Mobile content specialist Mobile Streams has launched a smartphone research and development centre in Hong Kong which will focus on application development for smartphone platforms such as Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone.

“Our newly opened Centre of Excellence underlines our commitment to developing services for the new smartphone platforms,” said Simon Buckingham, CEO and founder of Mobile Streams. “We chose to locate this global facility in Hong Kong because the Asian region has already launched services for several smartphone platforms including Google Android and BlackBerry from RIM.”

The announcement followed the launch from Mobile Streams of two Android Game Storefronts for unnamed network operator partners in Asia and Australia.

“The new Google Android optimized storefronts further expand our reputation as a leading games content retailer in the Asia Pacific region. We look forward to providing these new Android customers with access to our popular games catalogue,” said Angela Mastrillo, vice president for Asia Pacific at Mobile Streams.

Mobile Streams’ content library now exceeds more than 175,000 different items, the firm said, including more than 50,000 realtones and voicetones, 30,000 polyphonic ringtones, 40,000 ringback tones, 15,000 images, more than 12,000 videos as well as close to 10,000 games and full audio tracks.