Mobile Application Development Analysis (Android and Others)

I came across this technical document on the web that does a good job evaluating four major mobile application development platforms: J2ME, BRWE, Symbian, and Android.

One missing here is Windows Mobile of course.

From the report:

Technical Features:

The technical features and specifications for Android are as follows:

· Handset layouts: The platform is adaptable to both larger, VGA devices and more traditional smart phone layouts.

· Connectivity: Android supports a wide variety of connectivity technologies including Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi.

· Messaging: Both SMS and MMS are available forms of messaging including threaded text messaging.

· Web browser: The web browser available in Android is based off of the open-source Web Kit application framework.

· Java virtual machine: Software written in Java can be compiled into Dalvik byte codes and executed in the Dalvik virtual machine, which is a specialized VM implementation designed for mobile device use, although not technically a standard Java Virtual Machine.

· Media support: Android will support advanced audio/video/still media formats such as MPEG-4, H.264, MP3, and AAC.

Device Support:

Recently announced by the Open Handset Alliance, whose 34 members include Google, HTC, Motorola, Qualcomm, and T-Mobile, Android is a new Linux-based platform currently available only as a developer pre-release. Although it does not yet have any fielded implementations, its support by 34 major software, hardware and telecoms companies makes it likely that it will be rapidly adopted from 2008. Android application environment is J2me CDC and thus SUN CDC emulator and J2ME Java for personal profile applies can use Net Beans and Eclipse IDEs.

Looking for a in-depth analysis of the Android OS ...

Wistron showcases "Google Phone" at CES 2008

Wistron NeWeb Corp(WNC), a Taiwanese phone ODM, shows a real Android based phone at CES 2008. This is the first publicly announced Android based cell phone. Wistron said the phone will be shipped in March.


From PCMag CES2008 coverage:

The GW4 is based on a TI OMAP 1710 chipset with a 216-MHz processor and only 64 MB of program memory, yet the model we saw ran the Opera Web browser, played video and flipped between a range of Web widget applications like weather and stocks. The user interface was very responsive.

The phone will come in two tri-band GSM/GPRS versions, one for the U.S. and one for Europe and Asia. The very slow cellular GPRS (not EDGE) network will be complemented by 802.11g Wi-Fi with a built-in SIP VOIP client for Internet calling. A higher-speed 3G version will come out by the end of 2008. The GW4 also has a 2.5-inch, 320x240 touch screen and 2-megapixel camera.

Other built-in apps include a mail program with Outlook syncing, MSN/Yahoo/AIM IM clients and MS Office and PDF readers, though those will presumably be replaced by whatever apps Google ends up preferring in their Android suite.

Update: According to the PCMag story, the phone they showed at CES is actually running a version of MontaVista Linux 2.6. Wistron spokeswoman Molly Lin said the GW4 will be running Android by March, when Wistron will start selling it to more prominent firms for branding

This brought up an interesting question: how does Wistron get Android? They are not a member of Open Handset Alliance ...

Leaked Windows Mobile 7 details?

Someone close to Microsoft posted some screenshots and descriptions of Windows Mobile 7 that Microsoft is developing. According to the source, Windows Mobile 7 will have cool touch and motion UIs that look even better than what iPhone has.

Key "What's New":

• Windows Mobile 7 will use touch gestures, similar to how the iPhone does.
• Windows Mobile 7 will use the camera on the phone to detect motions and create appropriate actions.
• Windows Mobile 7 will have dramatically improved visuals, different from the iPhone and much more similar to the dark and futuristic visuals of Windows Vista.
• Windows Mobile 7 is designed to use the finger, not the stylus, though many devices will be required to include a stylus.
• Windows Mobile 7 is clearly designed for better media playback, ..., Mobile Internet Explorer runs full-screen web pages in a minimalistic interface, and has “tabbed” browsing, except you can switch tabs by shaking the phone.
• The keyboard has been improved, but plans for a full touch keyboard, a la the iPhone, have been shelved until a future version of Windows Mobile.

If these features finally make into Windows Mobile 7, then I have to say Windows Mobile 7 is indeed innovational. To the feature planning, if true, represents a fundamental change in design philosophy of Windows Mobile. Challenged by Apple iPhone and upcoming Google Android powered phones, folks in Redmond may start to think deeply about what a "consumer' really wants in terms of using a mobile gadget.

Will Android support touch screen as well as those fancy visuals? What cool stuff can it offer to beat the expectation?

Android Phone Prototypes

Here is the first picture of Android powered phone.

I've heard from sources that major OEMs already have the prototypes being tested by US engineers. At least one major US operator already signed up to ship one such devices.

See Yankee Group's comment on Android:

A Good Analysis on the OHA Ecosystem

I run into Glenn Fleishman's analysis on the OHA ecosystem. It is indeed a good read. So just save here for future reference.

Rumor: HTC to ship 1 million Android phones in 2008

According to Intomobile, HTC is expected to ship 1 million Android powered phones in 2008. And "Morgan Stanley is estimating that HTC will ship 8% of total handsets in 2008 with the Android OS.".

Be aware that there has been many rumors around HTC's Android phone plan. Some said HTC will ship 50000 gPhones by the end of this year, which apparently is not happening.

Before joining OHA, HTC is a 100% Windows Mobile design house. According to CEO of HTC, the company will likely to ship 11 million Windows Mobile phones this year. If you look that their 2006 volume, which is 9 million, then you know that in 2008, they will ship both Windows Mobile and Android phones with a total volume of at least 13 million.

The question is, how much will HTC invest in Android phones? Will that affect their tight relationship with Microsoft?

First Post

Open Handset Alliance (OHA) is an important part of Google's mobile wireless strategy, along with the Android operating system.

It is interesting to see what this alliance will create in terms of new phones, new software development and business models, and new opportunities for application developers.

Nokia/Symbian and Microsoft will certainly look closely into this new alliance just to make sure their market shares will keep growing with continuous support from OEMs and ODMs, and mobile operators.

Two or three years down the road, how many Android powered phones will be shipped? Right now, as of December 2007, the number is zero.

Take a wild guess. If Apple can ship 1 million iPhones in 74 days, how many days will it take those OHA members to ship 1 million Android powered phones (let's name them gPhones for simplicity)? One full year maybe?

And what will be the killing features on gPhones? If Apple already reinvented the phone, what can Google do to re-reinvent the phone (and potentially the mobile wireless food chain)?