nothing new. "What's comes quickly can be gone quickly," he said.

He believes that iPhone will still be the leading player, but Android will be an increasingly attractive alternative.

A current problem with Android is its number of partners in application development is comparatively small, although there is growth potential in this area through the Google platform.

Android has a lot of potential, but still lacks consumer sense, Viroj said.

True Corp CIO Information Convergence Pichit Thanyodom said the market can expect something exciting from Google's Android activities by this year.

True has been studying the applications because there will be different types of Android handsets.

Relate Search: While BlackBerry, HTC (Thailand), Nattawat Woranopakul