Google allegedly favoring Nokia for Honeycomb devices

An unusual claim Wednesday morning has asserted that  Nokia is getting help from Google on a device using the Honeycomb version of Android. The Finnish phone maker was included along with HTC, Motorola, LG and Samsung as receiving "priority" for projects. Digitimes' sources didn't say what Nokia would be making that would encourage direct cooperation.

Publicly, Nokia has routinely insisted that it would never use Android in phones as the mobile OS didn't give it a way to differentiate the company from other manufacturers. Pressure has still existed to switch platforms as Symbian has been falling behind in features and MeeGo won't ship on a phone until early 2011 at best. Nokia has been willing to break from its own operating systems in the past for non-phone devices like the Booklet 3G but has usually been loyal to its own platforms.

Regardless of who was involved, Google's reported favoritism might be creating significant problems for traditional notebook manufacturers hoping to get involved. Where some of the first Honeycomb tablets could be ready as soon as late February, the conventional companies might have to wait until at least a month later, the tipsters said. Individual companies weren't named, but previous tips had MSI forced to wait until April to show its Android tablet.

The PC builders are potentially in serious trouble through the decision. As netbook sales are suffering due mostly to Apple's iPad, but they can't release tablets of their own to try and make up for the loss. Many of these supposedly don't believe that any of their Android 2.2 or Windows-based tablets will be successful and are deliberately keeping shipments low.

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