Looks like Apple lost this round. The United States Army has opted for Android to power its first smartphone prototype. 

The Army is seeking to develop a system of new technology by which its soldiers may communicate more efficiently. Soldiers may soon be texting reports to each other on the battlefield. The proposed smartphone would also run Army-developed applications with location-based capabilities for mapping enemy territory and pinpointing friendly forces. 

Developing a smartphone would be a more efficient method of packaging the devices the Army currently uses--a combination of wearable computers and radios. The Nett Warrior Suite is like a giant, heavy smartphone already; the Army just needs a smaller version. 

One of the main challenges of developing an Army phone is finding a way to make it rugged enough to withstand combat environments. There's no use relying on new technology if it falls apart in a sticky situation. Even the "gorilla glass" used in the screens of iPhones and Droids will break when dropped too many times. If the Army's phone is going to have a touchscreen, they're probably going to have to invent a new kind of surface for it. Areas of low connectivity would also pose a problem to the phone's usability. I've never wandered through a battle zone, but I would imagine they're not full of cell phone towers. And the Army would need to develop a method for keeping their data secure. 

The prototype, called the Joint Battle Command-Platform, was developed by the tech nonprofit MITRE. It is currently being tested, presumably for physical durability and ease of use. New Army apps are also in the works. While the phone is still a long way off from being issued to every soldier, we may soon see a much more wired military--running on Google technology, no less.

The decision to develop with Android may be due in part to the mobile OS's demonstrated flexibility. Android runs on a wide variety of devices, unlike iOS, whose market is internal to Apple. That's not to say Apple wouldn't lend its mobile system to the Army, but iOS is only built to work with the touchscreen. Certain Android devices utilize physical keyboards, and it would seem like the OS might work just fine even without any touchscreen capability. It wouldn't surprise me if the Army opted out of using touchscreens altogether. Not only is there no stronger substance for them than glass, they don't always make for the most reliable user interface, as most people with smartphones have figured out. A misfiring of an Army smartphone could have much more serious consequences than your standard 3am butt-dial. 

Still, enlisting a Google system is a bold choice. It's interesting that the military is patronizing such a widely-used private company for the core of their new technology. I suppose Android is as good as it gets. 

(via Ars Technica)