The Android OS created by Google and the Open Handset Alliance has produced some amazing phones: the HTC Desire, Droid Incredible, EVO 4G, XPERIA X10, HTC Legend, Motorola Droid, and others. But between the sparks of brilliance has been deep shrouds of nonsense, crappy, and ugly phones (to put it lightly). In my analysis of the whole situation, and the research I’ve been doing ever since I started this blog, this is a possible way for Android to evolve (or at least a business plan Google could use).
The Future Of Android: The Droids, Nexus, myTouch, and others
Here’s how it could all break down. The marketing face of Android, and its phones, would be handled by Verizon. How is that so? In my theory, the Droid line will take care of that. Imagine, in a year’s time, the most marketed Android phones will be the Droid line by Verizon. With the success of the Motorola Droid, Verizon is keen on bringing more DroidDoes phones, and with the Droid Incredible (which also could be a major success), other phone manufacturers like Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and even Lenovo could (and I’m saying could for all those three, mind you) make high-end and mid-range Droids that are heavily marketed under Big Red’s wing.
But that leaves the question: What about the Nexus line by Google?
Google is saying (or promising, take your pick) that the Nexus One will be part of a line of handsets mainly targeted at different audiences, and will also be a prime example of how manufacturers should produce the Android phones in terms of style, specs, feels, and naming, as well as reducing Android version fragmentation. All of these phones would be sold at the online Google Phone Store, which may or may not prove successful. You have to look at this whole “free choice” thing invented by Google logically, not just in theory:
“Would you feel comfortable with buying a phone that you could never touch until you bought it, or have a friend that actually owns it?”
When it arrives it has problems, and doesn’t feel as advertised in some ways. Which is what exactly happened with unlucky early Nexus One owners, and is a trend that I still find everywhere while surfing the Internet waves.
And of course, there comes T-Mobile. After Microsoft bought Danger and practically doomed the Sidekick line by T-Mobile, the PR folks and execs at T-Mo have to be desperate, weary, feeling sales-hungry, or all of the above. Heck, there’s not one day when I can contact a T-Mobile agent that isn’t “in a meeting”. Sigh, I wish I knew exactly what they were talking about. Perhaps about the myTouch Slide, the spiritual successor and savior of the Sidekick line, which includes a version of Sense UI so heavily modifed by T-Mobile that you could just call it the “T-Mobile UI”?
Android can be very successful if three categories of Android exist. That would translate to myTouch for social, Droid for industrial and hardcore, and Nexus for fusion. The little green robot that we all know could easily trample the iPhone, Steve Jobs, and his hatred of Adobe Flash, which interestingly, is headed to the next Android release as a built-in plugin, and is also coming to Android 2.1 devices. Android can be awesome.
