More companies are adopting Google’s Android mobile operating system and joining the Open Handset Alliance. Sony Ericsson is one of the more than a dozen new members, the alliance announced Tuesday.
“We believe Sony Ericsson can bring a wealth of experience in making consumer-focused multimedia handsets with new user experiences to the alliance, drawing on the successes of Walkman and Cyber-shot sub-brands,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, Sony Ericsson’s head of creation and development.
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Sony Ericsson “will expand its portfolio strategy to include support for the OHA,” said spokesperson Drew Crowell. “Among other things, this means that Sony Ericsson will develop a handset based on the Android platform.”
A Big Fish
Bringing Sony to the table was a big move for Google, but it doesn’t come without risk, according to analysts.
“By getting Sony Ericsson you now have one of the premier handset vendors — a company noted for doing extremely beautiful designs now committing to bring an Android handset to market,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile devices for Jupitermedia. “The challenge that Google faces is going to be getting people to deliver on their promises.”
“It is important and a powerful step to get people to sign on to the Open Handset Alliance, but at the end of the day they have signed on to a piece of paper and the real challenge is to get carriers and vendors to ship these devices and get these handsets on to carriers and into consumers’ hands in 2009,” Gartenberg added.
The alliance gained steam after releasing the first Android-powered smartphone along with carrier T-Mobile and maker HTC in September. And now it is gaining additional strength by adding companies such as Softbank Mobile, Teleca AB, Toshiba and Vodafone to its growing list of 47 members.
The new members will add Android devices, provide…