With Samsung we see another major phone manufacturer entering the market of Android phones. The phone is gonna be released at O2 Germany in June ’09.
Not too long ago we wrote about T-Mobile USA G2 shots that were found on the web. Now the German news channel N-TV reports on their website that the HTC Magic will be released tomorrow (April 24th, 2009). The phone will cost just €1 in combination with a 2-year contract where you pay €25 – €120 per month depending on which terms and services you subscribe to.
Website: T-Mobile Germany
I just found this article on a German news site. It says, a new Android powered Notebook just appeared on a Chinese website. It looks like this:
The technical data of this notebook reads as followed:
| Model Name | Alpha 680 |
| Operating System | google android |
| Display | 7“ TFT LCD true color |
| LCD resolution | 800 x 480( WVGA) |
| Internet Connection (Optional) | ADSL, WiFi,（ GPRS, CDMA,EDGE,WCDMA） |
| Memory | 128MB DDR2 (up to 256MB Optional) |
| Solid-State Disk | 1 GB Nand Flash Memory (up to 4GB Optional) |
| CPU | ARM11 533 MHz 32bit |
| LAN / Connection | 10/100 MB Ethernet ; RJ-45 |
| Wireless | Built-in WiFi |
| Media | Support MPEG1/2/4,H.263,H.264,WMV9 |
| USB Output | USB 2.0 x 2 |
| Media Storage | SD/MMC card slot ( support SDHC) |
| Input Device | 80 Key standard keyboard; Capacitive TouchPad |
As it is supposed to be used by kids, the artwork can also look a bit more funny:
Website: Skytone Alpha 680
More Chinese companies with Android products:
Update 2009-04-28: Golem.de and Internetnews.com report this device will cost $250. Pretty cheap!
Just some days ago we wrote about the Dream G2 Phone “Made in China” that looks like Android but isn’t one.
On that same show I took a flyer with their product showcase and it listed not just the fake Android phone. Bluelans actually plans to publish a real Android powered mobile phone in July 2009. At least that’s what they told me. I am not sure if they can hold their roadmap and release but it would be great to have another Android on the market! When I saw the fake one I first thought: “Why don’t they just take the free Android OS and put it on a phone rather than using a crappy Chinese OS and lots of programmers to wirte a fake Android User Interface?
Anyway, here is the data of the upcoming N12 SciPhone from Bluelans; if it will ever be released:
Here you can download the original scanned Flyer which I took from the fair: N12 SciPhone with real Android OS Flyer.
A Chinese company called “Shenzhen Bluelans Communication Co., Ltd.” showed a mobile phone on their HK Electronics Fair booth called “Dream G2″:
I was checking this out and the user interface actually looks like Android, it works like Android and even the programs look like Android. However, it is NOT Android. I also took a flyer and here is the data sheet:
While the phone has GPRS/EDGE, WiFi a camera, email access, audio/video support, instant messangers, an FM radio as well as support Java applications; the interesting point in there is “Google Android style user interface”.
Price: HK$1,000 (US$130)
Website: www.mysciphone.com
TmoNews just reported: “HTC Magic Passes FCC for T-mobile USA!”.
This looks very similar to the HTC Magic that was presented by HTC and Vodafone. So I guess the specifications are the same and there is just a T-Mobile branding instead of a Vodafone branding on the phone. Though Vodafone already announced the HTC Magic – I haven’t seen it in stores yet. If you have seen it, please leave us a comment or even a picture taken with your G1 
I know I have to get up and write some more about the actual Android software development – that’s where this blog has its name from – by the way. I will definitely do some more on this front soon. Stay tuned folks!
Android Phone from Huawei
About a week ago Huawei announced an Android powered phone at the Mobile World Congress ’09. Huawei is not really known outside of China except as a mobile infrastructure provider. Though many people outside the People’s Republic do not know that brand, everyone in China knows it. Being the biggest mobile phone market (more that 400 mio. mobile subscribers) speaks for itself. The phone itself looks like a direct iPhone copy but with a good OS
Android on ASUS Eee PC
Besides the Chinese dudes I just read from other (free) Chinese dudes in Taiwan over at ASUS. They are working on a custom version of Android to run it on their Eee PCs which come with Windows XP right now. Google’s Carolyn Penner said that Android hasn’t been designed for phone exclusively. It is rather been intended to run on any kind of mobile device – this would include the Eee PC as well. Especially on such extreme mobile device it is quite important to use as less resources as possible. Microsoft’s Windows – no matter if it is XP, Vista or even WM Mobile – was never really fast.
HTC Magic w/o SIM Lock
I just found: HTC confirmed that the Vodafone / HTC Magic will not come with a SIM Lock like the T-Mobile G1. This is good news!
Besides the missing keyboard the specifications are about the same like the G1 has.
HTC Magic Specifications
| Processor | Qualcomm® MSM7201a™, 528 MHz |
| Operating System | Android |
| Memory | ROM: 512 MB RAM: 192 MB |
| Dimensions | 113 x 55 x 13.65 mm ( 4.45 x 2.17 x 0.54 inches) |
| Weight | 118.5 grams ( 4.18 ounces) with battery |
| Display | 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320×480 HVGA resolution |
| Network | HSDPA/WCDMA:
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
(Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.) |
| Device Control | Trackball with Enter button |
| GPS | Internal GPS antenna |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one) |
| Camera | 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus |
| Audio supported formats | AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC-LC, MIDI, OGG |
| Video supported formats | MP4, 3GP |
| Battery | Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery Capacity: 1340 mAh Talk time:
Standby time:
(The above are subject to network and phone usage.) |
| Expansion Slot | microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible) |
| AC Adapter | Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 47/63 Hz DC output: 5V and 1A |
| Special Features | G-sensor Digital Compass |
Website: HTC Magic – powered by Android
It seems to be just a rumor, but Dell is supposed to start selling its own smartphones. Golem is reporting that they have been working on their own smartphones for a year now. The Dell cell (kind of a nice rhyme, huh?) has been designed on the basis of Windows Mobile and Android. of course, we would prefer Android as we need more Android-powered devices to run our apps on, right?
Sorry for my creative phase today, but I made a bit of a collage how such a phone might look like. Take a look on the right for a collage.
The T-Mobile G1 mobile phone will be available in Germany in February. Compared to the already selling G1 phone in the USA this German version will not have much new features. Well, it will support German language localization for all pre-loaded application – I guess. Also the keyboard will be German-typical QWERTZ instead of the English QWERTY standard.
Over 700 applications are already available on the Android Market which gives this nifty device a great argument for using it. As there are only free applications allowed by now, all of those 700 applications can be downloaded for free. Though you can already (prepare to) make money with apps on the Android Market.
Germany is huge player in IT in the world and the biggest Android Development Forum by now – http://www.anddev.org/ – is run by a German (university student afaik). Hopefully, the availibility of the G1 in Germany will bring a boost to app development.
Presentation Video:
Sources:
