BOSTON-- According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, the Google Android operating system will account for 4 percent of all smartphones sold in the United States during the fourth quarter of 2008.

Neil Mawston, Director, Wireless Device Strategies at Strategy Analytics, said, “We forecast 10.5 million smartphones to be sold in the United States during Q4 2008. We estimate smartphones with Google’s Android operating system, led by HTC of Taiwan, will reach 0.4 million units in the quarter, for a 4 percent marketshare. Android is a relatively late entrant and it will join an increasingly crowded market alongside Blackberry, Microsoft, Apple, Palm, Symbian and LiMo.”

Chris Ambrosio, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Google has the brand power in the USA to make a big impact at launch. The main issue will be operator subsidies. As seen with the iPhone and smart devices in general, retail prices need to be well below $200 to be competitive. Longer-term success will, of course, rest on Android vendor ability to create designs with wow factor and an intuitive user-interface. Google will do its part to drive growth, and we expect Android will eventually offer a compelling range of mobile applications emphasizing Google’s online assets, such as advertising, mapping and search.”

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