10 Good Reasons Why Android Will Beat Apple's iPhone by Christmas 2009

While today's launch of T-Mobile's dream is significant, it is only the first handset to come out of the Open Handset Alliance mould and although it gives a good idea of what Android can do, it barely scratches the surface of its possibilities.

The iPhone, as it stands, is just a phone, probably the best right now but that should change quicker than you can and here's 10 good reasons why we think Android, as a platform, will displace Apple's iPhone by the end of 2009.

(a) Telecoms Secretly Dislike Apple
Apple has played hard balls with telecoms giants ever since the iPhone was released. Its stubbornness (some will say arrogance) is what potential Chinese customers to miss out on the iPhone v1.0 (see iPhone talks crash and burn in China).

Google on the contrary will almost certainly sweeten the pill with the five/six major telecom companies worldwide by offering a slice of the overall advertising revenues, through a potential Adsense solution for telecom companies.

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This could add to several hundred of millions of pounds of fresh revenue per annum and it will offer a new path for unexplored markets with huge mobile phone audiences (Brazil, China, India, Nigeria etc). The other bonus cookies is that Android will make mobile Internet almost compulsory bringing in some more revenues.

(b) Google to have more marketing clout
Like Microsoft with Windows, Google will almost certainly depend on phone manufacturers and mobile phone networks to evangelise the Android platform. This will not only give Google a headstart compared to Apple (as they almost certainly stand to get more from Google) but it also means that Google will be able to dedicate more financial and human resources to developing applications and improving the backend.

(c) Android will have more Hardware Variety
Although Android is currently marketed as a Handset solution, nothing will/should prevent Google (and its partners) from thinking outside the box and planning for other non-handset devices. Just like Linux and Windows CE, Android has the opportunity to spread its wings across areas as varied as Set top Boxes, Game Consoles, Embedded computers, Netbooks, computers...

You name it, Android can cover it. As for Apple... Well, the iPhone is a phone and it can't spill on other hardware segments. Apple has a tricky time trying to convince people to choose the iPod touch when the iPhone offers so much more.