Android to take center stage - CTIA 2010 preview

Google's Android platform had a bit of a coming out party at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain, this year, and analysts expect that trend to continue next week at the CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas. However, there may be a few surprises tossed into the mix as well; analysts also expect a barrage of ereaders, netbooks, slates and smartbooks to compete with smartphones.

"I fully expect the big news will be around Android by default," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "It's just that the way this show is situated on the calendar and on the globe lends itself to North American Android product announcements."

HTC showed at Mobile World Congress a dominant Android position with its Desire, a "superphone" running Android 2.1 and HTC's unique Sense UI. Now, analysts said, it's time to see if other handset makers that have placed Android bets--Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and others--can deliver differentiated offerings.

Wireless carriers--AT&T Mobility in particular--are expected to bring more definition to their smartphone plans. At the Consumer Electronics Show this year, AT&T said it will support virtually every major smartphone platform, including Android and Palm's webOS. AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega is expected to continue to hit upon the carrier's smartphone lineup at a luncheon scheduled for March 24. And Sprint Nextel may introduce its first WiMAX smartphone. "Now would be an appropriate time and an appropriate venue in which to make a splash," said CCS Insight analyst John Jackson.

Analysts were divided over how large a presence Microsoft and its new Windows Phone Series 7 platform will have at the show. Ben Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies, said Microsoft needs to build on the positive buzz it generated at Mobile World Congress with the unveiling of the platform and begin generating momentum toward product launches in the fall. Microsoft needs to "attract OEMs to do some creative things" with the platform.

Palm is not expected to make a major new product announcement at the show, but analysts are looking for the struggling smartphone maker to put its greatest asset--its software--on higher-end hardware. "One of the issues they have is they don't have a halo device," Greengart said.    

Increasingly, that is becoming a necessity, as the smartphone market becomes even more crowded. "Some aspects are the like the movie industry," said Nielsen analyst Roger Entner. "You need a blockbuster device to move the needle."