When Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin roller bladed onto a New York stage in September 2008 to launch the first Android phone—the HTC-manufactured G1— some believed Google’s long-awaited “iPhone killer” had finally arrived. It hadn’t—yet. While Apple’s iPhone and its iOS ecosystem is still a hit among consumers, developers, and advertisers, Android’s fortune is slowly changing. The operating system now spans more than 400 devices on 231 mobile carriers in 123 countries, Google says, and the sheer number of eyeballs landing on Android screens is making the platform more appealing than ever. And despite being perceived as a “poor man’s iPhone” by some consumers, many others are beginning to look beyond Apple’s white glow to the underlying positives of its less flashy competitor. Adweek surveyed analysts, industry insiders, and developers to get the latest lowdown on the platform that could still give Apple a run for its money..... Read more.
