Symbian, Nokia, Microsoft and Apple downplay Android relevance
By Paul Miller 
posted Nov 5th 2007 6:03PM
posted Nov 5th 2007 6:03PM
Palm's not the only company that isn't afraid to speak out on the Open Handset Alliance. Nokia, Microsoft and Symbian made it most clear today that they don't perceive danger from the new initiative and corresponding Android OS, with Nokia stating it quite bluntly: "We don't see this as a threat." Microsoft was a bit more on the defensive. "It really sounds that they are getting a whole bunch of people together to build a phone and that's something we've been doing for five years," said Scott Horn, from Microsoft's Windows Mobile marketing team. "I don't understand the impact that they are going to have." The Symbian folks stated the obvious: "If Google was not involved the industry would have just yawned and rolled over," said John Forsyth of Symbian. "We take it seriously but we are the ones with real phones, real phone platforms and a wealth of volume built up over years." UIQ was a bit more optimistic about the OHA, saying that "Generally, it's positive for the industry." Apple wasn't as commital either way. "We have a great relationship with Google and this doesn't change anything," said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. "They are certainly an important partner for iPhone."
"Linux isn't (wasn't? lol) a threat."
What Nokia said was that "We don't see this as a threat", and they're probably right that this isn't a threat to them. Nokia already has the Maemo platform which runs on Linux for their internet tablets, so if Android does end up being easy to use and popular, they're very well positioned to take full advantage of it.
And if it doesn't, it's no skin off their noses either. So... yeah, not a threat to Nokia.
To be honest this doesn't excite me whatsoever. If someone perhaps could give some examples of the amazing things that could be done with this new OS as compared to the existing ones, that would be helpful.
Perhaps I'm not open minded enough but I don't see this as being as important as operating systems of computers.
Either way, I care more at the moment about what to eat. I'm pretty hungry right now and theres nothing in the fridge. Ideas anyone? I've tried mustard, and ketchup sandwich... almost like a hotdog, just without the meaty taste.
Please don't judge me.
http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/android_overview.html
It could take some of the money that is going towards licensing and redirect it to a faster processor or more memory while keeping a smart-phone at a particular price-point. It could also help keep monopoly forces in check and allow competition to set prices on cellular services such as gps navigation or video/audio content delivery.
just use your imagination! it has access to all phone functions, apparently, including dialing, and taking pictures--and once it's installed on most phones, the sky's the limit. i imagine, for example, a slew of amazingly powerful and malicious viruses. perhaps one that will run up astronomical phone bills, just for somebody's nasty amusement, or one that would periodically take pictures, and send them to its remote masters. can your current phone do that?
m, you have 17 Ubuntu users laughing at you right now.
What It Do?
microsoft has no place to talk at all...
I can see them shaking in their boots, Microsoft especially. Since Nokia build phones for Symbian its not really a treat. That can be applied to Apple as well.
WTF are you going on about? So Google intros the OHA, this just means companies taking this technology on board with their existing range. No way would a company drop everything and take up this new platform.
Apple has a solid ground with a tried and tested OS at the core of the iPhone, iPod Touch and possibly a Newton next year.
Microsoft has had Windows mobile on the market for ages and Nokia has a range that probably takes up at least 45% of the mobile phone market. There is no threat to them in any way at all and to be honest it is no different to introducing a new flavour of Symbian or Windows mobile, it's just another Mobile OS.
Did u read what i said. Nokia and Apple dont have to shake in their boots but Microsoft can do the dance.
unfortunately for the folks at symbian, the big G is involved. I can wait to play with the SDK, think of the vast potential this has. Finally and open OS for mobile phones.
Microsoft Photon FTW!!
Why should they be afraid? They're the ones who will benefit. Even if Android becomes a success, not likely, the winners are devices makers, not Google (unless Google finds some miraculous way to monetize such OPEN + FREE initiative). It's free. If the platform works, tweak a smart phone in the line up, procrastinate a switch, no big deal. Save R&D on software. Avoid fights with carriers. Why not?
"unless Google finds some miraculous way to monetize such OPEN + FREE initiative"
Ever heard of Linux?
...Novel? Suse? Red Hat? Canonical?
@Javaflash:
"unless Google finds some miraculous way to monetize such OPEN + FREE initiative"
Somebody hasn't been paying attention the last 10 years or so. Everything Google does is free, and yet somehow their share price is over $700. Hmmmm......
People who think Google is involved in order to crush other vendors in the market are not understanding what is going on. Google has one mission and one mission only: increase page views. More page views (whether the page is the size of a computer screen or a mobile phone screen) = more clicks. More clicks = more AdSense revenue. That's all Google wants...more page views. They sat down, did the analysis, and realized that by creating an alliance of different mobile players they could get more page views cheaper than by going it alone (like Apple) or by trying to force other vendors to play nice. Again, all Google wants is more page views. Period.
Heh, this is just denial from them.
They all had this same line of thought with Apple and that blew up in their faces.
I highly doubt Google is going to take a mundane approach here and I wouldn't assume its not a threat.
EVERY one of them needs to step their game up if they don't want to be blind sided by an unproven (OS/Phone line) that by chance may be the best thing to every hit a handset since color.
Let's assume Android is any good:
MS has the most to lose because its OS is frankly shit and they don't sell any hardware.
Apple has some to lose if the OS is any good because so far Apple has the only good mobile OS, and it's very far ahead of the pack. Other mobile OSs currently simply cannot do what OS X/iPhone can do.
Nokia can be happy because now they can dump their crap Symbian and use Android. Nokia has spent lots of money on Symbian but that doesn't change the fact that it's still crap. Horrific crap, actually.
And all the other hardware manufacturers will be happy because they can finally dump WinMobile.
Software is a huge problem for all handset makers save Apple. They just can't figure out how to do it for the life of them. So this is great for all hardware manufacturers.
you should add, "so it must be good" to the title
I really don't see where the big impact is either.
What do we as consumers really stand to gain from this? Until the carriers (Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc.) are truly on board, an open source OS means absolutely nothing to us. It is just another OS. For instance, even if Verizon does make use of the OS, they'll cripple it just like they cripple every single other phone that ends up on their network. You can forget downloading and installing 3rd party apps on your Verizon (or any other company's) phone. Google has already stated that the carriers will have an option to do this.
Until there is a carrier out there willing to step out and truly give the customer what they want, all of this talk means absolutely nothing. And I don't see any of the big players willing to step up to the plate that way right now. Not even T-Mobile or Sprint. Regardless of their participation in OHA.
Until there is an alternative to today's status quo (aka the 700 mhz buy out?) there will be no change.
My current contract is up in Feb. and I was hoping that this Google announcement would be the light at the end of my tunnel. I am ready to leave T-Mobile because the coverage in my area seems to be degrading rather than improving. And the one thing that was keeping me here (customer service) wasn't there the last time I needed them. So now I am back looking to choose the lesser of however many evils. At this point I may be regrettably purchasing some horribly crippled phones just so I can get decent coverage.
"If Google was not involved the industry would have just yawned and rolled over," said John Forsyth of Symbian.
What a moron. Their problem is that Google IS involved and they know how to program POWERFUL stuff and GET THINGS DONE. If they are all so great, where are their amazing phones? I don't see shit.
They sure know how to buy stuff and stamp the Google logo on it...Keyhole Inc's Earthviw...err ...Google earth...Picasa...Youtube (does anybody even remember the failure that was Google video...?) etc, etc...
If Google can buy a company and make it's NON-FREE product become a FREE product (as they did with Earth and Picasa) then I'm ALL FOR IT! Talk about win-win!
Or rather, all I see is Shit!
"It really sounds that they are getting a whole bunch of people together to build a phone and that's something we've been doing for five years."
What is that even supposed to mean?
I think it's something along the lines of, "Pay no attention to that 800lbs pink gorilla over there. We had a 500lbs blue baboon 5 years ago, so that we're obviously better."
"Their problem is that Google IS involved and they know how to program POWERFUL stuff and GET THINGS DONE."
Um. Perhaps I missed the part where google actually released any software in the past that was "POWERFUL" and "GETS THINGS DONE". The majority of software that comes complete the Google software pack is third party based (ie - not made by them). Google's WebApp's are essentially just as fast as all it's counterparts online and with the sole exception of GoogleEarth I can't quite remember any other incredible pieces of software that they've come up with.
They're the kings of their domain and that is search algorithms - let's not automatically assume that just because Google's name gets attached to an OS that it will be revolutionary.
PS: To the people who can't wait to play with the SDK - you do know that you can already easily develop app's for WinMo and Java enabled phone's, right?.
Google didn't come up with Google Earth. They bought KeyHole Inc (developer of Earthviewer) and replaced Keeyhole's logo basicaly.
Google maps is awesome. Where else can you route a trip and then drag the route around to change it how you wish?
@scott:
Not to sound like some MS fanboy (or any fanboy of any kind), but Live Maps does this feature as well. It came of course after GMaps, in Live Maps 2.0., but it pretty much works the same. It uses nodes, and you can drag those as well. It's not hard to use at all.
And before you go on MS copying Gmaps and whatnot, GMaps happened to add a traffic feature after Live Maps, and if you want to get all technical about it, Live Maps does 3D cities (with realistic buildings!), Birds-eye imagery (more detailed than just plain aerial), video tours (make a video of your personal maps!), and a bazillion other things.
Live Maps is really something, but of course, people will disregard it because it's MS, and not Google.
Remember when Microsoft didn't think Google was a threat to their search engine?
Of course its a threat. You have 1 more thing to worry about. You can hardly say that having Google at the helm does not frighten some people.
Look at what Microsoft did in the Video Game industry, Look at what Apple did in the phone industry just months ago? I could care less if Google "bought" the software it uses, they also "bought" the talent behind those programs and therefore that talent becomes a part of Google as a whole.
Do you people not realize that in buying the companies that make these things that those people become employees of Google? Its like hiring people and using their product as their resume, its an extremely smart thing to do...AND ALL COMPANIES DO IT. You think Microsoft and Apple hired X number of no-name employees and then just built all their software from scratch? That doesn't exist.
I don't really care what it is, the fact that so many people are excited about it and it is backed by probably the largest Internet company on the planet makes this a threat period. It is the same deal with OpenSocial.
Apple wasn't as commital either way. "We have a great relationship with Google and this doesn't change anything," said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. "They are certainly an important partner for iPhone."
The way they refer to the iPhone like it is sentient still gives me the heebie jeebies.
Here... This is probably what the new OS will look like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18390257@N06/1880867992/
Just like all the other Google stuff out there.... CRAPY!
The only thing "crapy" here is your spelling. (Psst....there's two P's)
I hope will be like this one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tank6b/1887727512/
My current phone shoots video, takes photos, browses the internet (sort-of), emails (kind of), sends and receives SMS messages, has a calender, tip calculator, regular calculator, MP3 Player, alarm clock, IM, bluetooth, multiple ringtones, I can shop for ringtones and probably other stuff via phone.
The problem of course is that it does NONE of this stuff very well, certainly not well enough for me to ever use it to do anything more than text, voice mail and make/receive calls.
I'd get an Iphone (which I believe does do all of the above well) except that I'm waiting for some kind of GPS and 3g capability which I'm pretty sure is up on the horizon somewhere.
GPS wont happen, not on GSM. GPS requires an additional antenna and would increase the bulk of the phone. CDMA phones operate at a frequency where they can share the phones antenna for GPS.
3G will happen. Just a matter of when 3G service is as widespread as EDGE to justify the changeover.
Of course they aren't afraid. If phone makers began using a standardized OS, then suddenly their phone doesn't stand out anymore. Take the Blackberry and the Blackjack, or however it's spelled. If they used the same OS, they'd be nigh identical. Identical products favor the underdog, so obviously the people on the top of the market will just not switch and bank on people's familiarity and their preexisting market position.
Dont forget most smart phone use Windows Mobile and they still have their differences so your point is moot.
Nope 55% of smartphons are running Symbian
If Apple opens up iPhone OS-X tomorrow, nobody will remember what Android is by the time it launches. + iPhone sales will go through the roof.
So, why wouldn't you, Apple Inc.? Steve's stubborn ideology?
"Symbian, Nokia, Microsoft, Apple and Engadget readers downplay Android relevance"
How many versions of Microsoft's mobile OS have been released? In any of these versions, how easy is it to do something as basic as skinning the dialer?
Microsoft has the most to lose. Their mobile OS has always been and still is crap. I guarantee you that the UI in Android SDK will be better, which isn't saying much.
Google makes money from Internet ads. The whole purpose of this leading this alliance (and buying Android) is to make everyone and their mother use Internet-enabled phones to get even more billions in revenue.
There are already a lot of Internet-enabled phones using Microsoft's OS, but surfing is a painful experience. The iPhone is a better experience, but is so closed that you can't view Flash, and is a relatively expensive device. The vision is to make Internet-enabled phones cheaper (under $200 by next year), which means more people surfing on their phones, which means even more money for Google.
"I don't understand the impact that they are going to have."
Ah, classic Microsoft...
Same way they just can't seem to understand the importance of web standards and building browsers that at least try to adhere to them, or building document formats that do not become obsolete every few years.
"If Google was not involved the industry would have just yawned and rolled over"
Yeah but Google is involved and so far everything they've touched turned to gold. My guess is they're putting on a brave face but in the dark corners of their office buildings all the project leaders are assembling teams trying to figure out what the heck are they going to do.
they didnt take the iphone seriouslty either. or the ipod, or itunes.
Or aresol pancake batter, for that matter.
I'm just wondering how this alliance is different than Mobile Linux alliance that was formed in 2006 by almost same group except for google (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/0,1000000091,39275178,00.htm)
yet another standard that starts with "for the good of developers we keep it open"!!!! Right!
Back then, nothing was created.
Today, Android was selected to be the standard, and the SDK will be released on Monday.
and that will be the SDK that will run the application on which device? how many java application have you developed that really run on any device without tweaking things around?let's check the java standard and fragmentation issues..
http://www.ohadev.org Given the recent news of the "g-phone" and the Open Handset Alliance. A new website has been launched to facilitate coordination between developers who intend to use the "Android SDK" from google.
please visit: http://www.ohadev.org