Android to See Over 50 Phones Next Year

The number of mobile phones that reached the market during the ongoing year with Google's Android operating system was impressive enough for a platform that 12 months ago only had one device available on the market. Taiwan-based HTC was the first to launch such a device, but now users can enjoy Android phones from a wide range of handset vendors: Samsung, LG, Motorola, Acer, and others.

However, market research company CCS Insight says that this was only the beginning. During the next year, we should witness a much greater number of Android-based mobile phones delivered to the market, maybe over 50. “There are so many companies that have committed to delivering devices [...] so to get to 50 isn't that difficult,” said Ben Wood, analyst at CCS Insight, reports infoworld.

HTC, the pioneer in the area, has already been rumored to plan the launch of a number of five new Android handsets in the first half of the next year, while Acer, which has just put its first Android phone on sale, the Acer Liquid A1, is expected to launch five or six of them in the same time frame. Moreover, CCS Insight also says that there are great chances for Motorola to launch around 10 new such devices during the next year.

One other phone that is set to arrive on the market during 2010 is the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, a handset already unveiled to the world, and the first Android phone from the Japanese-Swedish handset maker. However, it seems that the company plans the addition of other Android-based smartphones to its offering during the next year as well, at least this is what a Sony Ericsson spokesperson reportedly stated.

As for Motorola, the company currently has on the market what seems to be the hottest handset of the year, the Motorola DROID, and already affirmed its commitment to the platform, and CCS Insight says that, in case the company sells its handset division, Google might be a possible buyer, so as to benefit from the hardware too, along with the software.

Other good news would be the fact that the price tag for Android-based smartphones is expected to drop significantly to under €100 ($150) with no carrier subsidies. However, the differences between the Android handsets are expected to diminish a lot, and one can expect for the upcoming devices to resemble very much when it comes to their looks.