Strategy Analytics announced this morning that they are expecting Android sales to account for 400,000 of the 10.5 million US smartphone sales they foresee going down in Q4 of 2008.
“Google has the brand power in the USA to make a big impact at launch. The main issue will be operator subsidies,” said Chris Ambrosia, Executive Director of Strategy Analytics, “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.”
Not quite sure what they mean by “well below $200″, especially when citing the iPhone as an example. The most pocket friendly iPhone is just a buck short of the 200 dollar pricepoint, and the latest chatter has most people expecting the same pricetag for the only Android-powered handset expected in ‘08, the HTC Dream (G1).
Regardless of trivial semantics, the numbers sound about right. After all of the hype and intense blog coverage, HTC might push 400,000 units to the curious and oh-so-excited geek crowd alone.
[Via IntoMobile]
First off, nice allowing spam (above)! Might want to take that one down.
Anyway, how many more android phones are coming out this year? I can’t see HTC’s first foray into it getting that many customers. With something like the HTC Touch HD, now THAT might get some serious attention (HINT HINT!!!)
This sounds like a pretty liberal number, to me.
If they were launching this thing on one of the larger carriers, I may buy it.
I was thinking it sounded high at first, but that’s really only a little over 1% of existing T-mob users and I’m sure you’ll get some people to make the move to them for this device. With that in mind I think it’s in the right ballpark even if it is a little ambitious.
I want my Android on VZW……..
No kidding, I’m really looking forward to getting the Touch HD on VZW with Android the same day I pick up my Chevy Volt.
All the lemmings will still buy the iPhone. Only the true geeks will get get this – and only then to hack it.
Android is sounding so good… I hope it lives up to the hype…unlike Google Chrome (YUCK!)