ARM to Show Android Proto

Mobile processor manufacturer ARM may be the first company to show off a working device based on Google's Android mobile operating system as of next week, according to a tip given to the news media. The claim would have ARM run a prototype using one of its own processors at its booth for the Mobile World Congress expo next week in Barcelona. Although it has been briefly spotted outside of Google's campus, the Linux-based platform has never been officially been demonstrated on hardware beyond the company's walls, making the appearance extremely rare.

Both ARM and Google have declined comment on the purported leak. which suggests that Android is on track to meet is projected debut in the second half of 2008. No manufacturer names accompanied the new information, though HTC has frequently been suggested as the most probable candidate for developing Android prototypes. LG, Motorola, and Samsung have also announced their own plans to introduce Android-based phones but have not set concrete expectations for when their devices should appear.

A public display will likely increase pressure on handset makers, including Apple. Google's software includes a whole-page browser similar to that for the iPhone and focuses heavily on Google web services offered by both mobile platforms, including Maps, mail, and search. However, Google has also emphasized open code, encouraging both handset makers and individual programmers to rewrite even major aspects of the phone's code to add or change applications.

By Electronista Staff