Vodafone picks a Linux-phone
LiMO lives and Symbian scowls
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The LiMO Foundation is celebrating Vodafone's endorsement with two handsets from Samsung, but the news that the Linux-based alternative isn't dead won't be received well over at Symbian.
The LiMO Foundation reckons to have already launched 42 handsets using its platform, but these are closed affairs only really of interest to network operators and handset manufacturers, with Release two (R2) LiMO opens up to BONDI and Vodafone's 360 platform, not to mention getting recognition in a market where Symbian really ought to be a shoo-in.
Vodafone has been a member of LiMO since it started, but that's not the same as actually selling handsets based on the platform which is what Vodafone will now be doing. Samsung too has been paying lip service to the other Linux-based option, while releasing Android, Symbian and Windows Mobile handsets which will now be joined by at least two using LiMO.
Vodafone is betting a lot on the 360 service, and clearly wanted branded handsets to go with it. Samsung has been churning out good handsets recently and is still willing to share branding in a way that others won't any more, so Samsung makes a sensible choice of manufacturer; but Vodafone could still have gone with one of the other operating systems around today.
But they wouldn't - Android is owned by Google, and while the Android Marketplace isn't exclusive it is recognised and would be hard to compete with. The same thing applies to Windows Mobile: operators can sell their own applications and services, but only in competition with Microsoft. That should leave Vodafone knocking on Symbian's door - the operator has already developed a Symbian client for its '360 service, so surely it would make sense to use the newly-open Symbian for handsets locked into the Vodafone 360 service?
Except that such handsets wouldn't be locked in at all: they would be open to other client applications such as SPB's excellent Mobile Shell or Handango's InHand application-downloading client, while going with LiMO keeps control firmly in the hands of the issuing operator: Vodafone.
LiMO also supports BONDI; the industry's standard AJAX extensions to allow persistence and interaction with local applications, that should allow rapid creation of the plethora of widgets and eye-candy necessary for a modern smartphone, but developers who want to make use of the extensions will have to go knocking on Vodafone's door for approval just as iPhone developers remain beholden to Apple.
LiMO makes great play of offering a "common vision" by bringing companies together, but it's a vision that puts the network operators back in the driving seat - Vodafone is the first, but every other operator will be crossing their fingers and hoping that the world's biggest can gain control of its customers before it's too late. ®
COMMENTS
Voda could lock Symbian-based devices if they wanted
Regarding...
"That should leave Vodafone knocking on Symbian's door - the operator has already developed a Symbian client for its '360 service, so surely it would make sense to use the newly-open Symbian for handsets locked into the Vodafone 360 service?
Except that such handsets wouldn't be locked in at all"
There's no reason why Voda couldn't create locked down Symbian devices. NTT DOCOMO have been doing it for years. The Symbian Foundation license doesn't restrict any use of the code. It does restrict use of the logo/brand if the device doesn't meet certain criteria, but:
(A) I think you could lock the device to other webservices and have a good claim to have met the criteria.
(B) I doubt Vodafone would care if they couldn't use the logo. It's not as though LiMo provides any brand goodness; so clearly that didn't come into the equation.
So the decision to go with LiMo over Symbian (which is very interesting) has something else behind it.
Dodgy Business Plan?
From the article:
"LiMO makes great play of offering a "common vision" by bringing companies together, but it's a vision that puts the network operators back in the driving seat - Vodafone is the first, but every other operator will be crossing their fingers and hoping that the world's biggest can gain control of its customers before it's too late. "
Or, mobile operators could instead use a business model that doesn't require them to sell additional services in order to turn a profit. That is, don't make a loss on the phone/tariff combination, and write good in-house apps that *people want to buy*. Then, it doesn't matter which marketplace is used to distribute them, the operator will still make money.
Or do they just want to skim the profits of other developers by charging an excessive cut on each app sold? (a la Apple - although I don't have the figures to say whether their cut is "excessive" or simply enough to cover the operating costs of their App Store).
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