Google’s recent announcement of the Android OS has left us wondering what will happen to the cellular industry once a Gphone arrives. One thing is for sure, the Gphone won’t be an anything ‘killer’ but rather launch a revolution alongside the iPhone.

I could make this post about how the iPhone will squash the Android platform to protect my inner fanboyism but I’ll let others take care of that point of view. Anything could happen considering we won’t see a Gphone until 2008, however we can analyze the platform’s potential effects.

Google intends to unleash an easy to use platform for mobile devices and crippling those who dare try to interfere by locking it down. This idea of an open platform is achieved through open source underpinnings plus the initiative taken by dozens of companies prevents any one entity from slaughtering the original goals of this project.

Instead, the choice is put back in to the hands of consumers making it easier to adopt this platform by allowing unlocked handsets for use on any network.

For this platform to really take off, Google would have to employ guerrilla like tactics and attract consumers in droves. As of now, the only way to judge the Gphone is it’s a linux based smartphone, not so unique when you consider that smart phones don’t make up the majority of handset sales.

Evidently Google isn’t positioning this as an iPhone killer or any variation but something that will radically change the cellular industry.

This can only aid the iPhone. Google’s potentially cheaper approach (from a consumer looking to purchase an Android based handset) will seriously drive the smart phone market paving the way for Apple to swoop in and take hold of this new playing field.

It won’t be the Gphone itself that drives the iPhone but Google’s motivation to reinvent the cellular industry. This will force carriers and handset manufacturers to adapt or be obsoleted.