Negative growth. Quiet riot. Jumbo shrimp.
Most of the time, I love oxymorons. But when they come from business practices that just make no sense, I have to scratch my head in astonishment. That is the case with the widely held and -- in my demure opinion -- mistaken belief that an information-hungry public should be starved of the vital data points it craves. So thanks for finally breaking the silence, Samsung.
So far, perhaps the biggest roadblock for Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) mobile Android platform has been a distinct lack of information. We have a list of confirmed hardware and software partners, but basically no idea when we should expect their products to make it to market -- or what they would look like. The HTC G1 may be a solid demonstration platform of Android's capabilities, but the design fails to impress next to a svelte Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone or Research In Motion's (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry Storm.
If the Android community can't keep us updated on what's on the horizon, consumers may well forget the as-yet-unfulfilled promise of this refreshingly open smartphone technology.
That's why I'm so relieved to see the occasional slip of a corporate tongue. A couple of months ago, Motorola (NYSE:MOT) sorta kinda quasi-announced an Android product in an Android-related job posting. Now, Samsung officials have confirmed that it is "accelerating the development process for the Google phone in order to meet the specific needs of local carriers."
In the U.S., that could be any of the majors, really. T-Mobile and Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) are both Android-friendly members of the Open Handset Alliance, and both already sell Samsung models. Expect them both to carry Samsung's products. Verizon (NYSE:VZ) Wireless carries the Samsung Omnia, which looks like a likely starting point for an Android model. AT&T (NYSE:T), with its exclusive iPhone contract, would be the last wireless carrier I'd expect in Google's camp.
Whatever the partner, Samsung's first robot phones will arrive in the second quarter of 2009. Now I'm waiting on Motorola's first real press release. So far, this is marketing by absence of information -- break the oxymoronic silence, dudes.
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