Android at 10: I didn’t believe

Long before the cute robot logo, Android didn’t smell like a success

Android’s introduction to the world a decade ago aboard a somewhat uninspiring HTC handset, was auspicious. Up until that unveiling one early fall afternoon in New York City, attended by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and Android’s daddy Andy Rubin, we’d never seen the new, open, mobile operating system.

But, if I’m being honest, I didn’t think Android stood much of a chance, entering the domain of a surging Apple iPhone (then iPhone 3G) and the still dominant Blackberry (Bold).

I was worried that a third (or fourth if you counted Windows Mobile) mobile platform would lead to more consumer confusion and, possibly, less innovation as divided consumer interest left nascent app partners even more confused about where to put their development dollars (for a long time, most simply chose Apple and iOS).

Obviously, that’s not what happened. Android first survived and then ultimately thrived, despite itself.

In 2008, however, I was confronted with the anti-sexual a G1 handset. To be fair, it offered some real innovation. The compass app that let you turn the phone to virtually look around a Maps destination before you arrived (hey, this was really something in 2008) was…