If you are expecting an Android 3.0 Honeycomb based smartphone then perhaps you have to wait a bit longer as Google, the maker of the operating system, has decide against making it open like other Android versions.
“Honeycomb is not yet ready to be altered by outside programmers and customised for other devices, such as phones,” Andy Rubin, vice president, Engineering, Google, was quoted as saying by Businessweek.
The Honeycomb version of Android is especially designed for tablets and it already runs on Motorola Xoom. Google has often cited the openness of Android as its main advantage over iOS platform.
Rubin, however, maintained that Android will remain an open source, but “the company does not want users to have a bad experience if Honeycomb is customised for smartphones” as Google is not sure if the Android version 3.0 is ready to be used for smartphones.
Developers and companies are attracted to open source software platforms because they can alter it according to their requirements.
For example, the KHTML (the Konquerer version of HTML) source was taken by Apple which then produced Safari browser. Similarly, the Webkit Browser engine from Apple was then taken by Google and Nokia which then created unanticipated products out of it.
Notably, the only Honeycomb tablet available in the market, the Motorola Xoom, has not created as much interest in the market as was expected.