Google's Android Phone OS Debuts at Trade Show

The first public showing of prototypes with Google's Android phone OS occurred on Monday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The debut had been rumored and widely anticipated since last week.

In fact, this week there will be ongoing demos from companies, including those listed here.

Late last year Google announced the Open Handset Alliance, a 34-member group of handset manufacturers, carriers, and others, as well as releasing the Android SDK. The group includes such companies as China Mobile, HTC, Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm, T-Mobile, Telefonica, LG and eBay (yes, eBay).

Notably missing, however, is the world's leading handset manufacturer, Nokia.

Google hopes to extend its dominance to phone OSes - and to improve the quality of web-browsing for handset users - which would of course mean easier and better access to Google apps on cell phones.

While some, such as ARM, had prototypes in actual cell phone bodies (as above), others, like Qualcomm, had several boards spread out across a table. Meaning ... don't expect a Gphone anytime soon. In fact, Samsung just announced it will have a Gphone - in early 2009.