by Frank McPherson, author of How To Do Everything With Windows Mobile

 
The coming week might be huge for those of us that are into mobile gadgets as September 23 brings the public unveiling of the Google Android based smartphone produced by HTC and sold by T-Mobile for their network. To me Android is about connecting mobile devices to the Google Internet cloud, so I expect to see Google Gears deeply embedded in the OS to make the Google apps (Gmail, Calendar, Reader, Notebook, etc..) really useful on a mobile phone. Because you cannot rely on constant mobile connectivity, Gears will be a critical component for providing a useful experience while connected and disconnected. I think Google has to make the experience seamless, which is unlike the current experience with Gears which requires users to manually determine the connectivity state.

I have come to realize that my personal computing has really moved to the cloud. I use Gmail as my email client, and forward my POP mail to it. I still use hosted Exchange with my Windows Mobile Smartphone, and forward specific email from Gmail to the phone so that key email is pushed to me when I am away from my personal desk. However, I expect that Android will support push email from Gmail, which might make the host Exchange service that I currently use less necessary.

While I expect much of the buzz this coming week will be on Android, I am equally anxious to learn of of T-Mobile's 3G rollout for the Detroit area. Reports are that it comes by the end of the year, and most prognosticators believe that the 3G rollout is specifically tied to Android. That is, Android will be the first device that T-Mobile will ride to promote it's new 3G network. Likewise, I am anxious to know when T-Mobile will first start selling a Windows Mobile device that works on their 3G network, my personal bet is that it will be the Shadow II. T-Mobile's 3G network uses a different frequency than AT&T's meaning that no currently available Windows Mobile device, and for that matter few phones at all, currently work with their 3G network.

Two key things I am anxious to learn from T-Mobile is, what is the cost for 3G and will Android support tethering? I very much hope they retain the same pricing as they have for their Edge service, providing an "all you can eat" plan at a reasonable price. I also want to see whether the HTC Dream / Android /GPhone will support tethering to notebook computers. Historically, T-Mobile has done nothing to prevent users from tethering their phones, which is much more user friendly than their competitors who either break the phone's capabilities to support tethering, or require a higher cost plan to use tethering. Low data rates and consumer friendliness are key differentiators for T-Mobile and have kept myself and many current customers from jumping ship to other carriers even while T-Mobile has been so far behind in data speeds. I hope T-Mobile rewards us current users for this loyalty.

Finally, I am interested in seeing how accepted Android will be and whether it will influence Microsoft with Windows Mobile. So far Microsoft has been too slow in reacting to iPhone, and has slipped behind iPhone and RIM in the mobile marketplace. I have to wonder how committed Microsoft is to the mobile marketplace. At the same time, I am hopeful that the length of time in releasing WM 7 is due to Microsoft spending extra time to completely overhaul Windows Mobile.

The truth is that Windows Mobile is long in the tooth and currently does not standout in the mobile operating system crowd. I am not holding my breath for this overhaul, but very willing to be surprised. After the dust settles on the Android announcement the mobile world will begin to focus on Microsoft to see what they will come out with next. Will Microsoft jump the shark with Windows Mobile 7, or restablish themselves in the mobile market?

Labels: 2008, android

posted by Frank at 12:10 PM

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

  <$BlogBacklinkTitle$>  

<$BlogBacklinkSnippet$>
posted by <$BlogBacklinkAuthor$> @ <$BlogBacklinkDateTime$>

Create a Link