Google And HTC Gear Up for War with iPhone 5

The next iPhone is on the horizon and two of Apple's main competitors, Google and HTC, have been preparing for its arrival by splashing the cash, investing in high-end hardware, a catalog of patents and the audio expertise and reflected cool of Dr Dre. Can all this offer them a killer edge in the war against Apple?


Google buys Motorola & HTC buys a stake in Beats

The deal

Google has snapped up Motorola Mobility -the part of the business that makes handsets - for £7.66 billion, acquiring 17,000 unused patents in the process.

HTC has forked out a relatively paltry £181.5 million for a 51 per cent share of Beats Electronics. As part of the deal, HTC handsets will benefit from Beats by Dr Dre's "dope" audio.

What it means for :

Google

Google's senior vice president of mobile, Andy Rubin, reassured Android fans that, "Our vision for Android is unchanged and Google remains firmly committed to Android as an open platform." Motorola's Droid has been one of the biggest-selling platforms for Android, at least in the US, while the Atrix was truly innovative. Moto's vast catalogue of patents should also prove handy for future R&D and as ammo in the endless Tech Copyright Wars™.

HTC

 
"This represents a critical step in our continued mission to clean up the destruction of audio caused by the digital revolution," says "opinionated", legendary producer Jimmy lovine, chairman of Beats by Dre. HTC will hope the deal helps its handsets go up against the iPhone in the MP3-playing stakes. It also further positions the Korean brand as cool and "street", as opposed to Apple's icy, corporate hauteur. But is premo audio quality really a killer USP in a phone?

What it means for Apple

Google

Increased competition from improved Android hardware. Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson et al probably aren't overjoyed that Google is now in direct competition with them, but it seems too late for any of them to ditch Android now, so they'll just have to up their games... again.

HTC

Apple's title as the go-to brand for portable music is unlikely to be troubled - the iTunes ecosystem still boasts the foremost music store, and the best music management software, even if it is a tad bloaty.

iPhone 5 Rumours : Updated

Assuming the rumours which suggest a late September arrival are spot on, and we're going to take a punt and guess they are, some of you may be packing toothpaste and a flask of coffee for a long wait outside the nearest Apple Store as you read this. 

As we go to print, however, we are still wallowing in the realm of speculation, with a faster processor, 1080p video capture and some Apple-centric variant on NFC among the most likely additions.
 

Release options seem to include either an iPhone 5 and a cheaper, 8GB, slightly tweaked iPhone 4 - as usually happens with new iPhone releases - and/or, just maybe, a much cheaper, PAYG iPhone...

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