Google's Android now on 100 million mobile devices

Google gave an update on the explosive growth of Android on Tuesday at its Google I/O conference.

There are now 100 million Android mobile devices that have been activated. Every day, 400,000 new devices are activated. There are 310 device models that run Android selling around the world, the company said in a blog item.

Android runs on smartphones and tablets. It competes with Apple's iPhone and iPad, and Microsoft's Windows Phone 7. The business model is different from its competitors in that Google gives away the Android operating system for free to mobile device makers in order to build market share in mobile search and advertising. Apple only sells its operating system on its proprietary devices, and Microsoft charges phone makers to use Windows Phone 7.

Microsoft is planning to show more about the 7.5 release of Windows Phone on May 24 in New York, and the company has a key strategic partnership with Nokia, the world's largest phone maker. Still, the last time Microsoft gave out any numbers about its mobile OS was January, when it said phone makers have bought 2 million licenses for Windows Phone.

Google's next version of Android will be called Ice Cream Sandwich and it will incorporate features in Honeycomb, the version of Android built for tablets.

Here is Google's blog item if you want to read more.

(Photo of Samsung Galaxy 4S phone: T-Mobile)

Rozonda Thomas Rachel Weisz Miranda Kerr Sarah Shahi