Android's killer features & why it won't support Exchange

What's the killer app on Android phones? Touch was the killer feature for the Apple iPhone, which Android also offers, but Google has three killer features Google app users will love. First, if you use Google apps, you'll love an Android phone. Google's Gmail, Gtalk, contacts are all on Android. Apps like Google Docs are sure to come as well. Plus, you have Chrome, Google Maps and YouTube. But the real deal is the data sync between apps on Android and their online Web companions, Android's second killer feature. And that's all possible because of Android's third killer feature, single sign-on for all Google apps through your Google account. Check out the video of Android's apps.

For the first time we are seeing the power of Google's multiple application technology and Web presence brought to another platform, the SmartPhone. Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS hasn't done this yet, though we expect it to because of Live Mesh; and Apple had a miserable failure in its MobileMe launch. Because Google has all these online assets, they can seamlessly be brought together onto a mobile phone platform. The obvious missing feature in today's Android launch is Microsoft Exchange sync; and at first blush you might say, why did Google make the same mistake as Apple by leaving out Exchange sync in their mobile OS launch?

But Google wants to leave out Exchange support, to bring users to Google's mail and other applications. It's another thumb in Microsoft's eye, but it could backfire on Google. Maybe Android will support Exchange sync in the future, or maybe it will come from a third party. Google instead wants to help move users onto Google's mail platform and applications, and away from Exchange. It's a big gamble, and we'll see how successful Google might be with this strategy.

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