Android Rising: Sony Ericsson, Vodafone, and 12 Others Join Open Handset Alliance

Android just got stronger. The industry consortium behind the Google-developed mobile operating system, the Open Handset Alliance, just added 14 new members, including ARM, Garmin International, Sony Ericsson and Vodafone. The other new members are AKM Semiconductor, ASUSTek Computer, Atheros Communications, Borqs, Ericsson, Huawei Technologies, Omron Software, Softbank Mobile, Teleca AB, and Toshiba.

When the Open Handset Alliance was announced a year ago, it launched with 34 partners, including T-Mobile, HTC (maker of the G1 Android), Qualcomm, Intel, Samsung, Motorola, Sprint Nextel, and NTT Docomo.

Nokia, AT&T, and Verizon are still sitting on the sidelines. Their loss.