How Google Android Is Catching Up To Apple iOS
Apple has been very successful putting the iPhone and iPad in the market, actually creating new markets for online services, application developers, eBooks, etc. The iPhone has been the hottest entry in the Smartphone market since the Blackberry, and many people are still switching to it. But Android is coming strong in the US market, and we can expect the same trend in other places.
It is no surprise that the new products coming up this fall in mobile communications market, Tablets and Smartphones, are mostly bundled with the Android OS.
The mobile internet market is the biggest battleground for the internet companies and Google, as the biggest marketing company in the world, can not stay behind. Apple's marketing is excellent; every new product is received with applause and immediate demand.
But many people are not happy to see Apple trying to control everything the user does with the devices; the lack of support for Adobe Flash, used to deliver media in many websites, the exclusive deals with certain providers (iPhone on AT&T network only in the US), the expensive upgrades, all of that can cost Apple a lot of market share.
Google's approach is mixed: first they open the Android OS to several manufacturers, and big names such as Samsung and Motorola jump into it, then they create their own model, Nexus One, manufactured by HTC. Every brand is free to enter agreements with service providers, and the Android phones are now running in every major network worldwide.
Now The Tablet war is on. Samsung just announced at IFA2010 the new Galaxy Tab, a 7” display device, with Android 2.2, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. According to the specs released, it will run on the GSM and 3G Networks. There are rumors that Samsung is in serious negotiations with Verizon for a exclusive US deal on the tablet. That could be a blow to Apple, which sells the 3G version of the iPad through AT&T only.
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