HOW TO: Choose the right Google Android phone

Google Android is a brand new operating system that has been developed  to run on the next generation of smartphones. Here we’ll show you how to choose the right Google Android phone. You may be thinking what a Search Engine company is doing making a phone platform, but the answer is easy: it gives them the perfect platform to deliver all its content in one easy-to-manage bundle. After all, connected devices are the future of mobile computing.

If you’re not too sure why this is important, or why you’d even want to use it, read on, as we explore the world of the Google Android.

In a nutshell, Google Android is an operating system just like any other. Infact it’s based on Linux, so complies with the Open Handset Alliance, which means anyone can develop software for it.

What’s more, because it’s an open platform it’s really cheap and easy to implement so you’ll suddenly find a whole range of bargain smartphones popping up out of the woodwork later this year.

Features
When it comes to developing an operating system you need to take into account what is already available, so Android has been developed to be scaling. This means the interface will be able to support a wide range of screen sizes, both in portrait and landscape. It also means that 3D graphics are supported, as long as there is hardware acceleration built into the backend of the devices.

This all boils down to being able to deliver content. Google Android is all about giving you a great online experience. So, whether it’s video, webcams, news feeds, or simply email or getting the football results, the platform is based around delivering it as smoothly as possible.

Connectivity
Great content needs a fast connection and as we adopt and adapt 3G services, people expect more from their devices. After all, what would a phone be without a wide range of support? It’d be a brick with a battery, which is why Android is capable of supporting the most common forms of communication.

As the platform is scalable, it’s up to manufacturers to add what they see as useful. However, we’ll see devices sporting most, if not all, of the following: GSM/EDGE, CDMA, EV-DO, UMTS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

The software
The driving force behind all this is actually the wealth of content that is being created online. At the moment all of this is made for PCs but as smaller form factor devices grow ever more popular, we’ll want to access that stuff on our phones.

This is why Android is very much an open platform, as it allows developers to quickly and easily create applications that plug seamlessly in with Google’s other services.

Android Market
This is the name of the portal Google has given to its content distribution system. It’s a place where users and developers can swap and share ideas and apps and also an easy way to get new applications onto your device.

Google has chosen to support the Android OS with a place where you can get a whole host of third-party tools and apps. Most of them will be free but it’s expected that some will be professionally based, so a small charge will be expected.

The hardware
No matter how good the platform is, it will still need a piece of hardware to run it. In the coming months we can expect to see a whole slew of Google Android phones from the likes of Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson as well as more unusual names such as Garmin. However, for the time being, we have the T-Mobile G1.

This year we’ll see Google Android take off in an amazing why, let us know what your thoughts are and whether or not you’re ready to embrace the world as seen through a Google OS.