Google Android. The new mobile messiah or false idol?

Google’s Android operating system just sashayed into stores inside T-Mobile’s new G1 handset. It’s being lauded as the next big thing in mobiles, but amongst the cognoscenti there are still lingering doubts.

On the surface, the search giant’s foray into mobile software is completely benevolent. It’s an open source system, letting manufacturers tweak it for their own hardware, and opening the platform to other software developers in a more complete way than any operating system before.

It takes the problem of crafting solid and secure software out of the hands of hardware specialists, letting them get on with designing great handsets without worrying too much about the software side of things.

Android even works with different hardware out of the box. If a mobile has a keyboard, it can use it. Only a touchscreen on offer? Not a problem. The software’s designed to adapt without much fuss.

But that’s not to say it’s perfect. As well as praise for Android’s “bolt-it-together” approach, there’s concern about giving away the keys to the kingdom in quite such a carefree manner.

It remains to be seen whether Android can remain secure from hackers when they have access to every inch of the system’s software. It’s also unclear how Android phones will keep themselves free from viruses which can transmit over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or the mobile network itself.

And then there are the missing pieces of the Android puzzle. Google has created the platform in record time, and as a result it’s still lacking several major features.

Stereo Bluetooth is still missing from the operating system, and there is no hint of companion desktop software, meaning a distinct lack of backup options outside of Google’s Gmail and Calendar services.

There’s certainly a long road ahead for Android. Thankfully the system can be overhauled completely with remote updates delivered direct to handsets through the mobile network. That means a modicum of insurance against security breaches, and the possibility of new features being added regularly.

At the moment, however, there’s just one reason to buy an Android phone – its third party applications. It’s a developer’s dream platform. An open-source playground with no rules, and no barriers. But when it’s your mobile at the heart of someone else’s experimentation, you might want to resist the urge to become a guinea pig and wait for Android Mark II.

Get chatting about mobile phones over at the PriceRunner forum

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