A fistful of phones running your favourite mobile OS are set to launch next month, giving Android a boost while Microsoft waits for Windows Phone 7.
Christmas is coming early for Aussie Android fans as manufacturers and telcos ramp up for a bevy of smartphone launches next month.
HTC is prepping for the debut of the Desire, which will be available only through Telstra for a three-month exclusivity window before competing carriers can add it to their roster.
Motorola has issued Australian tech journalists with a ‘Save the Date’ notice for a launch on Tuesday March 30th. This is expected to see the release of one or possibly more Android phones from Motor’s current portfolio – which includes the Milestone (the 3G version of the Verizon Droid), DEXT (aka CLIQ), Devour or Backflip.
Sony Ericsson has confirmed April as the target date for the release of its first Android phone, the Xperia X10. VHA says the X10 will be available on both the Vodafone and 3 networks as of May, although it’s not known if this will be an exclusive deal or if other carirers will also be lined up at the X10’s starting gate.
Samsung is also rumoured to have at least one more Android handset on the boil, while speculation continue to swirl about a local release for Google’s Nexus One.
With such a surge of smartphones Android could shortly repeat the success it’s had in the US.
Market trackers ComScore reported Android enjoying a 4.3% boost in its share of the US smartphone market between October 2009 and January 2010. Not only was this the largest growth among its competitors, it almost exactly mirrored Microsoft’s drop of -4.0%.
As of January 2010, RIM retained its alpha-dog status with a commanding lead of 43% compared to the iPhone’s 25.1%, Microsoft’s 15.7% and Google’s 7.1%.
With Microsoft’s current Windows smartphone platform effectively stalemating itself until the release of the first Windows Phone 7 devices shortly before Christmas, there’s no reason to expect that the next two quarters will do any favours for Microsoft’s market share.
Based on these results and the continuing wave of Android smartphones, it seems almost inevitable that Android will pull level with Windows Mobile within the next few months.
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