While Apple's iPhone has enjoyed enormous success using a highly controlled, locked-down handset, operating system and application store, Google's touchscreen smartphone platform takes the opposite approach.
Android is a completely open-source operating system, meaning that developers can write whatever abilities they want into it - and Google doesn't make or recommend any particular handsets. The HTC Dream (AKA the T-Mobile G1) gave Android a start in the market - but several big-name competitors are working on Android smartphones to be released sometime this year.
The battle for Android handset supremacy is about to begin - let's take a look at the challengers.
While Apple has kept things incredibly simple and controlled with the iPhone, Google's Android platform is entirely based around consumer choice - for better or worse. Where the iPhone offers too few options in many cases, Google's OS will dazzle you with choice.
Android is both completely open-source and pretty much handset-independent - so once handset manufacturers start producing serious options, you can expect to see a huge range of different phones available running the Google OS - incorporating different screen sizes, resolutions, keypad options, processors, inbuilt memory options, communications devices, price points and every other imaginable variation.
The HTC Dream, or T-Mobile G1, was rushed to market in October last year as an iPhone alternative, but has failed to ignite interest or capture the public imagination in the way Apple has. Not to worry, plenty of opportunities are coming - Google has an even bigger fan base in the computing world than Apple, and a number of manufacturers are gearing up to release Android handsets in 2009.
Samsung
Samsung plans to have "at least three" Android phones in its lineup by the end of 2009. The first unit has already been flagged - it should hit the Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile networks in America by June.
LG
LG will dip its toe in the water with an updated version of its KS360 handset tweaked to run Android and scheduled to launch this (American) Summer. The KS360 is a budget handset with a 2-megapixel camera and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
There's another two Android phones in the works, expected by the end of 2009, so hopefully we'll see what LG can do with a high-performance Android handset before too long.
HTC
While HTC's Dream/T-Mobile G1 was the first Android handset to make it to market, it didn't light a lot of fires with consumers. But HTC is planning to capitalize on its 6-odd months of market experience by launching a second Android handset very shortly. The HTC Magic has already been shown in pre-production form, and it's launching very soon in Europe.
The Magic is slick, pretty and it looks fairly fast as well. Unlike the G1, the Magic is a fully touch-screen phone, using a software keyboard. It looks fantastic, and hopefully will be one of the first truly attractive options to pull customers away from the iPhone.
NVIDIA
Mobile phones are absolutely going to be the hottest media delivery platform of the next decade or so - so it should be no surprise that graphics hardware specialists NVIDIA are planning to take a bite at the handset cherry.
NVIDIA's Tegra chipset will soon find its way into a consumer-level touchscreen internet device and smartphone - and the platform has already been demonstrated with a hastily slapped-on Android installation. While it's still buggy and in its infancy, the NVIDIA phone's massive graphics handling capability will allow it to play movies in full 1080p HD - and output the signal to a big-screen TV. That's a serious selling point; your phone becomes a portable digital video drive. We can't wait to hear more.
Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson caused a rush of speculation when it joined the Open Handset Alliance and committed to build an Android handset at the end of 2008. While it's unlikely that they'll get anything to market by the end of 2009, the potential for a Sony Android phone is very exciting.
The first handset will be a high end product, according to the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog, and it will be followed by more affordable mass-market products. The company will continue to make Symbian and Windows Mobile phones as well. We're sure to hear more later this year.
Archos
While most of the focus will understandably be on the phone handset market, Android's capabilities will make it a good fit for a number of other applications - some of them very exciting indeed.
Archos is implementing Android on an "Internet Media Tablet" - bigger and more powerful than a phone in every way, with a 5-inch HD touchscreen, digital TV recording and playback, fast processor, 500GB hard drive and a battery capable of 7 hours of video playback. With phones replacing computers in so many areas, perhaps we can expect more of these larger touchscreen devices to come out of the woodwork.
Archos is understood to be charging to market, so we can expect to see this device sometime in 2009. It will be interesting to see if its resolution, big storage and grunt will make up for its size and baffling use of spinning hard drives.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
HTC to launch 'at least' three Google phones this year
High Tech Computer (HTC) will ship "at least" three smartphones this year that use Google's Android software, HTC's CEO said Tuesday.
HTC, already the largest maker of smartphones that use the Windows Mobile OS, was first to the market with an Android-based smartphone last year, when it teamed up with Google and T-Mobile to launch the G1 in the U.S.
Effective Security with a Continuous Approach to ISO 27001 Compliance: Download now
The Taiwanese handset maker last month announced its second Google phone, the HTC Magic, or G2 as some are calling it. The handset is being sold first in Europe by Vodafone.
HTC will sell at least two more Google phones this year.
At the sidelines of a Merrill Lynch technology conference in Taipei, HTC CEO Peter Chou was asked whether or not a report saying HTC will market five Android-based handsets this year was true.
HTC will launch "at least" three, he replied, declining further comment on the matter.
HTC gained a march on smartphone rivals in using Google's Android software by working with the popular U.S. company for three years on the software and compatible smartphones before launching the G1 last September. The G1 is also marketed under the name HTC Dream.
HTC, already the largest maker of smartphones that use the Windows Mobile OS, was first to the market with an Android-based smartphone last year, when it teamed up with Google and T-Mobile to launch the G1 in the U.S.
Effective Security with a Continuous Approach to ISO 27001 Compliance: Download now
The Taiwanese handset maker last month announced its second Google phone, the HTC Magic, or G2 as some are calling it. The handset is being sold first in Europe by Vodafone.
HTC will sell at least two more Google phones this year.
At the sidelines of a Merrill Lynch technology conference in Taipei, HTC CEO Peter Chou was asked whether or not a report saying HTC will market five Android-based handsets this year was true.
HTC will launch "at least" three, he replied, declining further comment on the matter.
HTC gained a march on smartphone rivals in using Google's Android software by working with the popular U.S. company for three years on the software and compatible smartphones before launching the G1 last September. The G1 is also marketed under the name HTC Dream.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
G1 Android Phone Now Features WHERE
Labels:
applications
A new application has been launched for the T-Mobile G1 Android mobile phone about two days ago, WHERE. The new product release comes with new features for handset users, including News, Movies, and the WHERE Wall. Another feature, Traffic, is expected to become available in the near future.
The new application is stated to have been developed upon the award-winning platform that comes to users with local content like Yelp, Eventful, Buddy Beacon, Zipcar, ShopLocal, Starbucks, Gas Prices, and Weather. The new WHERE application will be available for users to download it from the well known Android Market.
WHERE comes as a location-based app that includes a wide range of widgets meant to deliver essential information about what's around you. The application is able to provide users with information on restaurants, coffee shops or gas stations.
At the same time, it also allows them to easily connect with their friends. Whether one is looking for directions or different places on their map, WHERE is able to provide all the necessary details. In addition, the application also allows users to share their location with friends, as it includes the Buddy Beacon app on Facebook.
According to the developers, WHERE has been received very well even during the beta testing period. Some of the responses stated “This is the greatest app ever made….Keep up the hard work and can’t wait for more updates,” or “All in all this is one of the best apps on the market.”
WHERE already has a comprehensive coverage over the mobile phone market, and the new launch is meant to expand it even further. OEMs such as Apple’s iPhone, Nokia and BlackBerry already distribute the application on their devices, and almost all carriers in the United States are reported to have relationships with the developer, including AT&T, Boost, MetroPCS, Sprint, and Virgin Mobile (Helio).
More information on WHERE can be found on its official website.
The new application is stated to have been developed upon the award-winning platform that comes to users with local content like Yelp, Eventful, Buddy Beacon, Zipcar, ShopLocal, Starbucks, Gas Prices, and Weather. The new WHERE application will be available for users to download it from the well known Android Market.
WHERE comes as a location-based app that includes a wide range of widgets meant to deliver essential information about what's around you. The application is able to provide users with information on restaurants, coffee shops or gas stations.
At the same time, it also allows them to easily connect with their friends. Whether one is looking for directions or different places on their map, WHERE is able to provide all the necessary details. In addition, the application also allows users to share their location with friends, as it includes the Buddy Beacon app on Facebook.
According to the developers, WHERE has been received very well even during the beta testing period. Some of the responses stated “This is the greatest app ever made….Keep up the hard work and can’t wait for more updates,” or “All in all this is one of the best apps on the market.”
WHERE already has a comprehensive coverage over the mobile phone market, and the new launch is meant to expand it even further. OEMs such as Apple’s iPhone, Nokia and BlackBerry already distribute the application on their devices, and almost all carriers in the United States are reported to have relationships with the developer, including AT&T, Boost, MetroPCS, Sprint, and Virgin Mobile (Helio).
More information on WHERE can be found on its official website.
Google blocks paid apps for dev unlocked G1 users
Labels:
applications,
news
People who bought an unlocked version of the Android G1 phone are no longer allowed to download new paid applications from the Market, after a change Google made late last week.
Google is prohibiting users of the unlocked phones from viewing copy-protected applications, including those that cost to download.
The Developer version of the G1 comes unlocked to any particular mobile operator and is priced at US$400. Anyone who joins the Android developer program for $25 can buy the phone.
Last week, Google employees began replying to questions people posted on the Android Market Help Web site about being unable to see copy protected applications in the store. "If you're using an unlocked, developer phone, you'll be unable to view any copy-protected application," wrote Google employee Ash on the help site in reply to a user's question on Friday. "This is a change that was made recently."
While Google offered only slim details about why it made the change, it could be an attempt to close a loophole that reportedly allows users of the unlocked phone to download paid applications for free. "The Developer version of the G1 is designed to give developers complete flexibility," Google said in a statement. "These phones give developers of handset software full permissions to all aspects of the device... We aren't distributing copy protected applications to these phones in order to minimize unauthorized copy of the applications."
A couple of developers have theories about the issue behind the move. Tim at the Strazzere.com blog discovered that protected applications are automatically downloaded into a private folder on Android phones. Most phone users can't access that file but users of the Developer phone can.
That means a Developer phone user could buy an application, copy it from the private folder, return the application for a refund and then re-download the application to the phone, the developers say. The Android Market allows anyone to return an application within 24 hours.
The Phandroid blog and a few developers commenting on the blog said they were able to download and copy-protected applications. Some developers are surprised that assigning the application to a specific folder is the only copy protection given to applications.
It's unclear how many people have the unlocked version of the phone. But some vocal developers are very annoyed that they paid $400 for the phone and aren't allowed to access all of the apps in the store.
One, who goes by the name bakgwailo, is proposing a "developer revolt," where all developers pull their applications from the store. "It would be the only way to show Google that this is NOT acceptable, and that devs are not second (third?) class citizens on the Market," he wrote. "I do not know about you, but I am beyond angry that I can not even see my own paid app on the Market with my 400 dollar dev phone!"
"This is a big problem for everyone who has a Dev phone," one developer using the name oscillik wrote. "Assuming that we're pirates is very offensive."
Google is prohibiting users of the unlocked phones from viewing copy-protected applications, including those that cost to download.
The Developer version of the G1 comes unlocked to any particular mobile operator and is priced at US$400. Anyone who joins the Android developer program for $25 can buy the phone.
Last week, Google employees began replying to questions people posted on the Android Market Help Web site about being unable to see copy protected applications in the store. "If you're using an unlocked, developer phone, you'll be unable to view any copy-protected application," wrote Google employee Ash on the help site in reply to a user's question on Friday. "This is a change that was made recently."
While Google offered only slim details about why it made the change, it could be an attempt to close a loophole that reportedly allows users of the unlocked phone to download paid applications for free. "The Developer version of the G1 is designed to give developers complete flexibility," Google said in a statement. "These phones give developers of handset software full permissions to all aspects of the device... We aren't distributing copy protected applications to these phones in order to minimize unauthorized copy of the applications."
A couple of developers have theories about the issue behind the move. Tim at the Strazzere.com blog discovered that protected applications are automatically downloaded into a private folder on Android phones. Most phone users can't access that file but users of the Developer phone can.
That means a Developer phone user could buy an application, copy it from the private folder, return the application for a refund and then re-download the application to the phone, the developers say. The Android Market allows anyone to return an application within 24 hours.
The Phandroid blog and a few developers commenting on the blog said they were able to download and copy-protected applications. Some developers are surprised that assigning the application to a specific folder is the only copy protection given to applications.
It's unclear how many people have the unlocked version of the phone. But some vocal developers are very annoyed that they paid $400 for the phone and aren't allowed to access all of the apps in the store.
One, who goes by the name bakgwailo, is proposing a "developer revolt," where all developers pull their applications from the store. "It would be the only way to show Google that this is NOT acceptable, and that devs are not second (third?) class citizens on the Market," he wrote. "I do not know about you, but I am beyond angry that I can not even see my own paid app on the Market with my 400 dollar dev phone!"
"This is a big problem for everyone who has a Dev phone," one developer using the name oscillik wrote. "Assuming that we're pirates is very offensive."
Thursday, February 19, 2009
HTC Magic debuts at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
side by side comparison to the G1Vodafone launched the HTC Magic, the handset maker's second phone based on Google's Android platform, finally bringing a true Android device launch to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The HSPA/WCDMA phone features a 3.2-inch touchscreen with a full virtual QWERTY keyboard, doing away with the T-Mobile G1's slide-out keyboard.
The form factor also is much sleeker than the G1. The phone has a trackball, WiFi and features all of the Google mobile applications.
Monday, February 16, 2009
G1 Released in Australia today
The Google Phone, widely touted as the first serious rival to the highly successful Apple iPhone, launches on the Australian market today.
Made by Taiwanese electronics company HTC and dubbed the Dream, it is the first and so far only smartphone in the world to use Android, an open-source computer-style operating system, built by Google and based on Linux.
The Dream is a quad-band touch-screen GSM 3G phone fitted with WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS capabilities, a 3-megapixel camera and a single USB port but no 3.5 millimetre headphone jack.
A microSD card of up to 8gigabytes can be fitted. Software includes a web browser based on Google's Chrome application.
Bundled features include access to YouTube, Google Maps, including Street View, a music player, instant messaging and email.
It is so far being sold exclusively in Australia by Optus.
Telstra says it has not yet decided whether or not to include the HTC Dream in its range. "We continue to consider how an Android-based phone might fit," spokesman Martin Barr said.
Like the iPhone, the HTC Dream is essentially a handheld computer that can also make phone calls, seen as primarily a consumer device and not a competitor for the BlackBerry in the corporate market.
"These days it is not just about the technology but about making it simpler and easier for the end user," says HTC Australia's marketing director, Anthony Petts. "There are now so many things you can do with your phone; people now use it just as they use their PC."
Some reviewers have gushed about the Android phone, others criticise its angular form and say it needs more work before it matches the iPhone.
They also point to rumours that a new, more capable iPhone will arrive about mid-year, said to have a body carved from a single block of aluminium, GPS navigation, 32GB of on-board storage, a removable battery and, possibly, a lower sale price.
For Google and Apple, as well as mobile phone network operators, the core of the smartphone market is not voice calls but software applications.
| Rank | Phone | Product | Price /month | Included Value | Estimated Usage | Min. Total Cost (over 24 months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | Optus Online Store$79 Internet Cap + Unlimited Text | $92 | $550 | | $2,118 Save $100 |
2 | | Optus$79 Internet Cap + Unlimited Text | $92 | $550 | | $2,218 |
3 | | Optus Online Store$59 Internet Cap | $110 | $350 | | $2,600 Save $50 |
4 | | Optus$59 Internet Cap | $110 | $350 | | $2,650 |
5 | | Optus Online Store$99 'yes' Timeless Internet Plan | $123 | Unlimited | | $2,861 Save $100 |
6 | | Optus$99 'yes' Timeless Internet Plan | $123 | Unlimited | | $2,961 |
7 | | Optus Online Store$129 'yes' Timeless Internet Plan | $132 | Unlimited | | $3,078 Save $100 |
8 | | Optus$129 'yes' Timeless Internet Plan | $132 | Unlimited | | $3,178 |
HTC Dream coming to Spain via Telefonica, gets a facelift
No significant details at this stage, but this looks a little more 'sculpted' than the original G1.What do you think?
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