Android Stalks Landline Phone Market

The good news is that Motorola has not forgotten that landline phones still exist and with the introduction of the Motorola HS1001 cordless Android handset, it makes a change to see an exciting new telecommunications gadget for home and office use.

The Android operating system was originally developed by a company called Android Inc, which was purchased by the all-powerful Google. It’s an operating system based on Linux kernel and GNU software.

From a comparatively slow start (it now forms a key part of the Open Handset Alliance), the Android operating system is becoming the major operating system in the mobile telephone market. In the US, Android based smartphones sold more in the second quarter of 2010 with a 33% share of the market than rivals the BlackBerry operating system (at 28%) and Apple’s mobile operating system came in third at 22%.

Motorola’s new HS1001 cordless handset is using version 1.6 of the DECT 6.0 phone. It’s actually made by Hong-Kong based Binatone, but branded by Motorola, and was launched this summer. It retails for around $150 in the US and €99 in Europe.

But it’s a nifty bit of kit. It isn’t the first Android desk phone by any means, but it is one of the most exciting to date.

It features Wi-Fi ability and navigation is via a 2.8 inch touch screen. From here you can select your caller and also surf the internet, and send emails. Early reviews gave it the thumbs up and especially praised the speaker charged station, which allows you to play music while the phone’s docked, via Pandora, or Slacker Radio.

The phone was launched at the CeBIT trade show last March and can last in cordless mode for two hours. It also comes with a MicroSD Card Reader.

The Android operating system might be the darling of the mobile boys, but it’s good to see that it’s also powering landline phones.