Hutchison Whampoa subsidiary bringing its social savvy to Google's mobile OS.
Handset firm INQ has announced that it plans to release its first Android smartphone next year. The news came the same day Motorola unveiled its first Android handset, and represents more momentum for Google's OS.
"We'll do some pretty cool things with Android," CEO Frank Meehan told the GigaOm Mobilize conference in San Francisco. "When you look at who do you select, you come to Android."
However, Meehan also said that so far, Android handsets haven't sold well compared to the iPhone. "You need to get the experience better," he told attendees at the event.
What this means for INQ is presumably social features, following in the footsteps of its previous non-smartphone handsets that have focused on Skype, Facebook and now Twitter.
One of the benefits of Android is that extra elements can be overlaid on its core user interface, providing more interactivity or design elements. That's what Motorola has done, while Sony Ericsson and HTC have also worked on customised Android UIs.
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It will be intriguing to see what INQ has planned in this regard.
