A beta of a software development kit has been released for the Android cellphone platform. Check out a YouTube clip of the OS. You can download the 0.9 SDK here.
Google would appear to be aiming for a more flexible interface than Apple has for the iPhone and Touch. But as usual, Apple wins in the aesthetics department. Those are quick impressions subject to change. What do you think, and what do you like and dislike about the Android interface vs. the iPhone’s?
Meanwhile you can watch a video demo of HTC’s Android-based phone headset, set to come out in October or early November in the wake of FCC approval. One optimist is already pushing a leather case for the HTC.
The e-book angle
FBReader is on the way for Android, but I’d love to know how much other e-book activity is going on or will go on. Android sounds like a natural for, say, Stanza—which, like FBReader, can read ePub. Ditto for eReader and BookShelf and other leading e-reading apps now on the iPhone. I’ll welcome updated status reports from the companies involved.
The tablet angle
And speaking of e-books and Android, remember that the platform isn’t just for phones—could we see Android tablets in time, with the same ease of installation that the iPhone and iPod Touch offer?
Vs. the iPhone/Touch: Which will be bigger?
So which platform will be bigger in the long run—the iPhone or Google’s Android? Hard to say. I suspect that Apple will have the lead in terms of hardware quality and integration with software. But Google has the connections. Will Google and allies come up with networked, e-book-related apps that sooner or later make use of caching capabilities, so you can enjoy the apps offline? As CPU and memory grow in capabilities and decline in cost, imagine the possibilities.
Related: Earlier video—of TI Android phone.
