Robots attack - Google to assault the low-end and emerging markets with Android

Andy Rubin, Google's VP of Engineering, was quoted saying that putting Android on as many handsets as possible in India and China, is something they are working hard to achieve. Apart from the hardware push, Android developers will be getting incentives in the form of tools to sell stuff directly from the applications, and to make payment options easier.

El Goog seems to have entered agreements with companies like Huawei and LG, which are huge in the Asian phone market, for production of cheaper smartphones running its mobile OS. In addition, the chip producer MediaTek, the silicone of which is in many low-cost handsets sold in emerging markets, recently joined the Open Handset Alliance - the army of companies behind the distribution of Android. These efforts are now making it possible for manufacturers to produce a phone with Android that costs as little as $70 to carriers.

Symbian has been the leader in low-end devices for emerging markets so far, with prices for carriers starting from $170 per handset. Lowering the price for phones with Android will allow Google to bite from Nokia's current 41% market share, while Gartner analysts are predicting that the green robot will overtake iOS in popularity by 2012.

Mobile advertising is projected to increase from less than a billion last year to $13.5 bln in 2013, and the bulk of this increase will be coming from developing countries where fixed phone lines are not well developed. Google's traditional might in advertising, coupled with the expansion of the Android smartphone base will no doubt be raking in billions of revenue from that. Aware of that fact, the search giant has popularized Android in North America, and is now turning its attention towards the hot emerging markets too.

source: NYTimes