AT&T in Android land

AT&T are considering jumping onto the Android bandwagon. At CTIA, AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega said that customizability had attracted him to Android. "I like it a lot more than I did before, its something we would want in our portfolio."

Although in December, AT&T was wary of Android,that the platform would be oriented too much toward Google applications, after looking at the OS at GWC in Barcelona and meetings with Google executives, who showed that AT&T would be able to put its own applications on Android phones, they are now convinced that Android is the place to be, “What I’m saying is I like it a lot more than before … We’re now looking to see when it’s ready to be developed. Now I’m in the camp where I’m positive that it’s something I’d want in our portfolio”.

AT&T was the only biggie staying away from OHA where T-Mobile USA and Sprint Nextel are members, and Verizon Wireless has said it will open its network to any device, which would include phones with Android. "One of the things we were looking for was that it was truly open and that you could put other features and applications on it", now, it remains to be seen to what extent does AT&T "customize" Android. The OHA have verbally agreed not to modify the OS to the point that applications coded for it will not run on other Android-based devices, but its possible an AT&T Android phone may look completely different from others Android phones.


Ralph de la Vega's announcement,





Via [Phonemag] [PCMAG]