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LG Takes a Shine to Android, despite Windows Pledge
(14 Jan 2010, BWCS Staff)Korean mobile phone maker and electronics giant, LG, has said it will use the Android operating system on a swathe of new smart phones planned for launch this year. The announcement comes as a blow to Microsoft which is also pushing hard to make its mark in the mobile software market. Adding to the ill-feeling at the Seattle-based software giant must be recent pledge made by LG that it would primarily use Microsoft's mobile operating system in its new handsets.
Yesterday, despite its previous public endorsement of Android's rival, LG said that at least ten of the 20 smart phones it will produce this year will use Android. LG had seemingly sided with Microsoft last year when it stated, quite firmly, that it would make Windows Mobile its primary, though not exclusive, mobile software platform until 2015 at least. LG, which is the third largest mobile phone maker in the world by sales volume, also revealed that it planned to introduce around 50 phones using the Windows systems over the five year period.
However, since LG's swearing allegiance to Microsoft, the US software company has lost ground in the race to become a genuine competitor in the smart phone market which has arguably been transformed by Apple's launch of the iPhone. During 2009 Android gained momentum while its competitors lost market share and generally stagnated. Microsoft is expected to hit back with the release of Windows Mobile 7 sometime this year.
So far, 20 phones using the Android system have been released by a handful of handset makers. The recent appearance of the Nexus One, built by HTC but sold exclusively by Google online, has not, apparently, put off LG or other manufacturers.
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