Mobile has truly become an essential platform for Twitter , bolstered by the convenience afforded by the ubiquity of wireless connectivity and the steadily dropping prices of mobile phones. As such, many third-party Twitter clients and apps have sprouted from this side of the Twitterverse, carrying varying functionalities and value added services on top of the 140-character architecture.

To further push mobile Twitter use, the microblogging and messaging tool launched its official app for the Blackberry and acquired Atebits to retcon Tweetie as Twitter for iPhone within the same week last month. Now, hot off the heels of its obvious thrust to dominate the mobile space, Twitter has let out another in-house developed app and this time, it’s all set to target Google ’s developer-friendly mobile operating system, the Android .

This was announced by Twitter’s Leland Rechis this week on the official Twitter blog . He stated that sharing becomes second nature on machines as it does in person when apps work well with each other and that Android performs optimally in that regard.

As you can see from the screenshots we’ve included, usage is as straightforward as it can get, with Twitter capabilities implemented across other apps. Rechis further explains that sharing links and photos with your Twitter contacts are simple—by finding the share button in your favorite app and then tapping on Twitter on the menu list.

“Reading tweets is easy in a bunch of places on your phone.” Rechis likewise adds. “Quickly access your timeline with the home screen widget, view a tweet location on a map, and see your friend’s latest tweet in your phonebook, GoogleTalk list or any application that uses Android’s QuickContact bar.”

As with most Google-hinged product or feature roll outs, the code behind Twitter for Android will also be open sourced so we’ll probably see new independent developer-prompted feature tweaks and enhancements even before 2.0 comes out. Similarly, different variations of the Twitter API implemented on third-party apps for the Android are also definitely expected.

The Twitter for Android app is now available at the Android Market for mobile phones with Android 2.1 (aka Éclair) at the helm which pretty much covers anyone using the Motorola Droid , Google’s own Nexus One and the latest slew of HTC smartphones. No word though whether the app will be developed further to also support the other Android phones with version 1.6 (Donut) or 1.5 (Cupcake), however, their owners can instead use Twitter’s rudimentary mobile site by heading on over to http://mobile.twitter.com for the meantime.

Screenshots. Click on each for a closer look.

http://www.socialmediamarketing.com/blog