Samsung mobile platform to challenge Google`s Android

Samsung Electronics said yesterday it will launch its own mobile platform in December, which will compete with Google`s Android, Apple iPhone`s operating system, and other operating systems.

But some analysts raised doubt that Samsung`s "bada" will be able to attract developers given Samsung`s small smartphone user base. Although Samsung is the world`s No. 2 handset maker, the company holds a share of less than 5 percent in the smartphone market that is dominated by such companies as Nokia, Apple and Research In Motion.

Samsung said it plans to launch bada-based smartphones next year. The open-source mobile platform, bada - which means "ocean" in Korean - will allow developers to create applications for bada-powered devices.

"A considerable number of our smartphones will be powered by bada next year," a senior researcher at Samsung told reporters yesterday.

"The bada-powered devices will become a significant force in the market in 2010," he said. He added the company is in talks with operators to launch bada-powered devices, without identifying the carriers.



But analysts doubt whether Samsung will be able to lure developers away from its rivals Apple and Google. "For now, the marketability of Samsung`s operating system is nearly zero," Greh Noh, an analyst at HTC Investment Securities, told The Korea Herald.

"Developers think Apple`s iPhone OS and Google`s Android are more marketable than Samsung`s bada," he said.

He expected Samsung to try to use the bada operating system in 10 percent of its smartphones next year and increase the portion in the following years. "This is a challenging goal," he said.

Echoing his comments, Ha Joon-doo, an analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp. also said: "To attract developers, Samsung has to significantly increase smartphone sales. But the competition is fierce. It is unlikely to have a big impact on the market."

But the Samsung researcher said its bada platform will allow developers access to its large customer base in the handset market. They will be able to sell their applications on the Samsung Application Store site, which will be available in 30 countries next year, he added.

When asked about how Samsung`s operating system is different from its rivals, he pointed to its "innovative" user interface and seamless compatibility with various web services such digital maps and social networking services. He added the company plans to unveil more details of bada in December, when it will be officially launched.

(hjjin@heraldm.com)

By Jin Hyun-joo