Cookie-monster Google has taken the wraps off a working prototype of its Android operating system and has previewed a series of applications, (most of which are still under active development), that, the company claims, will "revolutionise" the future of mobile comms technology.
Speaking as CommunicAsia begins in Singapore, Andy Rubin, Google’s Senior Director of Mobile Platforms and the father of Android, told our sister publication, CommsDay, that the new operating system will force down mobile prices and foster an "eruption of innovation". Mr. Rubin also says that the prototype Android demonstrated will evolve into a commercial offering that will be on the market by the end of this year.
Warming to his theme, Andy Rubin said that while the number of mobiles globally now exceeds the number of cars, TVs, PCs, and internet connections on the planet, the development of the full potential of mobile technology has been hampered by fragmented operating systems.
He said, “It’s like how the PC industry was back in 1984. The sector only boomed once all players came to a agree on single standard. We’re kind of seeing a repeat of that now in the mobile industry.”
Rubin also said that the days of the "traditionally' high cost of software development for mobiles are numbered and believes that once Android hits the market the costs of such developments will fall dramatically. He said, “We think about 20 per cent of a mobile’s cost is software, and because Android is free and open, that means close to zero cost on the software side.”
Andy Rubin also expects Android to be extensively customised, with operators, developers and even end-users tinkering with the OS to create a myriad of iterations and applications.
He said, "Android has come into existence as a direct result of the freedom conferred by web development.
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