First Android phone delayed, losing support?

HTC's first phone based on Google's Android mobile OS has not only been set back but may be part of a greater shift away from the Linux-based platform, says Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry. The Taiwan-area cellphone maker is not only described as encountering "structural problems" adding features Google wants in the phone as a showcase for Android but is allegedly holding up the launch with demands for a minimum payout that Chowdhry interprets as a lack of confidence in Android's success.

Most reports suggest the device is the Dream, a touchscreen phone with a slide-out keyboard, 3G Internet access, and a tilt sensor. The phone is believed to be in preparation for an October 1st launch with T-Mobile USA that may be called into question by the new report.

More concerning may be a shift in developer support, the researcher says. Despite Android's open-source foundation, Google is reportedly struggling to encourage development of apps and is losing potential candidates to Apple's recently launched iPhone software development kit as well as offerings from more established phone software platforms, such as BlackBerry OS, Symbian, or Windows Mobile.

Chowdhry's sources don't indicate which of the three rivals, if any, is causing the most defections from Android, though the software kit has typically been updated only rarely compared to the frequent updates for the iPhone SDK and similar tools, spawning a rash of complaints and delays in future releases.

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