Google lost to Microsoft in Nokia race
GOOGLE chief executive Eric Schmidt has revealed his firm was in “advanced” talks to provide its Android operating system for Nokia handsets before the Finnish handset maker signed an agreement with Microsoft.
Schmidt said Google “would have loved it if they had chosen us over the other guys. We certainly tried.”
Nokia instead chose to work with Microsoft, and will use its Windows Phone 7 platform on its handsets from later this year.
Android is the fastest growing mobile platform, overtaking Nokia’s soon-to-be retired Symbian, with 3,000 activations every day.
Schmidt used his Mobile World Congress Keynote to offer an olive branch to network operators, who say companies like Google put pressure on their networks through services such as YouTube without paying for the burden.
He acknowledged that the investment cost to operators is “very high”, with demand for network space growing faster than wireless capacity.
He said Google is looking at sharing search revenue on mobile devices but added that governments should play a part in better managing mobile spectrum.
Schmidt also did not rule out a sensational $10bn (£6.23bn) bid for microblogging site Twitter.
NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES
HTC FLYER
Just when it looked like Steve Jobs had killed the stylus, HTC has boldly brought it back with its new tablet. While day-to-day navigation on the seven inch Android device is still done with your fingers, you can write and draw on to the Flyer with a stylus. It looks slick and smacks of quality, but expect to pay high-end rates.
HP TOUCHPAD
HP’s first foray into the tablet market is a solid enough effort. Size-wise the TouchPad comes in almost exactly between the Galaxy Tab and the iPad – its two toughest competitors. It is the first tablet to run WebOS, albeit a customised version of the software, and multi-tasking is brought to the forefront. It’s an attractive enough device but no iPad beater.