One of the most exciting parts of the Motorola Droid launch was the inclusion of Google Maps Navigation, a free turn-by-turn GPS system from Google. At first the feature was only compatible with phones running Android 2.0, which is only the Droid. Today Google announced that it would be moving the nav system down to Android 1.6, opening up the service to phones like the MyTouch 3G and G1.

I’d call this a big win for Android users. Until this update the hope was that some enterprising developer would hack the thing down to 1.6. This still leaves out the Motorola CLIQ and HTC Droid Eris, but hey, it’s better than the original situation. The 1.6 release also adds layers, allowing you to overlay information on the map, like Wikipedia articles on local points of interest and public transit lines. The one thing 1.6 is missing is the “navigate to” voice command, so you’ll have to enter everything by hand. Life’s tough, isn’t it?

On Saturday night, Verizon publicly declared it would be going after the iPhone with a new Android phone from Motorola. To do so, Big Red is using the same tactic Palm did, but it will probably see a much higher success rate. The reason: the OS.

It’s not just that I think Android is a superior platform (which I do), or that Palm continues to botch almost everything it tries with regard to the App Catalog (which it does). It’s really that Verizon isn’t trying to pioneer a new OS against the world’s most successful smartphone. Android is not the thriving development community it could be, but it’s not brand new either. That means there will be plenty of app support on launch day, but more importantly that developers are familiar enough to create apps that take advantage of specific features of the new Motorola phone – a big part of what makes the iPhone so good.

On top of that huge advantage, the phone looks really nice. It’s sleek and slim, has a landscape keyboard that far outstrips the cramped POS on the Pre, and it’s on Verizon. I don’t think I need to mention all the other features Verizon’s new ad points out.

This isn’t something Apple will take lying down, though. We should see the rebuttal in what promises to be a snarky little ad war before long.

I’ve been cautiously skeptical about Google’s Android operating system as a successful mobile platform. I love the features, I love the UI, but the phones were seriously lacking. Google CEO Eric Schmidt made some comments during the company’s earnings conference call that may change my mind, though.

Schmidt says Android Adoption is set to blow up, and it’s because of those crappy phones the system currently runs. It’s not the phones themselves, but the number of them. There are currently 12 phones running Android, and more phones and netbooks coming out monthly it seems. As that number continues to grow, it gives developers more and more reason to spend time on the platform.

Mobile is Google’s next great frontier, and where analysts expect most of the company’s growth to come from over the next couple years. With more Android adoption, that growth is essentially guaranteed. Hopefully 2010 will see the release of a phone that might make me consider getting rid of the iPhone. I love a healthy competition.

Just a few days ago T-Mobile unveiled the Dash 3G and gave a hint they’d be making a much more interesting announcement, one concerning Android, within a week. Why wait a week when you could announce your new Android phone on…Sunday night?

The oft-rumored HTC myTouch 3G is now official, and coming to T-Mobile on July 29th. Customers can start ordering the new phone as early as July 8th. The phone will start at $199, the same price as the 16GB iPhone 3GS.

The new HTC phone is essentially an upgrade of the G1, though it doesn’t sport the physical keyboard of the G1, relying instead on the Android 1.5 virtual keypad. The phone also has a 3.2 megapixel camera and offers support for 3G networks as well as Wi-Fi.

T-Mobile is pitching the myTouch 3G against the iPhone by selling customization. According to Andrew Sherrard, VP of Product Innovation at T-Mobile, the iPhone has a “beautiful aesthetic, but you can’t change it.” With widgets, custom backgrounds, and the ability to learn user preferences, Sherrard believes the myTouch 3G is more than just a phone. “This is more than a product launch for us,” he said. “We want consumers to view this as an experience that we are creating for them.”

The smartphone market is all about creating a total user experience. iPhone users love the App Store. Palm Pre adopters are in love with the new operating system. Will customization be enough to take people over to T-Mobile?

Maybe not by itself, but it’s difficult to ignore Android, the operating system that sold 1 million HTC G1’s, the first Android phone from T-Mobile. The open source development base continues to grow, which means more features and more apps for an exploding customer base. Android is best positioned as an iPhone contender, and as more apps get developed, and more carriers consider Android devices, I think we’ll see Android continue to grow as the tech-savvy alternative to an iPhone.

If there’s one thing I think T-Mobile could have planned better, it’s timing. They’ve known about this release for a while, so why not tell people, particularly with the iPhone 3GS launch. Plenty of folks have been waiting for that next best thing, and June marks the end of the first iPhone contracts. Why not pick up the folks who were ready to drop AT&T? Why not fight the Palm Pre/3GS in the open field. As I see it, T-Mobile could have snagged more than a few techsumers who weren’t thrilled with the G1 but might give the myTouch 3G a shot. Both the Palm Pre and the 3GS may have had enough features to lure those people into new contracts, contracts they’re unlikely to break so soon.