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After the first Google Android phone in Australia originally planned to launch on December 15 last year, then pushed back to January 29, Kogan Technologies has just delayed the launch indefinitely, citing “potential future interoperability issues”.

The Age reported, according to Ruslan Kogan, who manufactures and sells electronic devices and other gadgets under the Kogan brand, pulled out of the launch of the “Kogan Agora”, in order “to ensure its compatibility with all future Android applications.”

The Kogan Agora, when available, it will be the next smartphone powered by Android after T-Mobile G1. Agora will comes in two version, the Agora will be sold at AU$299 and the Agora Pro will be sold at AU$399. The Kogan Agora (AU$299) features a full QWERTY keyboard, central navigation key, 2.5″ touchscreen, microSD slot, and 3G connectivity. The Kogan Agora Pro (AU$399) adds a 2 MP camera, Wi-Fi, and GPS.
Kogan showed off a working prototype of the device at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently.

Labels: Gphone

Remember the rumor that T-Mobile was going to be sending out replacement batteries to all G1 owners? The rumor sounded great, and I’m sure most G1 owners were/are hyped about it, as the battery seems to more or less ’suck the bag’. At any rate, while poking around the interwebs this morning I noticed more details on the matter by way of Android Central. Seems as though one of their devoted readers just got off the phone with T-Mo and reported the following:

Just wanted to let you guys know that i just got off the phone with a t-mobile (NYSE: DT) supervisor who confirmed that replacement batteries are being sent out and that there was an internal memo sent around that extra batteries are being sent out free of charge and there will be no need to send back your old one! He was unable however to confirm whether or not they would be of a higher capacity or not.

That’s awesome news… Still, I’ll believe it when I see it! Keeping my fingers crossed over here for this to come true!

Labels: android, Gphone, T-Mobile

And again about Google’s Android, which is attracting more and more device manufacturers. Garmin is next in the line, which prepares to develop Android based devices in 2009.

Marketing director of Garmin in the Asia-Pacific region, Tony An, reported interesting details about plans for next year. First, the company representative said Garmin is scheduling release of smartphone Garmin Nuvifone. In the second quarter of 2009, the long-awaited Nuvifone will be at least available in the Taiwan market. Recall that Garmin has announced it earlier this year.

In addition, Garmin is working on other smartphones at this time based on Android. Garmin plans to start production of the first Android-smartphone during the second half of the next year.

As with the Nuvifone, which manufacturer is ASUStek, the production of Android based smartphone will be done by another company, although the development will be done by Garmin.
Details about the specifications of future new devices are not yet known.

Labels: android, Gphone

Loopt announced that its service is launching today to consumers through the Android Market, Google’s new mobile application store. Loopt users can share their location between carrier networks with fellow Loopt users on AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Boost, MetroPCS and T-Mobile.

The Android version offers all the core Loopt features including background location updating which enables users to receive alerts when a friend is nearby. Users can also switch between map modes for a satellite view of their friend map or to monitor traffic delays. Beyond sharing their location and status information with friends via phones, Loopt users can also easily share their information with popular Web services such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter or personal blogs and Web sites.

“From the start, our goal has been to build a ubiquitous interoperable network in which customers don’t have to worry about who has what provider or mobile device,” said Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of Loopt. “This focus is combined with a commitment to delivering compelling consumer location services and effective privacy standards.”

Labels: android, Gphone

Since its launch as a private beta test on December 1st 2008, geo-localised social network and micro-blogging mobile application BuddyMob has reached the top 5 on the Android Market in the social category. To date, the BuddyMob beta trial has experienced over 10,000 download requests and currently has more than 5,118 active community members. Free to use, BuddyMob is ad-funded by using a combination of location-based advertising and adverts served according to a user’s profile.

Acting as a social network and instant messenger integrator, BuddyMob allows users to:

* Post a range of text and geo-tagged multimedia content to their live feed
* Simultaneously cross post to all their favourite social sites
* Keep up to date with friends’ live feeds from other social networks such as Twitter
* Chat to friends using the complete integration with instant messenger applications such as MSN and GoogleTalk
* Find out where friends are and what they are doing using GoogleMaps
* Receive location alerts when friends are close

Available on Android-enabled phones, BuddyMob currently integrates with Twitter, MSN, GoogleTalk and Jabber. The company is currently working on integrating other IM services and many more social networks such as AIM ahead of commercial deployment.

Labels: android, Gphone

Google has figured it is time to no longer keep its G1 users or fans waiting, and has released an unlocked version of the device that works using any kind of GSM card. The Android Dev Phone 1, as it is now called, is the SIM and hardware unblocked version of the G1, and the first Android device of its kind.

To further explain the pluses of this new appearance, any G1 fan who felt constrained in any way by T-Mobile's version is now “free” because, by purchasing this version, they will not have to wait that long and terribly annoying period of time in order to receive the unlocking code from T-Mobile. In addition, the bootloader for this model is no longer restricted, and that can also mean good news for other markets that could not distribute the device until now.

This decision was probably taken by Google since its competitors were breathing down its neck and it seemed to have fallen a little behind. Thus, this move is meant to boost sales for Google, especially since there are plenty of users who did not purchase the G1 simply because of T-Mobile's “blockage.”

Nonetheless, even if this is surely to be regarded as good news, there is still a catch, and that is the Android market site. Since it was officially designed for developers, to order the Android Dev Phone 1, you must first register yourself as an Android developer on the site, as already noted, and only then will you be able to purchase one.

Google has announced it for 18 countries, including US, UK, Germany, Japan, India, Canada, France, Taiwan, Spain, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Poland, and Hungary, for a price tag that will go up to somewhere around $399. This seems a pretty long list, but it is likely it will only get longer once more customers register as developers and demand will be high in other regions as well.

Labels: android, Gphone

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

Having an application compatible with the iPhone or the Android handsets has become every company’s most powerful dream. You have to run on Android to exist, you just have to! To prove my point, I’ll tell you that another Web-based Instant Messaging service, Meebo, is now available for Google’s Android platform, thanks to a Meebo for Android application.

Therefore, Meebo, the Web’s live communication platform, announced the launch of Meebo for Android, an instant messaging application that brings free and open communication to T-Mobile G1, the world’s first Android-powered mobile phone. Meebo for Android provides a simple “on the go” instant messaging experience for anyone with a Meebo account, or an account on one of the popular IM services, like Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, AIM and so on. The application will be available as a download through the phone via the Android Market.

Meebo for Android includes: access to all of your IM accounts through a single login and single buddy list, a fun and simple IM experience that’s similar to using meebo.com on your PC and real-time notifications, meaning that alerts of new IMs are pushed to the status bar even when Meebo runs in the background.

“We are excited to provide Meebo users and Android enthusiasts with a new way to connect live with their friends”, said Seth Sternberg, founder and CEO, Meebo. “Enabling access to Meebo on the go means that more and more people will think ‘Meebo’ for open communications whether they are at their home, work, school or none of the above!”.

The T-Mobile G1 is the world’s first Android-based mobile phone, which combines full touchscreen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience. With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the T-Mobile G1 is also the first phone to provide access to Android Market, where customers can find and download unique applications to expand and personalize their phone.

To get Meebo for Android, just go to the AndroidMarket via your handset, search for “Meebo” and download the application.

Labels: Gphone

Like the one we already have for Apple iPhone, ZAGG, the well-known provider of protective film coverings for personal electronics, is now shipping the invisibleSHIELD for the new T-Mobile G1 Android, the first phone to run on Google’s Android operating system.

Transparent and thin, the invisibleSHIELD perfectly matches the shape of every device, providing unparalleled scratch protection. Made from a patented adhesive film exclusive to ZAGG for the purpose of protecting high-performance electronic devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, gaming devices and laptops, ZAGG’s invisibleSHIELD for the G1 is now available through multiple retail outlets or on the official website of the company.

“The complex shape and design of the G1 necessitate a specific kind of protection”, said Robert G. Pedersen II, President and CEO of ZAGG. In addition, “the invisibleSHIELD is custom-designed to protect the full body of the G1 without interfering with functionality or touchscreen sensitivity. The G1 is a significant advancement in smartphone technology and it deserves the most advanced protection. Unlike bulky cases that offer inadequate protection, the invisibleSHIELD is the most durable way to scratch-proof any device, while preserving the original, sleek design”.

The ultra-tough material used to create the invisibleSHIELD was originally utilized by the US military to protect helicopter blades from all sorts of external factors such as wind, sand and the wear and tear of high-speed travel. Therefore, combining this military-grade scratch protection with precision-cut designs, the invisibleSHIELD, backed by a lifetime guarantee, allows customers to use their electronics without the fear of scratches or nicks. This way, if it ever does wear or scratch, the company will replace it for free, for the life of your device. On the other hand, if you want to remove the invisibleSHIELD, you should experience no problem, as it comes off clean and leaves no sticky residue. Being just 2 millimeters thick, this is the slimmest G1 skin or G1 cover of its kind.

ZAGG’s invisibleSHIELD is now available through multiple retail stores and on the official website of the company. You can purchase it for $19.96 for full body coverage and $11.96 for screen coverage only.

Labels: Gphone

EA Mobile today announced the development of two games for the T-Mobile G1. Tetris is available today and Bejeweled and MONOPOLY Here & Now Edition will become available in November. All three games will be available in the United States for purchase and download directly from www.eamobile.com.

Tetris

The global hit Tetris comes to Android! A touch screen lets you spin, flick and move Minos in three challenging modes. Clear lines and rows as fast as you can to rack up a big score in thrilling 40 Lines mode. Race against the clock to earn points in action packed Ultra mode. See how long you can survive as the Minos rain down faster and faster in Marathon mode. Experience dazzling colors and animations, and entertaining music and sound effects as you complete level after level. Take on the challenge of Tetris.

Bejeweled

The Android version of the best gem-swapping puzzle game features touch screen controls that let you line up sparkling diamonds, gleaming sapphires, twinkling rubies and more in both portrait and landscape displays. Play until no more rows or columns of gems are possible in Classic mode. Or players can race against the clock on their mission to fill the progress bar and advance to the next level in Action mode.

MONOPOLY Here & Now Edition

Build a real estate empire! Play MONOPOLY Here & Now Edition on Android, the world-popular board game - now updated with a modern twist. Touch the screen to control the game. Buy and sell properties like Waikiki Beach, Fenway Park, and more. Dynamic animated tokens include a hybrid car, a mobile phone, and a labradoodle. Demonstrate your trading savvy as you buy, sell, and put your competitors out of business. Compete to win all the MONOPOLY cash!

Labels: Game, Gphone

Skoot today announced that its mobile application, iSkoot for Skype, is launching in the Android Market. iSkoot’s solution supports the Skype Software, offering Android users on any cellular network the ability to make Skype-to-Skype calls on their mobile phone. It is not free though, see the cost listing in detail after the jump.

Making a Skype-to-Skype call: Airtime + A little bit of Data
When you call a Skype contact on your mobile phone, it costs the same as making a local call - so depending on your mobile calling plan, normal airtime charges may apply. Once you’re connected to the Skype network, your call works like a regular voice call from your phone. (iSkoot does NOT connect the call using the cellular data channel.) iSkoot also uses a small amount of data to keep the status of your contacts updated.

Making a SkypeOut call: Airtime + Standard SkypeOut Rates + A little bit of Data
When making a SkypeOut call using iSkoot, the same basic costs apply as making a Skype-to-Skype call noted above (which means that normal airtime charges may apply, plus some data to keep contact status information updated). In addition, Skype charges the applicable SkypeOut connection rates to connect the call to a regular telephone line, just as they would if the SkypeOut call originated from your PC.

Receiving a Skype Call: Airtime + Skype Mobile Call Forwarding Rates + A little bit of Data
When you receive an incoming Skype call on your mobile phone, the same basic costs apply as making a Skype-to-Skype call noted above (which means that normal airtime charges may apply, plus some data to keep contact status information updated). In addition, your SkypeOut account will be charged at Skype’s call forwarding rates for mobile numbers.

Using Skype Text Chat: A little bit of Data + Some SMS Messages
When you use Skype text chat on your mobile phone, the service uses your data connection to exchange messages with your chat buddies. In order to notify you immediately when a new chat message is received, iSkoot may send the software on your phone a special SMS message telling it to retrieve the newest message from the server. (Any special chat-related SMS messages won’t clog up your Inbox, either!)

Labels: Gphone, skype

If you are needing a soft keyboard for your new T-Mobile G1, Android has released a roadmap which include the soft keyboard feature on Q1 2009. When the Input method framework and Input method engines is complete, you will be able to use the soft keyboad from Android, plus application developers can develop new soft keyboard application for the Android OS.

Android Q1 2009 roadmap:

Input method framework (IMF)
This feature will enable support for input methods other than physical keyboards, for example soft keyboards. IMF will also enable application developers to provide IME (see below) applications based on the framework.Input method engines (IME)
IME will support soft keyboards, a dictionary of suggestions, and a suggestion algorithm. The Android platform may contain few reference IMEs, and developers can provide IME applications through the Android Market.

Labels: Gphone

T-Mobile today announces the T-Mobile G1 will be available in the UK from 30 October. Exclusive to T-Mobile, the G1 comes with full touch screen functionality plus a QWERTY keyboard for easy online communication, high speed internet with popular Google services already on board, and access to innovative application downloads from the new Android Market. According to the company, there are already 25,000 UK consumers pre-registered their interest in the device.

The G1 is available for free on T-Mobile Combi and Flext price plans from £40 a month, including unlimited fast mobile internet browsing powered by T-Mobile’s award-winning network. Combi 35 offers 800 minutes and unlimited texts while Flext 40 gives up to 1,250 minutes or up to 2,500 texts or any mix of the two.

The T-Mobile G1 Features:

* Available in two colours black and white
* GPS and compass
* Rich HTML email client which seamlessly synchs email with POP3 or IMAP services
* 3.5G (HSDPA/HSUPA) and Wi-Fi connectivity
* 3 Mega pixel camera
* MP3 music player
* Pre-installed 2 GB Micro SD memory card (device supports up to an 8 GB card)
* Bluetooth-enabled
* Up to 130 hours standby and up to 5 hours talk time
* Dimensions: 117.7 x 55.7 x 26.5 mm
* Weight: 158g

Labels: Gphone, HTC, T-Mobile

If Google’s ambitions for its recently-launched Android smartphone operating system are fully realized, the new OS will represent a tipping point in attitudes towards the whole concept of a smartphone. This tectonic shift will affect consumers, handset manufacturers and, most critically, mobile network operators.

According to ABI Research director Kevin Burden, “If Android is to become the ubiquitous mobile phone platform that Google and the Open Handset Alliance hope it will be, it will be because operators and handset OEMs recognize the value to their own business models of using standard platforms, not because wireless subscribers clamor for feature-rich phones, much less an Android-based phone.”

The current smartphone market accounts for only 14% of worldwide handsets. That doesn’t help Google’s aspirations to have a platform used by a wide population to whom they can market their services. Google needs to convince handset manufacturers to replace the real-time operating systems that now power the majority of mobile phones. In the smartphone market of the future, users won’t always be aware of what they’re buying: they will buy simply because they’re in the market for a phone, not specifically a smartphone.

The challenge is to convince operators that having more phones in their lineups and more subscribers using those phones based on standardized operating systems is good for them. Standardization delivers easier manageability at the technical level and greater ease in marketing services to all their subscribers.

“The smartphone market has been moving in this direction for some time now,” Burden continues. “If Android is a success, it may be the tipping point that marks the start of a profound change in the smartphone market.”

Labels: Gphone

T-Mobile announced the international launch of the world’s first Android powered mobile phone in partnership with Google. Available soon only for T-Mobile customers spanning two continents, the T-Mobile G1 cell phone combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes the popular Google products that millions have enjoyed on the desktop, including Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube and others. The T-Mobile G1 is the first phone to offer access to Android Market, which hosts unique applications and mash ups of existing and new services from developers around the world.

T-Mobile G1

"We are proud that T-Mobile is the first operator in the world to launch an Android-powered mobile device," said Christopher Schläffer, group product and innovation officer of Deutsche Telekom. "Since 2005, Google has been an established partner in T-Mobile's groundbreaking approach to bringing the open mobile Internet to the mass market. With the T-Mobile G1, we are continuing our strong tradition of being pioneers in the world of the open Internet." Cole Brodman, chief technology and innovation officer, T-Mobile USA, said, "The Internet and the mobile phone are both indispensable tools for our hectic lives, but only a fraction of us access the Web on our phones. The T-Mobile G1 is our opportunity in the U.S. to accelerate the mass adoption of the mobile Web, by unleashing Google innovation with a unique software experience that mobilizes the Google services hundreds of millions of consumers rely on every day."

TMobile G1 navigation

Delivering the Familiarity of Google for a Superior Mobile Internet Experience:
The T-Mobile G1 with Google delivers a premium, easy-to-use mobile Web and communications experience in one device. Working together, T-Mobile, Google and HTC integrated Android and T-Mobile services into the phone's form and function. The T-Mobile G1's vibrant, high-quality screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, great for communicating with friends online or using the phone's e-mail, IM and mobile messaging capabilities. As another option for accessing the device, the T-Mobile G1 comes equipped with a convenient trackball for more precise, one-handed navigation.

Google Maps Street View

With Google Maps, Google's groundbreaking maps service, T-Mobile G1 users can instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business and get driving directions, all from the phone's easy-to-use touch interface. The T-Mobile G1 also includes Google Maps Street View, allowing customers to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go. Without taking a step, customers can tour a far-away place as if they were there - standing on the street corner. Even better, the Google Maps feature syncs with the built-in compass on the phone - an industry first - to allow users to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with their hand. Google Maps Street View is available today in many U.S. locations and soon in European countries.

HTC Mobile Android handset

"T-Mobile, Google and HTC share a similar vision for making the mobile Internet practical, relevant and fun," said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corp. "The T-Mobile G1 represents the culmination of this vision by offering a variety of services, applications and content that introduces an Internet experience that everyone can enjoy. We are honored to be joining T-Mobile and Google today for this historic unveiling of the T-Mobile G1." With one-click contextual search, T-Mobile G1 customers in a flash can search for relevant information with a touch of a finger. A full HTML Web browser allows users to see any Web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on the screen. With built-in support for T-Mobile's 3G and EDGE network as well as Wi-Fi, the T-Mobile G1 can connect to the best available high-speed data connection for surfing the Web and downloading information quickly and effortlessly.

T-Mobile G1 smartphone with Android OS

The TMobile G1 Android based mobile phone features a rich HTML e-mail client, which seamlessly syncs your e-mail, calendar and contacts from Gmail as well as most other POP3 or IMAP e-mail services. The T-Mobile G1 multitasks, so you can read a Web page while also downloading your e-mail in the background. It combines Instant Messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger in the U.S. With access to high-speed Web browsing and a 3-megapixel camera with photo-sharing capabilities, the T-Mobile G1 is ideal for balancing a busy lifestyle, whether sharing pictures, checking the latest sports scores or accessing social networking sites.

Wi-Fi and 3G connection support

Customers can use the T-Mobile G1's 3G and Wi-Fi connection to attach and share pictures over email and MMS or download music from their favorite Web sites, and soon, upload and post pictures to their personal blog. Built-in support for YouTube allows customers to enjoy YouTube's originally-created content, easily navigate through YouTube's familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos.

TMobile G1 music support

The T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with a new application developed by Amazon.com that gives customers easy access to Amazon MP3, Amazon.com's digital music download store with more than 6 million DRM-free MP3 tracks. Using the new application, T-Mobile G1 customers are able to search, sample, purchase and download music from Amazon MP3 directly to their device (downloading music from Amazon MP3 using the T-Mobile G1 requires a Wi-Fi connection; searching, sampling and purchasing music can be done anywhere with a cellular connection). The T-Mobile G1 will be the first device with the Amazon MP3 mobile application pre-loaded.

Android Market

With just a couple of short clicks, customers can find and download a wide range of innovative software applications - from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping - to personalize their phone and enhance their mobile lifestyle. When the T-Mobile G1 cell phone launches next month, dozens of unique, first-of-a-kind Android applications will be available for download on Android Market.

T-Mobile G1 price & availability

With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the TMobile G1 is also the first phone to provide access to Android Market, where customers can find and download unique applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle. T-Mobile customers in the U.S. have the opportunity to pre-order the T-Mobile G1 cellular, in limited quantities, beginning today and be among the first to experience this game-changing phone. The device will be available at select T-Mobile retail stores and online in the U.S. beginning Oct. 22, for a price of $179 with a two-year voice and data agreement. The T-Mobile G1 smartphone will also be available in the United Kingdom beginning in November, and across Europe in the first quarter of 2009. The countries include Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

Labels: Gphone, HTC

The first phone that harnesses Google Inc.'s ambition to make the Internet easy to use on the go was revealed Tuesday, and it looks a lot like an iPhone.
T-Mobile USA showed off the G1, a phone that, like Apple Inc.'s iPhone, has a large touch screen. But it also packs a trackball, a slide-out keyboard and easy access to Google's e-mail and mapping programs.

T-Mobile said it will begin selling the G1 for $179 with a two-year contract. The device hits U.S. stores Oct. 22 and heads to Britain in November and other European countries early next year.
The phone will be sold in T-Mobile stores only in the U.S. cities where the company has rolled out its faster, third-generation wireless data network. By launch, that will be 21 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Miami.

In other areas, people will be able to buy the phone from T-Mobile's Web site. The phone does work on T-Mobile's slower data network, but it's optimized for the faster networks. It can also connect at Wi-Fi hotspots.

The data plan for the phone will cost $25 per month on top of the calling service, at the low end of the range for data plans at U.S. wireless carriers. And at $179, the G1 is $20 less than the least expensive iPhone in the U.S.

Android, the free software powering the G1, is a crucial building block in Google's efforts to make its search engine and other services as accessible on cell phones as they already are on personal computers. The company believes it eventually might make more money selling ads that get shown on mobile devices than on PCs, a channel that will generate about $20 billion in revenue this year.

Both Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. also are investing heavily in the mobile market in hopes of preventing Google from extending the dominance it enjoys in searches initiated on PCs.

In an interview, Google co-founder Sergey Brin said Google's aims are broader than mobile advertising.

"Generally, we think if there are great (operating systems) out there that let people have great devices and great applications, people use the Internet on their phones much more," Brin said at the launch event in New York. "And whenever people use the Internet more, they end up using our services, and ultimately, that's good for our business. There's no secret plan to have ads pop up or anything."

Like the iPhone, the G1 has a high-resolution screen, making it easier to browse Web sites that haven't been specifically adapted for a cell phone. Unlike the iPhone, Research in Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerrys and most other high-end smart phones sold in the U.S., the G1 has a very limited ability to connect to corporate e-mail servers. That means the device's initial market is likely to be consumers.

On the face of it, the G1 doesn't do much that other high-end phones don't already do. But Google is counting the device unleashing the creativity of software developers, who are free to write applications for it.

"There aren't a lot of 'wow' features on it. I think what we can expect from it is that it's going to be a good Internet phone," said Lance Ulanoff, editor-in-chief of PC Magazine.

Developers will be able to submit applications to an online store run by Google, which will apply minimal vetting.

"The key is going to be what app developers are going to do for it," said Ross Rubin, an analyst with NPD Group. "They didn't have a lot to show today."

Apple launched a similar store for the iPhone this year, but keeps much tighter control over what applications are available. It has blocked programs that compete with its own.

The G1 won't connect to Apple's iTunes store, but one of the initial applications will be a music store from Amazon.com Inc., which will let users download songs directly to the phone. In an unusual move for a mobile-phone music store, the songs will have no copy protection.

Brin himself has written an application for the phone.

"It's just very exciting for me as a computer geek to be able to have a phone that I can play with and modify and innovate upon just like I have with computers in the past," he said.

Brin's program uses the phone's built-in motion sensor to measure how long it takes for the phone to land when tossed into the air. He acknowledged that the wisdom of including such a program with an expensive phone is dubious.

"We did not include that one by default," he said.

Labels: Gphone

First came the fervent and persistent rumours of a Google mobile phone.

Then, just six short weeks ago, the search supremo (and just-about-everything-else-online supremo) announced there would not be a ‘Google phone' per se, but rather dozens of them from a raft of mobile manufacturers, and all built on an open Linux-based mobile phone platform named Android.

Now things are picking up steam, with Gizmodo posting a snap of one of the rumoured score of prototype phones circulating around the Googleplex and in the r&d labs of the mobile makers.

The device looks very much like it's been cobbled together from existing chassis designs by Taiwan's HTC, which is responsible for a estimated 80% of the world's Windows Mobile smartphones (not just under its own brand but through badge-engineering for dozens of carriers and exclusive OEM/ODM contracts with several tech companies).

(HTC is also one of the leading partners in the Open Handset Alliance, which Google created as a hothouse for Android -- the consortium's roster of 34 tech companies also includes handset makers Samsung, Motorola and LG.)

And yes, this big drab-looking device is dog ugly - but this isn't a slick made-for-media concept phone, it's merely a functional prototype on which the developers and engineers can tinker (and we all know that as rule, they're not big on elegant design).

Right now, it's what sits inside the phone that is most important. You can bet that if Google's handset partners lift the covers on their Android phones during the Mobile World Congress expo, which kicks off on February 11th in Barcelona - or if Google itself trots out a flock of phones to impress this annual powerhouse gathering of the global mobile industry (the company has booked two stands on the expo floor) - that these will be shiny snazzy models endowed with a very high ‘cool' factor.

None the less, they'll still be concept models to capture and ignite the attention of the market, the media and the public at large. Android isn't expected to hit 1.0 stage until the second half of 2008, so right now it's still a work in progress.

What we already now about Android is that its foundation is the Linux 2.6 kernel, onto which Google has assembled sufficient components to create a phone-centric OS.

A lean, clean look: Android's UI presents a horizontally-scrolling 'carousel' of icons which is similar to the small-screen look of Intel's concept MID devices
With a small icon selection strip running across the foot of the screen the UI looks somewhat similar to that of prototype mobile internet devices from Intel's ultra-mobile platform, as both are designed with very small screens in mind.

In that regard, Android's interface also takes some cues from the Sidekick and Hiptop family of devices. This is not surprising, considering that the one of the founders of Android (which Google acquired in July 2005) is Andy Rubin, who also founded Danger, the company behind the Sidekick/Hiptop line. Rubin now leads the Android team.

A demo of Android posted on YouTube's Android Developer Channel shows the top level UI menu, in which the user scrolls horizontally through a carousel of icons to launch the relevant application. However, later iterations could spawn limited sub-menus, so that a generic mail icon could contains the selections for email and SMS/MMS messaging, or a ‘chat' icon could include SMS/MMS plus the instant message client.

Something to talk about: this screengrab from Google's YouTube demo of Android shows how incoming SMS and chat messages appear in speech bubbles at the top of the screenThe inbuilt browser is based on the Apple-developed WebKit open source project which underpins the iPhone's impressive implementation of Safari. As a result, Web pages viewed on Android appear with the same fidelity as if viewed on a full-blown desktop client.

History comes alive: Android's browser shows its history of recently-visited Web pages as thumbnail images of each pageThe demo also shows an innovative ‘visual history' that represents recently-visited sites not as a test list but a series of thumbnail images of the actual pages you viewed.

Android also appears capable of some sweet graphics, with Open GL software to provide basic 3D capabilities out of the box plus hardware acceleration if the device is fitted with a graphics processor chip.

Gaming a la Google phone: Who needs Snake when you can play Quake? Android includes a software 3D engine and also supports hardware-based GPU accelerationThe YouTube video showcases smooth rendering and manipulation of a ‘virtual Earth' globe in Android's world time applet, then hammers home the point with a quick demo of Quake running on Android. And with NVIDIA having also signed up to the Open Handset Alliance, you can bet that Android's graphics capabilities will come in for plenty of attention.

Google Maps on the move: as you'd expect, Android plays nicely with all Google services such as Google Maps
Central to the Android architecture is the SQL Lite database engine, which is made available to all applications - it could also be worth noting that SQL Lite is used for Google Gears, the offline implementation of online-only Web apps.

While open source provides the heart of Android, its brain is a surprisingly modest ARM 9-series processor running at 200MHz. By way of comparison, the BlackBerry Pearl and Curve run a 312MHz processor, Nokia's flagship smartphones hover around 300-350MHz, the Motorola RAZR2 beefs up with a 500MHZ chip while the iPhone packs a 620MHz engine.

The ARM processor is also the x86 of the mobile phone landscape, being used by most mobile makers, so it makes perfect sense for the OHA to set this as the processing platform for Android.

However, given that Intel is a member of the OHA and in June 2006 offloaded its own ARM-based XScale PXA silicon to Marvell (also an OHA signatory), we expect Intel will push to put its forthcoming Menlow 2008 and Moorestown 2010 mobile device platforms on the Android menu.

While designed from the ground up for small low-power devices, both run Intel's IA architecture and thus come with an army of developers primed to churn out software. The OHA would be unlikely to axe ARM, but could easily broaden the Android spec to include Intel's silicon would provide manufacturers with a choice of chips.

Bu that's all in the future, and right now the job is getting to Android 1.0. Central to that is the Android software development kit, which allows programmers to start coding.

Google has added a small incentive: a cool US$10m in prize-money for the best Android apps!

The first stage of the Android Developer Challenge, running from January 2nd to March 3rd 2008, will see "the 50 most promising entries... that make use of Android's capabilities to deliver a better mobile experience" score a US$25,000 handout "to fund further development". As the apps come into fruition, Google will dole out 20 follow-up awards, ten of US$275,000 and ten of US$100,000.

Android comes to life: the SDK's emulator shows how an app will look and work on an Android phoneThe SDK itself runs on Windows XP and Vista, Mac OS 10.4.8 and up, and Ubuntu 6.06 ‘Dapper Drake' or later (although the SDK site notes that ‘other modern distributions of Linux will also likely work but are not directly supported'). It includes an Android emulator so that developers can now see what their apps will look like when running on an Android device, with a choice of screens sizes and form factors.

So if you're a programmer stuck for something to do over the Christmas / New Year break, try your hand at crafting an application for Android - it could just net you anywhere from US$25,000 to a cool US$275,000!
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Labels: Gphone

The last year has seen a great deal of speculation about Google introducing a mobile phone onto the market. In the last few months, it has become fairly clear that Google would not in fact be releasing a mobile phone - but instead was creating an open source mobile phone operating system that would integrate fully with Google's existing services and offer developers the ability to create a wide array of applications for mobile phones.

In a video released yesterday, Sergey Brin and Steve Horowitz of Google introduce the new operating system called 'Android' and confirm the fact that Google won't be releasing a "Google Phone" or a "gPhone". Instead, any phone that can run the Android operating system can be a Google phone.

The Android SDK is now available for download by developers. As Google explains in their introductory video (below), they expect the true potential of Android to be brought forth by developers around the world, instead of by Google themselves. To help facilitate such, Google is kicking off an Android development contest - best application takes home 10 million dollars.

View the video to learn more and see Android in action. You'll even see a few features in Android that will remind you of the iPhone (especially the browser and to little surprise, Google Maps).

Labels: Gphone

There have been rumors flying around about a Google Phone for the longest time and many people are saying that the actual handset will be produced not by the search engine giant, but by a third party manufacturer already known for creating some rebadged wonders. And now, there's even more fodder to substantiate that rumor.

A UBS analyst is reporting that HTC is set to ship "about 50,000" cell phones running on a Google-developed mobile operating system. And the shipment will happen before Santa makes his rounds at the end of this year. As you recall, the HTC-produced google Phone will be running a mobile variant of Linux, hopped up with a bunch of Google software. Between 3 and 5 HTC devices have been seen running Google's mobile OS.

Interestingly, this first batch of GooglePhones will not be destined for the marketplace. Instead, the 50,000 units "are going to be available for developers only to understand how the software works." A commercial unit may be ready sometime in 2008.

Hopefully, more information will be revealed at Google's analyst event on October 24th.

Labels: Gphone, HTC