Analyst: Android is in iPhone's league, but more apps are needed

By Jacqueline Emigh, September 23, 2008

Despite speculation that Google's Android might turn into a platform for lower-end "feature phones," Android is definitely shaping up into not only a smartphone platform but also an iPhone competitor, says analyst Avi Greengart. A lot more applications are needed before Android fulfills its potential, suggested Avi Greengart of Current Analysis, a leading wireless/mobile analyst. Greengart spoke with reporters including BetaNews today during the launch event for T-Mobile's G1, the first Android phone. At a press conference, Greengart noted that many different definitions of "smartphone" are currently in use. He elaborated that he typically regards a smartphone to be a phone that runs its own operating system -- whether that's Windows Mobile, Mac OS X, or Linux -- along with "native applications." But, he added, there are some examples to that rule -- such as the G1, Sidekick, and RIM's Blackberry, all of which run their own OS in conjunction with applications written in Java, as opposed to native apps.

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