savramesh 37 Report post Posted June 3, 2009 MyDigitalFC Jun 02 2009 2122 hrs IST, NewDelhi After iPhone, comes G-phone. The much-talked about Google Android phone is likely to hit the Indian market by July-end, with top handset makers HTC, Motorola and Samsung firming up plans to ship the device to the country. It has been learnt that Samsung is planning to ship the Google Android phone by July, as part of its global launch. Last week, Andy Rubin, senior director for Mobile Platforms for Google had said that around 18 phones based on the Android operating system would be available in the market worldwide by the year-end. With the launch of the system, the G-phone will compete against other mobile operating systems such as Microsoft Windows mobile, RIM’s BlackBerry platform, Apple’s proprietary iPhone and Symbian, on Nokia handsets. Three mobile manufacturers HTC, Motorola and Samsung are planning to bring in the device to the Indian market. A person close to the development said that the first Android phone G1 from HTC witnessed positive responses from the US market after it was launched late last year. “India is a growth market and mobile manufacturers are launching their latest product lines, and Android will not be left behind. The first phone will hit the market in July. Motorola is planning to launch it in November,” he said. Ajay Sharma, country head, HTC India, told Financial Chronicle that the company was shipping the new HTC Magic G2 phone for the UK market. However, he declined to share any dates on the India launch. “Every Android device requires clearance from Google, since it is based on the Android operating system. We cannot share any exact date for the launch of the Android phone in the Indian market, but it is likely to be launched by the end of this year. Globally, we have two handset models G1 with T Mobile and the recently launched Magic G2,” Sharma said. The Motorola spokesperson said, “We will be shipping Android products this year and are excited about the upcoming portfolio. However, we are not making any announcements on Android-based products at this time.” Handset manufacturers ASUS, Huawei, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung and HTC have partnered together under the open handset alliance to bring in devices on the Android platform. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
savramesh 37 Report post Posted July 18, 2009 (edited) Mobile cos line up Google's Android phone launches Source KOLKATA: Google's smartphone operating system (OS) Android is soon going to get a leg up in India with leading cellphone vendors such as HTC, Samsung, LG and Motorola firming up plans to roll out a portfolio of such handsets. The vendors plan to target Android phones for urban youth users and position them in the mid to high-end segment. While HTC has just started shipping the first Android phone to India, Samsung will roll out its first device, christened Galaxy, next month. Android phones from LG and Motorola's stable are also likely to hit the market by December, industry sources said. Google too expects faster adoption of the Android platform in India with such launches at varying price-points. Talking to ET, Google India director (products) Vinay Goel said 47 companies are working on the Android platform. "Globally, around 15-20 Android handsets will be launched by December. We expect some of these models will be shipped to India as well," he said. HTC has already received favourable response in India from its first Android handset. "Android is an evolving platform and will be one of the mainstay for HTC. It drives internet mobility and the touch factor adds novelty. Since, we roll out 2-3 devices in India every quarter, some of them will be on this platform," HTC India country head Ajay Sharma said. Samsung Mobile country head Sunil Dutt said the company will launch a portfolio of touchscreen Android handsets by year-end. "We will work with Google to ensure faster adoption of the devices in India. Android has the potential to emerge as the next big mobile phone OS," he said. Vendors like Samsung, HTC and LG are bullish that Android will be able to compete against the two most popular smartphone OSSymbian and Windows Mobile. "Our research has shown that consumers really don't care about their handset OS. All they want are exciting applications and experience which are the main driving factors behind Android," said Mr Goel. LG India's head (GSM mobile ) Anil Arora feels the rest test for Android will begin next year when the population of such devices reach a critical mass. "The fact that Android allows much more flexibility to consumers for customising the look and feel of their handset could be a growth trigger," he said. Google believes vendors need to launch some handsets in the Rs 10,000-15 ,000 price range to target the mainstream Indian market and ensure Android's success. "Android being open source, there is no license fee which can bring down handset prices," Mr Goel said. As of now, HTC's first Android phone is sold in India at around Rs 30,000 and Samsung plans to launch Galaxy at Rs 29,000. Edited July 18, 2009 by savramesh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
