Chrome expected on Google's Android mobile software

Brin says the new browser may be on a later version of the mobile platform

By Matt Hamblen

September 3, 2008 12:00 PM ET

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Computerworld - In yet another example of Google Inc.'s expanding influence, the search company's co-founder, Sergey Brin, said he expects the new Google browser, Chrome, to eventually become part of the Android wireless phone platform, which is under separate development by the Google-led Open Handset Alliance.

Brin, in an interview with CNET at the Chrome announcement yesterday, said that "probably a subsequent version of Android is going to pick up a lot of the Chrome stack." Google officials were unavailable to elaborate.

Although they are being developed separately, both Chrome and Android's browser rely on WebKit open-source software for interpreting the HTML code that builds and renders a Web page.

The first Android phone is expected to launch in November. Known as the Dream phone, it will be manufactured by HTC and will be first sold in the U.S. by T-Mobile.

Google's ultimate ability to increase its influence in the mobile device market may well depend on whether a mobile Chrome browser is used in any other phones that use Android software, several analysts said. The mobile browsers available today include FireFox, Internet Explorer, Opera and the emerging Skyfire.

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