It has been three years since the Apple released their iPhone and since then, we have seen a lot companies coming out with “iPhone-killers”, but no company till now has been actually able to offer something that iPhone offers: coolness. As odd as it sounds, but people now want easy-to-use interface, something which has no-to-very-little learning curve. HTC has released a lot handsets in the past few years and lets face it, it is through HTC that Windows Mobile is alive till now. Otherwise, it would been dead a long time back.

Last year, HTC came up with T-Mobile G1, which was the first Google Android phone, but it was never touted as ‘iphone-killer’, because it just was not one. By various online sources, HTC HERO is going to be the first real “iPhone-killer” and I too agree that HTC HERO is the first phone that has a UI that is more slick and fluid than iPhone’s UI. The phone is so much straight forward and easy to use and combined with the power and flexibility of the Android OS, looks we’ve a winner in our hands.

HTC has done a tremendous work in customizing the Google Android OS so that even a beginner can jump-start using it. It is, however, interesting to note that myriad of HTC’s Windows Mobile phones are running the same processor  suffer from sluggishness. I am not sure the reason behind this: either Android OS is highly CPU efficient or Windows Mobile is a BETA product. Whatever the case is, we are sure about one thing: Google Android OS will very soon become the favorite OS of a lot of people around.

Yes, you read that right. According to a research by the Strategy Analytics, the sale of Android smartphones is expected to grow by 900% in the year 2009.

According to Tom Kang, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, “We forecast global Android smartphone shipments to grow an impressive 900 percent annually during 2009. The Android mobile operating system from Google gained early traction in the United States in the second half of 2008 and it is gradually spreading its presence into Europe and Asia during 2009. Android is expanding from a low base and it is consequently outgrowing the iPhone OS from Apple, which we estimate will grow at a relatively lower 79 percent annually in 2009.”

If this report is to be believed, then the growth of Android Smartphones would lead much ahead of Apple I-Phone and Windows Mobile Smartphones, the other two biggies in the smartphone market. Because, the sale of Apple I-phone is expected to grow at a rate of about 80% (according to a report by Strategy Analytics) and that of Windows Mobile by about 50%(as told to channel web by Eddie Wu, Managing Director of OEM, Microsoft).

This figure does not seem quite difficult to achieve, when compared to the hype and craze surrounding the Android platform. We have got news about almost every major player in the mobile phone arena planning to launch an Android device. Also, we can expect some Android powered notebooks and netbooks very soon, from companies like T-Mobile and HP.

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Looks like the Android users are more enthusiastic about their phones.  According to T-Mobile USA, the android users download around 40 applications as compared to iPhone users who download 37 applications to their phones.

According to the recent stats, 80% Android users download atleast one application in a week. This clearly shows their passion for the Android platform.

[via androidcentral]