As you probably know, China is the most populous country in the world, and it happens to be home to the biggest wireless market, too. Google might be on the edge of something huge, then, as there’s word that an Android-based phone will go on sale in China sometime next month.
The launch will mark Android’s debut in China, and the source of this information is none other than Peter Chou, the CEO of device manufacturer HTC. He expects the release to result in some significant changes, telling Jason Dean and Yuzo Yamaguchi that “the new model is aimed toward doubling sales in China this year from 800,000 units last year.”
Consider that Chou’s estimate might be conservative (companies never want to disappoint investors) and look beyond the one-year horizon, and Android’s prospects in China seem rather great.
Furthermore, “Mr. Chou said HTC may also offer Android-based models for China’s two other state-owned operators, China Telecom Corp. and China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. . . .” Which would obviously make things even better for Android and Google.
It’s not all clear sailing, of course – legal versions of the iPhone might soon appear in China, and Jason Hiner just pointed out how iPhone apps can marginalize Google’s search engine. Still, it looks like Android is about to get off to a solid start in China.
