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Java OS Handsets on the Horizon: New Trend or Just a "Blip"?

Java on handsets is nothing new in the wireless industry, but a Java-only handset is. So don't be surprised if in 2006 if your next mobile phone has a Java operating system, or perhaps a combination of Java and Linux. That's because both LG and Motorola are pushing Java into the very core of some mobile phones, thus challenging incumbent smartphone operating systems like Symbian, Windows Mobile and Palm.

LG's Move with SavaJe

LG recently announced the first handset based solely on Java. The promise is a more customizable phone, and an alternative to other operating systems. LG partnered with U.S.-based SavaJe Technologies to develop the phone.

LG's as-yet unnamed GSM model is based on the open SavaJe OS, which is SavaJe's Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) Connected Device Configuration (CDC). The phone features:

A slider design
176x220 TFT display
1.3 megapixel camera
SD Card memory for up to 1 GB of storage
Bluetooth
Music (MP3, AAC, AAC+) and video (H.263, MPEG4) players

This is a fairly robust phone, with all applications and the user interface (UI) written in Java. No firm date has been set for delivery of this mobile device, but LG says it is ready to mass-produce models for delivery in 2006.

Some of the key advantages of a Java-only phone include:

Carrier flexibility, and handset customization opportunities
Large Java developer community from which to draw on for new applications
Chance to keep Microsoft, Symbian and -- to a lesser extent -- Palm in check
Common software platform

One of the crucial questions with any smartphone OS is the level of security these devices bring with them. The LG-SavaJe phone claims to answer this concern with the following features:

A secure key store
Certificate and policy management
A complete set of Java ME CDC security APIs for cryptography
Secure networking, authorization and authentication
OMA-compliant DRM

Motorola's Strategy

Motorola has a slightly different strategy, combining Java and Linux on a number of models, and the company has promised to push more of these devices in 2006. In fact, two new Java-Linux models Motorola expects to make available soon are the E895 and the A910.

The EDGE-enabled E895's main features include the following:

1.3 megapixel
Bluetooth
SyncM
Up to 10 MB of embedded memory
TransFlash memory slot for storage up to 512 MB.

The A910 is similarly equipped, with access to GSM and GPRS data features over WLAN.

Nonetheless, neither of these phones is a pure Java-OS device, so it remains an open question as to whether a Java-only phone will make much of a dent in the U.S. market. Given the fact that CEO Ed Zander once was President and COO of Sun Microsystems, it's pretty clear Java will likely stay on Motorola's roadmap. And who knows, perhaps Motorola will develop a Java-only phone of its own one day.

Market Reality

These smart OS devices enter a crowded and, for now, limited field. Smartphones account for a just four percent of the U.S. mobile phone market, according to NPD's tracking data. Prospects are good for growth of these devices, but nobody is predicting explosive activity, so this move to Java faces challenges.

Given the consumer adoption of for smart OS devices to date, we don't expect to see any major shifts in the consumer acquisition trend line soon; however, if carriers see an advantage to this type of smartphone and end-users buy in, then this niche gets more interesting.

Still, the market is unclear as to which operating system it prefers, if any. We must give LG and SavaJe credit for pushing the mobile OS market in a new direction. It takes some guts to buck the trends, but it remains to be seen if that's enough to disrupt the current thinking and get consumers to care.

In the U.S. market, the success or failure of Java-OS devices will come down to the wireless carriers themselves. If they see an advantage going with Java, then the market "blip" might indeed become a trend with legs. If, on the other hand, they remain relatively satisfied with the current crop of operating systems, then Java could wind up on the outside looking in. These other operating systems have current market muscle, and will not quietly welcome a newcomer, especially in a narrow smartphone niche.

Java might have some early sex appeal because it is different, and it benefits from a widespread desktop presence and proven mobile functionality. These positive attributes could help keep Java in the game for some time. Only time will tell.

— Neil Strother, Research Director, Mobile Devices