pdemul

As expected, Google is playing its full advantage in the battle for Smartphone supremacy. By leveraging its advertising capabilities (built through acquisition of AdMob, earlier acquisition of Doubleclick Mobile and it’s own AdWords Mobile Ads) it can offer mobile operators a kick-back for selling Android phones.

Can the others follow? Well, they all have some income to share from their App stores, but not in the region of what Google can share. Nokia acquired Enpocket in 2007, but not much has been heard of that since. Microsoft has Adcenter as well as the Microsoft/Yahoo! search alliance. Apple and Blackberry will have to rely on their Apps and media incomes if they want to follow.

Will they need to follow? Apple probably not - they rely more on consumer pull than operator push. But Nokia, Blackberry and Microsoft really need the operators unless they start making phones that are more attractive than Apple’s. That is a long shot.

This all points to a surge in Android phones being pushed by operators, and a reliance from Apple on the iPhone’s cool factor. Not good news for BlackBerry, Nokia and Microsoft!