The general consensus is…that when Google sets its sights on something, its competitors tremble.

Now that Google’s gunning for mobile domination, how is Nokia going to keep its own predominant OS, Symbian, relevant and competitive?

Well, first Nokia acquired the OS in full…and gave it away. Yes, Symbian’s going to go open source but later rather than sooner. The plans are to eventually (via the newly setup Symbian Foundation) release the code under the Eclipse Public License but that won’t come to fruition until 2009, earliest.

The question is: can Symbian afford to wait?

It’s a question easily deflected – after all, doesn’t Symbian.com already offer SDKs and developer tools for download free? Well, so does Microsoft with its Windows Mobile platform but as to adoption on more phones – sorry, MS, we just don’t see it.

What Symbian needs is the apps or at least a phone exciting enough to get more people developing cutting edge or exciting apps. We need only look at Apple and the developers clamouring to sell their wares on the App Store to wonder just what’s missing as far as the other mobile phones go.

Apple changed the rules of the game in the mobile space. It’s time that Symbian step up to the plate and offer up an alternative to the iPhone’s dominance, or at least manage a close copy.

I’d like to see more stability, more speed. A different sort of UI experience – something I caught a glimpse of on the Nokia Xpress 5800.

And word to the mobile phone companies – when a PC company does touchscreen better than you, then let me tell you the problem. In Lolcat: UR DOING IT RONG.