- Browse Archives -      March 2007 April 2007 July 2007 August 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 December 2010 January 2011 February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 August 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 September 2023

Step one. I have never heard of Kogan Technologies. After doing some research, I found out that I’m dealing with a small Australian-based company. Step two. Android is the software platform and operating system that was specially designed and developed by Google to work with mobile devices. Step three. Try now to connect those two names I’ve just mentioned. It seems, at a first glance, that they have nothing in common.

Still, rumors are spreading the word that Kogan came up with an eccentric idea for a company of its dimensions, the wildest of them all. So they’re dreaming about having a Google Android handset developed and sold across Australia. The official announcement was already made, so Australians can hope about owning an Android-based mobile phone quite soon: before Christmas.

Let’s be honest, we’ve all been very skeptical about Ruslan Kogan’s desire to launch a $199 Android phone by the end of 2008. Still, with no exception whatsoever, we’ve been waiting quite out for the miracle to happen. The best thing about this fairytale is that the handset showed up.

Kogan Agora is not only the first Australian phone that uses the Android mobile platform, but also one of the first handsets in the world, the next in line after the T-Mobile G1. Agora will be released at the same time with another Android-powered mobile, Agora Pro. Shame on those who were laughing in their sleeves when this company said it will actually succeed in its audacious attempt.
The Kogan Agora will be equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard with a central navigation key, a 2.5-inch 262K QVGA TFT-LCD flat touchscreen with a resolution of 320x240 pixels, Bluetooth 2.0, 3G connectivity and a microSD card support, allowing you to increase the storage capacity. The Agora comes with pre-loaded applications, such as Gmail, Google Search, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Talk and YouTube. The Agora Pro, on the other hand, is the improved version of the first handset, adding in Wi-Fi network access (IEEE 802.11b/g), GPS navigation and a 2.0-megapixel camera. Measuring 108 x 64 x 14.8 and weighing 130 grams, the device has a rechargeable 1300mAh Lithium-Ion battery that provides up to 400 minutes of talk time and up to 300 hours of stand-by time.

Kogan Agora is undoubtedly the result of the most powerful desire of succeeding to develop a handset based on a ground-breaking technology and sold at a reasonable price. “The Kogan team have been working very hard to bring out the exciting new phones powered by Google’s Android operating system at the right mix of price and specifications”, said Ruslan Kogan, the company’s founder. “We’ve been listening to customers through our blog and crammed in all features we possibly could. The end result is the best value, fully-featured phone in the Australian market”.

Both handsets are available for sale on Kogan Technologies’s official website. The handsets can be sold internationally and there’s no need for you to conclude an agreement. Moreover, the Kogan mobile phones are specifically designed to work on any network. If you want to have an Android cell phone of your own, then you can have the Agora for US$192 (AU$299) and the Agora Pro for US$256 (AU$399). However, keep in mind that both phones are expected to ship out starting the end of January 2009.

Labels: android, Gphone

---

---