China's MediaTek joins Open Handset Alliance

Chinese chipset supplier MediaTek said on Monday that it has joined the Google-ran Open Handset Alliance. The company makes some of the world's least expensive handsets, though sales have mainly been relegated to mainland China. With its latest move and a recent tie-up with Qualcomm, this could mean some Android-powered handsets at entry-level prices could come to North America soon.

Before this happens, however, China may see a large increase in Android-powered handsets in its home market. New manufacturers could arrive in North America with Android OS-based phones, including Huawei and ZTE.

The Open Handset Alliance is meant to create an open-source software platform through Android that takes away licensing fees while adding the ability to easily modify code for new devices or features. [via UnwiredView]

By Electronista Staff