A couple of weeks ago Google introduced the Nexus One, the official Google phone. It had been greatly anticipated since Google brought out its Android operating system back in 2007. Since then many handset makers have introduced phones that run Android and it has really taken off.
The chart below shows how quickly the Android platform is growing – so fast that it's about to overtake Blackberry (RIMM):
via admob.com
Actually, this chart is a few months old. At its current growth rate I have no doubt it has already passed Blackberry and is now the third most widely used smart-phone platform in the world. Not bad for the new kid on the block. In fact, Gartner predicts that Android will overtake the iphone in only a couple years time.
I imagine this is the impetus for Apple approaching its arch-nemesis Microsoft recently to discuss replacing Google search with Bing. Hell must have frozen over. Don't underestimate the importance of this news. This is Luke going over to the Dark Side; this is Jake Sully reuniting with Colonel Quaritch; this is Apple shivering in its boots over the Android threat.