No GPhone, but Android and the Open Handset Alliance

Tech enthusiasts and geeks were expecting the announcement Monday of the GPhone — an IPhone-like cell phone manufactured by Google. Instead, they got someting better:  a new Linux-based Software Development Kit (SDK) called Android and the announcement of the Open Handset Alliance.

We know very little about Android. What we do know, however, is that it’s a Linux-based operating system that uses Java for development. The Android SDK will ship on November 12th. It is truly open source — giant companies and lonely geeks working in the basement at 2:00 AM will be able to write apps for cell phones. And I didn’t say “cell phones” by accident — there will be no single GPhone but rather numerous phones made by various manufacturers. Here’s what the Open Handset Alliance has to say about Android:

Open

Android was built from the ground-up to enable developers to create compelling mobile applications that take full advantage of all a handset has to offer. It is built to be truly open. For example, an application could call upon any of the phone’s core functionality such as making calls, sending text messages, or using the camera, allowing developers to create richer and more cohesive experiences for users. Android is built on the open Linux Kernel. Furthermore, it utilizes a custom virtual machine that has been designed to optimize memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment. Android will be open source; it can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as they emerge. The platform will continue to evolve as the developer community works together to build innovative mobile applications.

All applications are created equal

Android does not differentiate between the phone’s core applications and third-party applications. They can all be built to have equal access to a phone’s capabilities providing users with a broad spectrum of applications and services. With devices built on the Android Platform, users will be able to fully tailor the phone to their interests. They can swap out the phone’s homescreen, the style of the dialer, or any of the applications. They can even instruct their phones to use their favorite photo viewing application to handle the viewing of all photos.

Breaking down application boundaries

Android breaks down the barriers to building new and innovative applications. For example, a developer can combine information from the web with data on an individual’s mobile phone — such as the user’s contacts, calendar, or geographic location — to provide a more relevant user experience. With Android, a developer could build an application that enables users to view the location of their friends and be alerted when they are in the vicinity giving them a chance to connect.

And exactly what is the Open Handset Alliance? It’s a group of more than 30 mobile phone and technology companies who are committed to building better, cheaper phones with more features. Americans pay more for their mobile phone service and receive less than any other country in the world. Features that are just now appearing on American cell phones were common in Japan and Europe 3 and 4 years ago. Google, Android, and the Open Handset Alliance plans to change all that.

So what are the benefits to the average person? First of all, price. We will no longer have to pay to have Microsoft, Apple, or proprietary software running our phone. The Android software is open source and free.

The second benefit is choice. As it stands now, we will no longer be tied to a particular cellphone service. We can choose the service that best fits our needs. Competition will lead to lower cost.

The final, and perhaps most important, benefit is expandibility. Don’t like the address book features that your phone came with? All you have to do is download another address book application. Companies may charge for the software but many individuals and groups will offer them for free.

All of these will join together to completely change the way Americans (and the rest of the world) view and use their cellphones.