Cheat Sheet: Google Android

But hang on a minute - aren't there other open source mobile Linux offerings and alliances out there? So where does Google's Android fit in with that lot?
Since Android is still in development it's difficult to say.

A coalition of tech companies called The LiMo Foundation has been working on getting a mobile Linux offering out there - and with some success. Its Linux platform is lurking inside several commercially available mobile handsets (which is more than can be said of Android) and its stated aims are similar to the OHA's.

Mobile in pictures

Check out silicon.com's latest mobile photo stories here…

♦ Photos: Behind the scenes at Mobile World Congress 2008

♦ Photos: Bling up your BlackBerry

♦ Photos: When art meets tech - Nokia phone Morphs into view

♦ Photos: Lunar mobile phones preparing to soar

♦ Photos: Nokia Navigator maps out the route on foot

♦ Photos: Google Android comes out to play

There are other mobile Linux players too - in fact the movement has been accused of fragmentation. And Linux in general has a reputation for being a topic of niche (i.e. geek) interest. So Android's USP could be more about the clout of the Google brand than anything else. After all, the power of hype is not to be sniffed at - there was no shortage of eyeballs seeking out Google's Android at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show in Barcelona.

Google is of course shouting about the notion of 'openness' - and talks about Android revolutionising the mobile ecosystem by encouraging a similarly vibrant developer community as is found on the web. Whether this vision sets it apart from other mobile Linux players, however, remains to be seen.

OK, so what sorts of things might I be able to do with a phone running Android?
The sky's the limit really. Just think of all the weird and wonderful internet apps out there that are mashing things up. An SDK for Android has been released and developers are busy getting down and dirty with it - some early apps were on show at MWC. But as one example of what might be possible, a developer could write an app that grabs a GPS-positioning feed from public transport, mash that up with Google Maps and then get a user's phone to send an alert when the bus/train etc is a few minutes away.

(Hands up if you want your phone to be able to do that... )

Google hopes all manner of locally flavoured apps will bring Android phones to life - and is currently offering a hefty $10m in prize money to encourage developers to do their thang. Which is one way of trying to turn dream into reality.

Beyond the user experience, Google reckons Android will have benefits for the mobile industry too - it has talked about it speeding up the process of getting new phones and apps to market, because it says the 'complete application framework', which Android will provide, can be put on chipsets with a lot less work.

Whether this is all just PR fluff again remains to be seen. It's worth making the point again that Android is still a mobile embryo so there's a heck of a lot of 'unknown unknowns' flying around it. Analysts are being terribly cautious about making predictions - a sure-fire sign Android is an unproven unproven.

So when can I get my mitts on an Android phone?
Lucky attendees of this year's MWC had a chance to hold a rather fetching prototype device running Android - click here to see it - but the great unwashed will have to wait until the latter part of 2008 when Google says the first handsets will come out. The OHA's website also says it is "committed to commercially deploy handsets and services using the Android platform in the second half of 2008".

Who will be making them?
In theory, anyone. Since Android is open, any mobile maker under the sun will be able to whack the stack on its hardware without worrying about licences or payments. But mobile handset makers involved in the OHA are probably more likely to get involved in the early days - so take your pick from HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung.

That said, there have been rumours that computer maker Dell is planning an Android offering - so expect the unexpected too.