Google’s Android-based mobile to be an immediate competitor to Apple’s iPhone?

[Buck]

Just been reading through an article on Moconews.net. The article debates the comparisons between Android and iPhone, and the potential teething problems Android could encounter.

First off, there’s the question of how to sell Android to consumers. As Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart told newsfactor.com, consumers “don’t buy operating systems—they buy products.” Moreover, they buy new products because they offer something different from existing ones, especially in such a crowded market as mobile phones. As for being able to get Google (NSDQ: GOOG) services easily on the phone, as Greengart notes, you can already get many of its features such as Gmail, mapping, calendars, and search on other mobiles, including the iPhone, Blackberry and those running Windows Mobile.

Plus, it’s Google that has the brand power here, and who knows how it will translate to Android. Frank Meehan, Hutchison Whampoa global GM for mobile phones and applications glumly told Reuters, “We operators struggle with how to market this phone. There’s nothing really unique about it and we can’t say it’s a Google phone.”

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