The Android platform will be made available under one of the most progressive, developer-friendly open-source licenses, which gives mobile operators and device manufacturers significant freedom and flexibility to design products. Next week the Alliance will release an early access software development kit to provide developers with the tools necessary to create innovative and compelling applications for the platform.”

(Via John Battelle’s Searchblog.)

Hopefully this leads to some compelling mobile devices. It is certainly less than consumers expected today.

By the second half of 2008, when they expect the first Android handsets to hit the market, we should have Nokia’s iPhone challenger and the second generation iPhone.

It will be interesting to see where the chips fall.