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Android-Powered Smart Phones... The New Sherriff in Town?

Not since the introduction of Apple’s IPhone has there been such hype and excitement about a new mobile smart phone as there’s been with the introduction of the Android-powered Nexus One. Google’s latest offering joins a host of other Android phones currently on the market since the introduction of the G1. These phones run a new O/S developed by Google to compete directly with Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform and Research in Motion (RIM) Blackberry devices, not to mention the popular Apple IPhone.

	Nexus One by Google/HTC

Over the past few months, numerous ICS Support clients have asked us to help integrate new Android phones to their corporate networks. Given that we are seeing more and more of these in use, I wanted to take the opportunity to personally test and evaluate one in our network. Calling in a favor from a friend who works for T-Mobile, I was able to get my hands on a myTouch 3G for an extended evaluation.

One of the first things you notice about the myTouch is the display; it’s sharp and clear as a bell. Unlike my Blackberry, the myTouch does not have a dedicated keyboard. This means learning to use the on-screen keyboard. I will just tell you, this takes a few days to master. Once you do, it's fine, but you will not be able to type as fast as you can on a physical keyboard. No more texting while on the road… but I digress.

What it does well, it does very well
This is my first 3G phone, and it just became a must have. 3G makes everything else more bearable. At ICS we do a lot of traveling and laptop tethering. This means we attach our laptops to the smartphones to get Internet access. With the older Edge network phones, this is a painfully slow experience. With 3G, our tests showed wireless connection speeds faster than our dedicated T1 service in our office. That in itself is a deal maker. The browser on this phone is supurb, pages render accurately and scrolling is a simple matter of dragging your finger on the screen. The current browser does not support Flash objects, which was a disappointment, but reading Adobe’s website, they appear to be planning a release targeted specifically for the Android market. That would put the Android web browser at the top of the list along with the IPhone.

This Android phone included a Work Email application that implements Microsoft’s Active Sync making it very compatible with client running Microsoft Exchange in the corporate office. While the email program is not quite on par with Microsoft’s Windows mobile version, it does a good job of keeping in sync with Outlook. Unfortunately, the Active Sync feature is only for the e-mail application and does not work with the contacts, calendar or task applications. In order to get synchronization working for calendar and contacts, you must either purchase a 3rd party utility or use Google’s Calendar sync.

Application support for the Android is great. Similar to the App Store from Apple, Google has introduced the Android Market. They have backed it up by aggressively pursuing developers and making it very easy to develop applications using a freely available software development kit (SDK) that accelerates the development process. Google seems to understand that adoption of the platform depends on the developer community embracing the dev process. I was very impressed to see a wealth of applications available at little or no cost on the phone. Installation of applications was as simple as click and install.

Shortcomings
The Android platform is new, and it suffers from the natural immaturity of features you would expect from a new platform. First and foremost, support for Microsoft Active Sync in e-mail calendar and contacts is not in place. While there are workarounds, it would be nice to have that capability built in.

From a corporate perspective, the Android platform does not have the comprehensive management and control that you have with the Blackberry solution. With a Blackberry server, an administrator can easily remotely wipe a device in the event that it is lost or stolen. There are some 3rd party solutions that are coming online to address this issue, but Android management options are currently still very limited. It remains to be seen how quickly new solutions will become available.

Summary
Clearly, when it comes to cool, the Android has it. What it does well, it does very well. This phone would be a perfect choice for a small business that is running Gmail and Google Apps. There is a tight integration with the Google platform. If you are a Microsoft shop, you might have to think twice about going this route; solutions are there, but it is not turnkey.

I really like the promise of this phone. Maybe it’s all the cool, but I’m inclined to work through the challenges.

If you have any questions or we can help you with smart phones, please give Chris Faist, Integrated Computer Systems Support, a call at 425-820-6120.