So what’s so good about Android? Well, most importantly, Android allows the user to sync whatever is entered onto the handset to tour computer, and vice versa. E.g. enter a new contact with phone number and email address and it will automatically be added to your address book on your PC, so you’ll never have to worry about losing your contacts as they are automatically backed up.

Google Android

So if you lose or break your phone, and let’s face it this is a regular occurrence for some people, everything stored on your phone – contacts, text messages, emails, bookmarked websites, calendar, IM chats etc is saved to your Google account and is backed up on your PC so you’ll never lose it.

And one of the major USP’s of Android is the Google Talk function allowing you to instant message anybody, anywhere, anytime. Plus Google maps syncs with your address book so you can look at a map of any of your friends’ locations wherever you are.

The T Mobile G1 was the first mobile phone to utilise Google Android which includes all of the Google goodies, such as Google Search, Google Mail, Google Maps, Talk, and YouTube.

The G1 has one up on the iPhone with a 3.2megapixel camera that outdoes Apples measly 2.0megapixel camera. They have also launched a new Guitar Hero app which is sure to be popular.

Competing manufacturers are set to release Android powered smart phones in the coming months. LG will lead the charge according to LG’s UK Head of Marketing, Jeremy Newing: ‘”We’ll be launching several Android handsets in 2009, likely in second half of the year,” said Newing.

The KS360, with QWERTY keypad and 3G will be the first LG phone featuring Android to be released in the UK, although no release dates have been confirmed.

One thing that will be confirmed in the coming months is Google’s Android rivalling other smartphone software.