My GPS Camera Phone

As you may have heard, the Google Open Handset Alliance just got bigger, gaining 14 new members. We’re not talking little guys, either. Vodaphone, Garmin International, Sony Ericsson, ARM and others are joining the revolution quiet movement to upend the iPhone from its current position at number one. At the very least, the alliance has the growing potential to open up the touchscreen market and offer a viable alternative to Apple’s sole mobile offering, which is arguably the best phone on the market. (Now if they would just open it up to other carriers…)

At the moment, it appears that Google Android mobile operating system holds the second-place position, a statistic based solely on what I’ve been scanning in the news, though the actual numbers may dictate otherwise. Research in Motion (RIM) touted the new Blackberry Storm as if it were the iPhone’s messiah, but RIM fell flat on its face, making life miserable for thousands of Verizon employees who had to handle the complaints. I commend RIM on trying, but really, you can’t take on the iPhone with a slick marketing campaign. You need a near-flawless product to even come close.

But enough speculation, let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of what this blog is about. I’m talking photos and thanks to Live Crunch, I’ve got some great pics from an Android-powered, HTC G1 for your viewing pleasure. From what I see, the 3.2 mega-pixel camera can take a good photo in the right conditions. I’ve posted three photos from the G1 below that I think are a great representation of the camera quality. And with the G2 coming next year, who knows, maybe they will get even better.

Close up with the G1:

Full-resolution sample of the above photo:

Another close shot:

Keep the home fires burning!

G1 photos courtesy Live Crunch.

According to Vodaphone’s marketing people, Apple’s OS X mobile operating system can run on the upcoming Blackberry Storm, Research in Motion’s (RIM) latest entry into the growing touch screen market. I’m not sure if RIM or Apple knows or agree’s with this, but Vodaphone’s marketing team thinks so.

Well, they did for a few hours.

As reported by Engadget and Venture Beat (among others), Vodaphone had a page up a few hours overnight that flaunted the Storm’s ability to run Apple’s OS X mobile operating system. While this would be a welcome break from Apple’s stifling policies, I’m thinking that it isn’t going to fly, especially since the page has vanished from the web as if nothing had happened.

I can’t wait to see what Steve Jobs has to say about it. I’d place my money on a lawsuit for violating the Apple’s terms of service or something.

This is the dumbest and most brilliant marketing move I’ve seen by a company in a long time. I’m still not sure if Vodaphone had planned this or if it was an internal guerilla campaign, but it sure has generated some buzz. That said, I still like the iPhone. It’s going to be a tough one to beat.

iPhone 3G image courtesy of Apple.