If there was ever any doubt of just how dominant Android has become in the mobile space, there’s a new rumor circulating that should just about seal the lid on any such debate.
Research in Motion is apparently working on figuring out a way for its upcoming Blackberry tablet, the Playbook, to download and run apps designed for Android.
The Playbook itself will not run the actual Android operating system. It will be powered by a platform called QNX. That alone is big enough of a change for RIM, as it previously ran its own operating system exclusively for all its products.
This news also comes after rumors began that Nokia was working on incorporating a different operating system into its phones. It was originally assumed the company was working on Android integration, but later it seemed more likely it would be incorporating Windows Phone 7. Nokia’s new CEO was a former Microsoft exec.
In other words, the days of mobile operating system variety seem to be coming to an end as Android becomes the de facto choice and the iPhone is the other big name, but only available for Apple devices. It’s kind of like the PC OS wars now, where two names dominate.
Of course, the Playbook rumor isn’t official, but it’s been reported by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and others claiming to have it on good authority. And it would make sense.
Perhaps RIM is actually waking up to the current environment.
