Android pushes forward and competitors push back. For many months now, it’s been known that Android will be making a huge push in 2010. Manufacturers have been promising 20+ new Android phones this year, as well as a number of other Android devices including eReaders, Tablets and PMPs. It seems that all this Android buzz is really starting to catch the attention of the competition and the competition doesn’t like it one bit.
No one wants to spend thousands of hours and dollars working to create a new invention only to have it copied by someone else and used in direct competition, so I can understand how Apple would want to submit a lawsuit about Patent infringement, if it’s true. Yes, some of the lingo out there on the 20 patents is very difficult to read and I think it’s going to take some lawyers many hours to decipher and a judge even more time to interpret. However, there are at least a couple that are completely obvious as not valid. However, as tempting as it is to dive into that rabbit hole, let’s think about what this means in the bigger picture.
Android Gains Ground
Back in Oct 2008, Android was little more than a seedling mobile OS by Google with but one phone that, at least to me, appeared to be more of an experimental test devices than a industrial design driven mobile phone meant for mass markets consumption. It was more than 6 months later that the next device carrying the Android OS was released. The competition wasn’t too worried for the first year or so, and rightly so as Android really didn’t pose a threat yet. At least, not until Fall/Winter 2009. In the last months of 2009, a number of new Android phones hit the market, bringing with them support for 3 of the top 4 service providers in the US, including the largest Verizon Wireless, who also happened to put some major advertising backing to it’s flagship Android, the Motorola Droid. Suddenly, Android wasn’t just a niche market OS anymore, it was a serious contender for mass market acceptance. The Droid’s advertisements also directly called out the iPhone and went straight for the kill. The Droid is the number one Android device in the market to date and based on visits to this site account for 55% of the Androids out there. Just yesterday, AT&T entered the Android market with the release of the Motorola Backflip. AT&T is the exclusive service provider for iPhones in the US, and now users have a chance to try something else without leaving AT&T.
Pricing Drives Home
Another area that is helping, will help the Android adoption is the price of mobile devices. Competition helps create some pricing wars and as more Android are released, the customer has more choices. Just look at the Motorola Droid. When it was first released in November of 2009, it was priced at $200 after a mail in rebate. Today, the Droid can be had for as little as $50, and I’ve actually seen it on sale for $0 previously. There are a number of other Android phones on the market available for between $0 and $180 on contract. If you are here reading this post, it’s more than likely that you are tech savvy and you do your research for mobile phones. However, many people don’t. They go into the local store, wonder around touching the latest cell phones, they pay attention to the commercials they see, the phone’s that their friend has and they make purchases that way. When they see they can get a big screen, high res, smart phone for $50, versus the competition for $200, they will think seriously about which way to go. Granted there are many factors that drive the consumer’s purchase, but having a lower price point definitely helps the Androids look better than the competition.
Where We Are Headed
If Android was still the niche market OS it started out as, there would be no talk of lawsuits or patent infringement. However, as Android gains sales and popularity, the competition will take notice and want to drive it out. It’s going to take many years of courtroom and/or closed door talks to come to an agreement between HTC and Apple, but between then and now, Android will evolve, new devices will come to the market and Android will continue. With the amount of time, money and companies behind Android, it would be a huge surprise if Android stepped back from the competition. 2010 looks to be the year of the Android invasion. Keep it up ‘droids!
