Google’s mobile operating system has been delayed. Android’s much anticipated launch, originally scheduled for a midyear, has been delayed until the fourth quarter. Realistically, we won’t be seeing Android until 2009. It’s a somewhat more costly delay than normal for Google. Development projects of this scale always have delays, but Google’s competitors are seizing on the Android void. Apple’s 3G iPhone will now have a sizeable lead in the marketplace and RIM’s BlackBerry will as well. According to the Wall Street Journal, the delays are being caused by customization and translation challenges from carriers like Sprint and China Mobile. The Wall Street Journal even speculates that Sprint may forgo a 3G version of Android, and wait until a 4G WiMAX version is ready. Whatever the cause, we’ll have to wait to see what the competitive impact of Android and its burgeoning ecosystem will be.
