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[Jugendstil]

Hero on Verizon? See ya, AT&T ghetto.

 

[Pimpwerx]

TMO just pushed Donut down to my MyTouch. Seems snappier so far, but I had to disable my HTC touchpro keyboard since it wasn't working properly.

Where you at? You got it a full day after I did. I'm with T-Mo in Miami, FL. It's a bit more responsive. Nothing like going from the 3G to the 3GS, but it'll do.

Also, am I the only person that can't get T-Mobile's My Account app to run properly? It force stops/closes all the time. It did so with 1.5, and now with 1.6. I uninstalled it again. PEACE.

 

[SimleuqiR]

Dell’s Android phone is coming to the U.S.

Remember the Dell Mini 3i, Dell’s China-only Android phone? Well it’s not China-only anymore.

Rumor has it that Dell will bring the Mini 3i to the U.S. in the next few months to compete with other Android phones coming down the pike from HTC, Samsung, and Motorola.

The phone, presumably still in its Chinese trade dress, felt “cheap and plasticky, like the Pre,” according our tipster. He believes it will be upgraded for the American market.

The phone has better hardware than the Chinese version and a slightly better camera – probably 5-megapixel over the Chinese 3-megapixel. It is slimmer than the iPhone and the interface mimics, as seen from this photo, the iPhone’s icon-based launcher UI.

Interestingly, Dell is splintering the Android stack and shipping the phone with modified or missing Android libraries, making it a bit harder to program. The tipster reported that some apps won’t work on this version.

Dell hasn’t sold a smartphone since the Axim X51, an ill-fated WinMo PDA-alike last sold in 2007. This return to the smartphone market seems to be a direct attack on the WinMo architecture as Dell could have easily gone with something like Windows Mobile 6.5.

We’ll have photos of the new phone this week but we’ll add this to our Palm Pre and Pixi announcements as interesting new phones from ostensibly U.S.-based companies.

It's a crazy time fro Google's Android. It's spreading like the common cold.
Not sure about the mimicking of the iPhone interface. I like that Moto and HTC have tried to come up with their own GUI.

 

[kiryogi]

Man, what happened so that Sonyericsson clock for android? I can't seem to find it on the marketplace at all or even with direct links D:

 

[Skittleguy]

Yay!

 

[Raistlin]

HTC Dragon Android Device incoming?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/htc-dragon-android-device-surfaces-in-firmware-build-could-pack/

1 GHz Snapdragon? 800x480? oh my god

I wonder what sort of battery life it will have though? I'm in a decent position tight now ... I don't owe my provider anything, and my Tilt is still running decent enough. I can wait a bit to see how things settle out.

 

[Raistlin]

This may actually need a new thread, I know how many people have posted here asking, begging for a Verizon Android handset. And if the leaked specs are anything close to true, this could be the best phone on the market, even including the iPhone. The amount of times such an event occurs is very, very low. This could be it for Android, the game-changing moment in tech history.

Are we ready?

Why is this automatically better than iPhone?


That said, I owe nothing to AT&T in terms of my contract, and will have FiOS soon ... so if I can get a bundle discount ... I'll take.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Why is this automatically better than iPhone?

WVGA screen, as thick as an iPhone but with both soft and hard keyboards, and it's on a much better network, to start. We won't know much more until it's officially announced.

 

[Raistlin]

WVGA screen, as thick as an iPhone but with both soft and hard keyboards, and it's on a much better network, to start. We won't know much more until it's officially announced.

Well, certainly it has a nicer screen, but I still have some reservations. We'll see.

Hard keys are nice, as a matter of fact I went with a Tilt instead of the original iPhone due to 3G and qwerty. I've been a big proponent of them ... but ... what I've come to realize however is that phone qwerty's don't seem to stand the test of time. A number of keys are sticking a bit; I suspect it's either due to dust behind the keyboard or from simply wearing out. I'm actually thinking I may prefer a touch in the future.

As for the network, yes that's true ... but we'll have to see how it pans out. No one can handle iPhone alone, and I suspect as stuff like Android proliferates, and if iPhone goes to other carriers ... all of them will start to have issues. At best, the damage will be spread out, but that means AT&T will be fine as well. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

The last reservation is simply regarding Android. It has HUGE potential, but at this point isn't quite up to iPhone from everything I've read. I hope it does catch up though, the more competition the better. As a matter of fact, there are a few particular apps I'm hoping will get ported ... particularly in the HT realm; Sonos and SqueezeBox remote control. If those show up on Android (plus a few others) ... I'll be quite happy.

 

[SimleuqiR]

Well, certainly it has a nicer screen, but I still have some reservations. We'll see.

Hard keys are nice, as a matter of fact I went with a Tilt instead of the original iPhone due to 3G and qwerty. I've been a big proponent of them ... but ... what I've come to realize however is that phone qwerty's don't seem to stand the test of time. A number of keys are sticking a bit; I suspect it's either due to dust behind the keyboard or from simply wearing out. I'm actually thinking I may prefer a touch in the future.

As for the network, yes that's true ... but we'll have to see how it pans out. No one can handle iPhone alone, and I suspect as stuff like Android proliferates, and if iPhone goes to other carriers ... all of them will start to have issues. At best, the damage will be spread out, but that means AT&T will be fine as well. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

The last reservation is simply regarding Android. It has HUGE potential, but at this point isn't quite up to iPhone from everything I've read. I hope it does catch up though, the more competition the better. As a matter of fact, there are a few particular apps I'm hoping will get ported ... particularly in the HT realm; Sonos and SqueezeBox remote control. If those show up on Android (plus a few others) ... I'll be quite happy.

The Best thing the iPhone has against any Android phone is that it's an iPhone. Apple has created an instant classic with the design. And they are smart not to deviate too much from it with the two revisions they have made. Sure the phone gets beefier specs, but it still looks like an iPhone.

I hate the fact that the HTC Hero has two fucking designs! Stick with a winning design.

Once the iPhone jumps to all carriers it will be hard to top it, let alone catch up to it, even though the Android OS will probably surpass it in functionality.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

A number of keys are sticking a bit; I suspect it's either due to dust behind the keyboard or from simply wearing out. I'm actually thinking I may prefer a touch in the future.

Probably shoddy manufacturing. But the beauty of Android and especially the Sholes is it has both soft and hard keys. If the keyboard flakes out, the screen and resolution are more than enough to give a great soft keyboard. And closed, being as thick as an iPhone, you'd think it was just a touch-only device.

As for the network, yes that's true ... but we'll have to see how it pans out. No one can handle iPhone alone, and I suspect as stuff like Android proliferates, and if iPhone goes to other carriers ... all of them will start to have issues. At best, the damage will be spread out, but that means AT&T will be fine as well. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

The thing is, Verizon has, from what I've seen, heard, and experienced, always been reliable. The rate at which smartphones proliferate will almost certainly not prove problematic for all carriers as time goes on. The iPhone was a special case because it was phenomenally popular even when it first came out, and AT&T's network wasn't up to snuff. Two and a half years later, with 4G on the horizon, I don't see anything close to that happening again.

The last reservation is simply regarding Android. It has HUGE potential, but at this point isn't quite up to iPhone from everything I've read.

Well it's always been a trade-off. The interface doesn't have as much gloss or animation as an iPhone, leading people to immediately think it's less polished, but the fact is that Android achieved feature parity with 1.5 and 1.6, we've simply been waiting for the hardware to catch up (and it has, in the Sholes.) Not only that, HTC's Sense skin for Android has all the gloss and flare anyone could ever want.

Software-wise, the trade offs that are still there are simply in Android's favor, in my opinion. Android has background apps with seamless switching between them, it has a customizable homescreen with widgets, and the best notification system out there; iPhone has multitouch (for now, although HTC Sense has that too), 7-8 times the amount of apps (for now), and a great desktop syncing/buying program. I can do without the latter three for the former three, but that's simply me.

I hope it does catch up though, the more competition the better. As a matter of fact, there are a few particular apps I'm hoping will get ported ... particularly in the HT realm; Sonos and SqueezeBox remote control. If those show up on Android (plus a few others) ... I'll be quite happy.

Android already has a couple remote control apps, with SqueezeBox already having a form of support.

 

[Chojin]

Werd, I can't wait to get training on all these.

Ill tell you about the Behold II next when I get my hands on it

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Werd, I can't wait to get training on all these.

Ill tell you about the Behold II next when I get my hands on it

Go into the settings and see if you can find a reference to i7500 or Galaxy anywhere, some people think it's just a different-looking Galaxy.

 

[gkryhewy]

Where you at? You got it a full day after I did. I'm with T-Mo in Miami, FL. It's a bit more responsive. Nothing like going from the 3G to the 3GS, but it'll do.

Also, am I the only person that can't get T-Mobile's My Account app to run properly? It force stops/closes all the time. It did so with 1.5, and now with 1.6. I uninstalled it again. PEACE.

Philadelphia... and the My Account app works fine for me, although I don't use it very often. ::shrugs::

 

[jonnybryce]

I really like the Geeks Phone One, and I think I'm willing to look passed the resistive screen. Is the lack of a compass a huge deal for Android? Will I really feel like I'm missing out?

 

[SimleuqiR]

Sprint-HTC-Hero-Thoughts - Boy Genius Report

Unfortunately, the Sprint HTC Hero is still laggy and a bit too slow to use as a main device by our standards. It’s just not fast enough. Not when you have the Palm Pre or iPhone 3GS to compare it to. We can’t tell you how many times our attempts to simply unlock the phone have ended in it being swift-kicked across the room. It freezes, the browser is clunky at best (that Adobe Flash integration doesn’t seem to be helping), and it’s really frustrating to use at times. Exchange support is great, but it doesn’t do much good if it takes 12 seconds to open a single email. Sometimes, it literally takes 12 seconds. There’s countless examples we could give, but our initial review still stands pretty much true: it’s an awesome phone (even in its new shell) that’s hampered by the CPU it is powered by. Is it usable? Absolutely. Is it as fast as it should be? Not a chance. It’s definitely in the upper echelon of greatness and Sprint’s smartphone lineup is pretty fantastic at the current time. Compared to anything other than the Palm Pre on Sprint, though, especially if you’re not a BlackBerry friend, the HTC Hero would be our choice. It’s available on Sprint starting October 11th for $179.99 with a two-year service agreement.

This is why I will stick to my old original iPhone and current T-mobile contract for a while. I want something with Snapdragon in it. I want an Android phone but it needs to be top of the line if I'm going to be stuck with it for at least 2 years.

Cool picture of the Hero and Cliq together:

 

[fatigues_gasolini]

Wierd, I watched a review of the new Hero and they never mentioned those issues with the phone and went as far as saying it was the best Android phone available.

EDIT: It doesnt mention which mail program they use. It seems HTC mail is better than the Android app.

 

[Skittleguy]

HTC is working on it. The update that built in Java also made the scrolling much better.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Wierd, I watched a review of the new Hero and they never mentioned those issues with the phone and went as far as saying it was the best Android phone available.

EDIT: It doesnt mention which mail program they use. It seems HTC mail is better than the Android app.

Yeah, Noah from PhoneDog even said he liked it more than the Pre.

 

[DrFunk]

GSM Sholes coming?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/07/motorola-sholes-and-torch-battery-covers-unearthed-hey-its-so/

hey, anything's possible

 

[Pimpwerx]

Well, certainly it has a nicer screen, but I still have some reservations. We'll see.

Hard keys are nice, as a matter of fact I went with a Tilt instead of the original iPhone due to 3G and qwerty. I've been a big proponent of them ... but ... what I've come to realize however is that phone qwerty's don't seem to stand the test of time. A number of keys are sticking a bit; I suspect it's either due to dust behind the keyboard or from simply wearing out. I'm actually thinking I may prefer a touch in the future.

As for the network, yes that's true ... but we'll have to see how it pans out. No one can handle iPhone alone, and I suspect as stuff like Android proliferates, and if iPhone goes to other carriers ... all of them will start to have issues. At best, the damage will be spread out, but that means AT&T will be fine as well. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

The last reservation is simply regarding Android. It has HUGE potential, but at this point isn't quite up to iPhone from everything I've read. I hope it does catch up though, the more competition the better. As a matter of fact, there are a few particular apps I'm hoping will get ported ... particularly in the HT realm; Sonos and SqueezeBox remote control. If those show up on Android (plus a few others) ... I'll be quite happy.

The OS and app integration is better than the iPhone. I had a 3G for most of a year, and loved it, but my myTouch 3G runs a better OS. Besides the multitasking (which can actually cripple some apps), it's just tied together better than how I felt the iPhone was. I do wish the hardware was faster, though. If the hardware was faster, the OS would kick that much more ass. And if that was the case, then I'd say the only thing the iPhone has over an Android phone is multitouch "pinchy" thing to zoom in and out. I'll miss that feature forever. PEACE.

 

[Future]

Wierd, I watched a review of the new Hero and they never mentioned those issues with the phone and went as far as saying it was the best Android phone available.

EDIT: It doesnt mention which mail program they use. It seems HTC mail is better than the Android app.

A lot of the current phones are slow compared to the iPhone right now. It's more of a hardware spec thing. Looks like things are gonna catch up soon next year though

 

[ThatObviousUser]

GSM Sholes coming?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/07/motorola-sholes-and-torch-battery-covers-unearthed-hey-its-so/

hey, anything's possible

Not surprised. In addition, there's supposed to be a keyboard-less Sholes in 2010, from some rumors and leaks.

 

[Polari]

A couple of questions about the Pulse:

1. Does anyone know if it comes with a digital compass or not?
2. I see it comes with a free 1 month satnav trial... what's the difference between this and Google Maps? (I'm complete ignorant to all things GPS)

 

[ThatObviousUser]

• Presale starting now
• $179.99 after $100 mail-in-rebate and two-year contract
• 800 MHz CPU
• 3.2-inch AMOLED screen
• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash
• Horizontal sliding keyboard
• Stock Android, no TouchWiz
• 3.5mm headset jack, Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, MicroSDHC

Samsung’s First Android-Powered Phone, Samsung Moment with Google, Coming Soon to America’s Most Dependable 3G Network

Sprint (NYSE: S) and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the number one mobile phone provider in the United States1, today announced the upcoming availability of Samsung Moment™, Samsung’s first U.S. handset integrating the open and innovative Android™ platform with the high-speed connectivity of America’s most dependable 3G network2 (EVDO Rev. A.) and the best value in wireless with the Any Mobile, AnytimeSM calling feature.

Samsung Moment represents a new generation of portable Internet access devices and provides access to built-in Google™ mobile services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™ and YouTube™, as well as thousands of applications available in Android Market™. Samsung Moment also offers the first Sprint 3.2-inch AMOLED touch-screen, creating crisper colors and wider viewing angles than other display screens. Samsung Moment is powered by an 800 MHz processor, making this device one of the fastest wireless phones available today.

Beginning Nov. 1, customers can purchase Samsung Moment through all Sprint channels including Web (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and our national retail partners. Retail pricing will be $179.99 (excluding taxes) after a $50 instant savings and a $100 mail-in-rebate with a two-year service agreement. Pre-registration for this phone begins today at www.sprint.com/moment.

"Sprint is thrilled to add the powerful and sophisticated Samsung Moment to our growing portfolio of Android devices,” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president of product development for Sprint. "This is the second Android product that will be available from Sprint this holiday season. With a full QWERTY keyboard, Samsung Moment allows customers to easily access the thousands of applications available in the Android Market. The excitement around Android products confirms Sprint’s decision several years ago to be a charter member of the Open Handset Alliance and lead the Open revolution.”

"The launch of Samsung Moment is an exciting realization of our commitment to providing consumers open, powerful and versatile devices,” said Omar Khan, senior vice president of strategy and product management for Samsung Mobile. "With the combination of the Android platform, applications, Web browser and a powerful 800 MHz processor, the user experience options are unlimited.”

Leveraging a library of applications

As charter members of the Open Handset Alliance™, Sprint and Samsung are closely aligned with the Android community. Through Android Market, Samsung Moment users can download thousands of applications, widgets and games on their phone. Pandora®, ShopSavvyTM, TwitterTM, ShazamTM, amazon.com®, USA Today®, Flixster®, PacManTM, CraigslistCheckerTM, and MySpaceTM Mobile are among the countless well-liked applications already available on Android Market. Additionally, customers can access Sprint Navigation and Sprint exclusive applications NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM already preinstalled on the device. Samsung Moment is a perfect solution for anyone who wants the freedom to stay connected on-the-go and enjoy a PC-like experience.

In addition, Sprint recently launched new tools on its developer Web site designed to make it easy for developers to create innovative applications for the Sprint Android-powered devices – http://developer.sprint.com/android. The enhancements will give developers access to Sprint products and services, including location-based services, messaging and geofencing through the Sprint Developer Sandbox. Developers using the site and tools will easily be able to create and test applications for the Android platform on the Sprint network.

Application developers will have a chance to learn more about Android at Sprint’s ninth annual developer conference this fall. The Sprint Open Developer Conference, Oct. 26-28 in Santa Clara, Calif., is open to all attendees and will feature information through speaker sessions and coding camps on developing applications for a range of platforms, including Android. For details, go to http://developer.sprint.com/devcon2009.

"The Samsung Moment and the Android platform are helping Sprint drive openness and innovation,” said Andy Rubin, vice president of mobile platforms at Google. "With the Samsung Moment’s built-in suite of Google mobile services, along with thousands of applications on Android Market, Sprint customers can enjoy a unique mobile experience.”

Samsung Moment offers simple device navigation through an optical joystick located just below the expansive display. It features Wi-Fi capability, integrated GPS navigation and accelerometer. Additional features include:

* 3.2-megapixel camera with flash and camcorder with auto-focus
* Stereo Bluetooth® 2.0 wireless technology
* Expandable memory up to 32GB
* Sprint TV® with live and on-demand programming
* NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM
* Easy access to social networking sites, including Facebook®, Flickr® and TwitterTM
* Media player with 3.5-millimeter headphone jack
* Visual voice mail for quick and easy access to specific voice mail messages
* Access to personal and corporate email through Active Sync

Customers who purchase the new Samsung Moment can also take advantage of Sprint’s newly announced Any Mobile, Anytime feature, which gives customers on the Sprint network unlimited calling to ANY wireless customer in the United States on any carrier anytime by selecting Sprint’s EverythingSM Data plans. This device requires activation on a pricing plan offering unlimited data, which includes the Everything Data and Simply Everything Plans.

The Simply Everything plan provides nationwide unlimited calling, unlimited text and unlimited data, including email, social networking, Web browsing, GPS navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, for only $99.99 per month. That’s a savings of $1,200 over two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone® plan3. Sprint Everything Data plans with unlimited messaging and data start at just $69.99 for 450 minutes with unlimited night and weekend calling starting at 7 p.m. (All price plans exclude surcharges and taxes.)

Both Everything Data and Simply Everything plans are available to existing customers without extending the service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.

The Sprint 3G Network is faster in more places than AT&T’s 3G network4, and Sprint has more than 20 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network5, based on square miles. Since 2006, Sprint has invested almost $17 billion in capital to continue improving and expanding network performance.

Sprint is also the first national carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology. Separate from its 3G investment, Sprint has announced plans to extend its 4G leadership by launching the next-generation service in numerous markets in 2009, including the recently launched markets of Atlanta, Las Vegas and Portland, Ore.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

A couple of questions about the Pulse:

1. Does anyone know if it comes with a digital compass or not?
2. I see it comes with a free 1 month satnav trial... what's the difference between this and Google Maps? (I'm complete ignorant to all things GPS)

1. Most likely, Google requires a hardware compass in order to get their apps. I'm sure there are software compasses on the Market.

2. Satnav is turn-by-turn, where it tells you "Turn left here," whereas Google Maps just gives you a map and lets you figure it out on your own.

 

[Polari]

1. Most likely, Google requires a hardware compass in order to get their apps. I'm sure there are software compasses on the Market.

2. Satnav is turn-by-turn, where it tells you "Turn left here," whereas Google Maps just gives you a map and lets you figure it out on your own.

Cool, that's exactly what I needed to know. Thanks man. Probably going to pull the trigger next week. The only thing giving me doubts is that it sounds like the Android OS is still a bit sluggish. How hard is to create a responsive interface, seriously? BeOS could play several videos at once on a Pentium 133 and the interface would never skip a beat.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Cool, that's exactly what I needed to know. Thanks man. Probably going to pull the trigger next week. The only thing giving me doubts is that it sounds like the Android OS is still a bit sluggish. How hard is to create a responsive interface, seriously? BeOS could play several videos at once on a Pentium 133 and the interface would never skip a beat.

Well, when you're talking about phones, the hardware has been essentially reset to about 10 years ago, while people are demanding 2009-era looks (transluscency, animations, color, resolution, etc.) and performance. Android is definitely responsive if you don't overtax it; many widgets on the homescreen, tabs open in the browser, and five or more apps running simultaneously obviously take their toll- the downside of a multitasking OS, I suppose. If you can, I'd download Advanced Task Killer just to keep things in check.

I'm curious on the Pulse, it has a new Android UI but I haven't heard much about it. Be sure to fill us in here if you get it.

 

[Fatalah]

This is stunning. Absolutely STUNNING. And I hate special edition phones.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Some sites are saying a 16 GB MicroSD card is coming "preinstalled"... I doubt that means it's actually internal storage but I must find out for sure...

And yeah, looks cool. Wonder if it's just a back plate or if it's applied to the front too.

 

[SimleuqiR]

• Presale starting now
• $179.99 after $100 mail-in-rebate and two-year contract
• 800 MHz CPU
• 3.2-inch AMOLED screen
• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash
• Horizontal sliding keyboard
• Stock Android, no TouchWiz
• 3.5mm headset jack, Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, MicroSDHC

There is a video of the phone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_9FYa6MdCg

That AMOLED screen looks stunning!

Edit: Just noticed the optical track ball!!! Waaaaahahah!

 

[Chojin]

Some sites are saying a 16 GB MicroSD card is coming "preinstalled"... I doubt that means it's actually internal storage but I must find out for sure...

And yeah, looks cool. Wonder if it's just a back plate or if it's applied to the front too.

Its the Memory Card that it comes with.


At least for some of the specs I've been running into. Believe me I had to get clarification real fast when I they listed specs like that.

This is stunning. Absolutely STUNNING. And I hate special edition phones.

You forgot the part about the 3.5 mm jack

Other than that, its the same exact myTouch.


Its weird how so many phones are coming out so quickly. Seems Tmo has been pulling a Nintendo for announcements as of late because of the myFaves debacle. See myfaves got leaked and all of a sudden Alltell had this "myCircle" thing come out just before myfaves got released. Thankfully what was leaked about myfaves wasn't the full scoop and we still kicked Alltells ass on what that particular feature is.

Anyway, yeah the time from annoucement and release is getting shorter and shorter. Word is we got a couple more phones coming down the pipeline before Christmas and its making my head spin. Even with my discount, its killing me

 

[jonnybryce]

Hot. Just wish it had a bigger screen, at least 3.5. I definitely prefer this to the Hero or Pre, though.

One thing I cannot stand is when they add a row for numbers at the expense of the space bar. I don't want it next to the letters and if that's the cost, then I'd rather not have the number row! I'm sure you get used to it, but you also get used to doublehitting the function key and then using the numbers in the phone-pad layout. One is less annoying than the other.

It's nothing special compared to Sense or Blur but it beats the Cliq for me. It's the nicest Android phone yet, which is shocking because the leaked photo had it looking pretty bad.

edit:

:'(

Overheard at Phone Conference: "Nokia Will Never Release an Android Handset"

At the Swedish Finnish phonemaker's booth, I overheard a Nokia rep say that Nokia "will never release an Android handset." He added, "You can quote me on that," which is good, because I am!

Nokia's aging Symbian S60 OS isn't maturing so well, as seen on their N97 handset, and though they've made some positive strides with Maemo, it sounds like they might be limiting themselves to those two OSes—at least until the market forces them elsewhere. On the other hand, the "No Android" statement was pretty obvious.

Gizmodo

That sucks. Nokia can make awesome hardware imo, their crappy outdated OS is where they fall short. An N97/N97 Mini with Android would be pretty awesome. Now we know it'll never be.

That is, unless Android blows up and takes over like it appears to be doing. Maybe they'll have no choice.

...then again Nokia doesn't care about what USA carriers want and would rather have to sell a phone for $650 and tell carriers to STFU than work with them, so maybe Android's popularity won't matter to them anyway.

 

[RaySpencer]

• Presale starting now
• $179.99 after $100 mail-in-rebate and two-year contract
• 800 MHz CPU
• 3.2-inch AMOLED screen
• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash
• Horizontal sliding keyboard
• Stock Android, no TouchWiz
• 3.5mm headset jack, Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, MicroSDHC

is sprint GSM? Basicaly I want to know if I will be able to buy this in Canada without a contract ( or I guess with a contract if it comes to Rogers ), I need a new phone, and this is the closest to what I want thats been released so far.

 

[Husker86]

is sprint GSM? Basicaly I want to know if I will be able to buy this in Canada without a contract ( or I guess with a contract if it comes to Rogers ), I need a new phone, and this is the closest to what I want thats been released so far.

Nope Sprint is CDMA.

 

[killakiz]

Does the Samsung Moment have the fastest processor on Android currently?

 

[tokkun]

That sucks. Nokia can make awesome hardware imo, their crappy outdated OS is where they fall short. An N97/N97 Mini with Android would be pretty awesome. Now we know it'll never be.

That is, unless Android blows up and takes over like it appears to be doing. Maybe they'll have no choice.

...then again Nokia doesn't care about what USA carriers want and would rather have to sell a phone for $650 and tell carriers to STFU than work with them, so maybe Android's popularity won't matter to them anyway.

Nokia has Maemo, which is looking a lot more open than Android with Google's recent actions.

 

[ha1f]

I wish that Dell thing was just a MID/PMP. I don't want to get a new phone, I just want a non-hacked, handheld Android device :\

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Hot. Just wish it had a bigger screen, at least 3.5. I definitely prefer this to the Hero or Pre, though.

One thing I cannot stand is when they add a row for numbers at the expense of the space bar. I don't want it next to the letters and if that's the cost, then I'd rather not have the number row! I'm sure you get used to it, but you also get used to doublehitting the function key and then using the numbers in the phone-pad layout. One is less annoying than the other.

It's nothing special compared to Sense or Blur but it beats the Cliq for me. It's the nicest Android phone yet, which is shocking because the leaked photo had it looking pretty bad.

Yeah it did, looked really really cheap. And for some reason I find myself always preferring "stock" or Google-branded Android more than the alternative UIs.

Also double agreed on the space bar thing. I don't know if I'd give up the number row, as that's pretty important, but it is very annoying when it's so small.

I think CTIA is tomorrow, and it's yet another opportunity for the Sholes to be officially-officially-officially revealed. Though because of the battery cover photos from Motorola's PR itself, I'd say it's as good as officially announced. They're definitely going to show it off soon, definitely before this month is over.

Does the Samsung Moment have the fastest processor on Android currently?

Currently, yes, from everything officially announced. The Sholes though has a Cortex processor and GPU+ISP, so it's a bit muddled which one will truly be faster.

Also I have just seen that the Samsung Moment is going to be officially released November 1. Quick!

 

[kmfdmpig]

You guys ordering the Hero from Sprint, be very careful if its being ship to you.

Phonedog's Hero got destroyed by FedEx: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMzDZn_Xkbg

I blame HTC and/or Sprint for the packaging. Why put the phone all the way on the top of the box? With not much protection?

I'm not sure that FedEx goes blame free. Some douche at FedEx delivered a temporary laptop to a telecommuting coworker today. Instead of going through a gate and leaving it on a stoop he tossed it over the gate where it landed on concrete.

I'm not sure what he was thinking. Maybe:
Hmm. The box says "Dell" all over, says fragile, etc.... Let's just toss it like it's a friggin land dart.


Back on topic are there any actual reviews of the Cliq yet? I'm looking to get an android phone for T-mobile and it seems like the best option in the near term.

 

[DrFunk]

Nokia has Maemo, which is looking a lot more open than Android with Google's recent actions.

Exactly, the N900 is hot shit

 

[RaySpencer]

Nope Sprint is CDMA.

damn, I hope they make a GSM version. I want one

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Exactly, the N900 is hot shit

Not to doubt Nokia or anything (OK I do), but I heard the exact same thing about the N97 before it was released. I think I even saw a post saying it was an iPhone killer or somesuch gibberish.

And to clear up any confusion Android is still completely open source. Google's own apps aren't (at the moment), but I do expect that the Android Market will have some kind of web API eventually released so that desktop software and web developers can create or implement it in their own programs. That's probably a bit far off though, probably around Android 3.0... that is, if Google doesn't do it themselves.

 

[Solideliquid]

Hmm, last week I was tempted to leave the iPhone for the Palm Pre. Now they have the Samsung Moment. Choices choices...

AT&T has very poor service where I live and there's no telling when their MicroCell will be released nation-wide.

 

[Pimpwerx]

So I got to talking to a friend, and she was badmouthing T-Mo and hyping up Sprint. Truth be told, T-Mo's network doesn't have the coverage of AT&T or Sprint down here. I would have chosen Sprint's Anytime plan over T-Mo's myFaves had the ads run sooner. I'll get savings and coverage with Sprint. My friend recommended I tell T-Mobile I'm moving to some town in a part of the map that has no coverage. That way, I don't get penalized for cancelling service I can't even receive. It's ze plan, anyway.

So, what are the Sprint Android phones on the horizon? It can't just be the Hero, can it? The Hero is fine, since I'm currently using a myTouch, but if there's a new Android phone planned for November or something, I might try waiting until then. Is the Pre a good alternative? I've liked it in my limited demo, but I don't know what the situation is like for apps. PEACE.

EDIT: Uh...the Samsung Moment. Duh. Didn't see it there. Yes...Sprint is a good option.

 

[Manmademan]

Hmm, last week I was tempted to leave the iPhone for the Palm Pre. Now they have the Samsung Moment. Choices choices...

AT&T has very poor service where I live and there's no telling when their MicroCell will be released nation-wide.

shit. I was all set to hand over my cash for the hero. like...this weekend. Whyyyyyyyy did you have to announce the moment RIGHT NOW??

now I'm stuck with my instinct until I can find a review

 

[ThatObviousUser]

I have quite a couple handsets to add to the OP, and they've all been officially announced in the past few days! Hell, why couldn't any of these have been announced during the first seven months of this year when I was awash with Magic hype? Why?!

• Motorola Sholes (pretty much official)
• Samsung Behold II
• Samsung Moment with Google
• Dell Mini 3i (official? meh)
• HTC Desire (not official but whatever)

Why I ask?!

Anyways the Samsung Moment seems like it may actually give the Sholes a run for my money. I know I'll love the larger screen, supposedly better camera, and slim form factor on the Sholes, but the Moment has that AMOLED, is available on a cheaper plan, and will likely have much more storage. Damn my fickle nature... This battle will probably be decided by storage and screen size. I really want the Sholes to win out in both.

 

[TheMissingLink]

Ooooh, the Moment looks great. I've been burned by a Samsung phone (although I have both a wonderful netbook and TV from them) in the past.

So crazy, I was ALL FOR the Cliq a couple weeks ago...and now I'm leaning Tao/Scholes/Droid.

If the reviews aren't favorable for that guy, I may just go with the Moment.

(unless I can find a blue Cliq)

 

[ThatObviousUser]

No sooner do I ask Polari than does a video appear on YouTube detailing T-Mobile UK's Pulse's Android UI, called "Canvas."

http://www.droiddog.com/android-blog/2009/10/canvas-the-face-of-pulse/

Highlights:

• 9x9 homescreen panels with option to "zoom out" to view them all
• Dark (not black) and more responsive notification tray
• Coming to T-Mobile USA anywhere from the fourth quarter of this year to January
• Will be making its way to the majority of T-Mobile's new Android handsets, presumably the "T-Mobile _____" branded ones
• Usage of dark gray and pink is very aesthetically pleasing

Canvas, Sense, Blur, TouchWiz... lots of Android skins coming out already.

 

[SimleuqiR]

Anyways the Samsung Moment seems like it may actually give the Sholes a run for my money. I know I'll love the larger screen, supposedly better camera, and slim form factor on the Sholes, but the Moment has that AMOLED, is available on a cheaper plan, and will likely have much more storage. Damn my fickle nature... This battle will probably be decided by storage and screen size. I really want the Sholes to win out in both.

Ditto on this. If by the end of December there is nothing new about the Rachel I will most likely jump ship to Spring, and get the Moment. I want to ditch my iPhone for Android so badly.

Edit:

WSJ: Dell to build Android smartphone for AT&T
Posted by Michael Bettiol on Oct 7, 2009

Apparently when Dell went from carrier to carrier offering offering to make them handsets they weren’t as unsuccessful as we thought, for the Wall Street Journal has it on good authority that AT&T has commissioned Dell (where have we heard this before?) to make them an Android handset. Specifics are lacking at this point in time, but the device is reputed to be somewhat similar to the Mini 3i that Dell recently launched with China Mobile, in that it will have a “touch screen instead of a keypad as well as a tiny camera.” Alrighty. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have some Dell and AT&T ninjas to lean on for some intel.

Looks like AT&T is getting this one.

And in other news:

Android could nab second place in mobile operating systems by 2012, says research
by Laura June posted Oct 7th 2009 at 7:32PM

Sure, Android is a brand new operating system at a seemingly huge disadvantage to other, more entrenched household names like Windows Mobile or Symbian. Well, all that could change -- at least according to research just released by Gartner, Inc. The company's report claims that Android could claim upwards of 14 percent of the global mobile operating system share by 2012 (it now has less than 2 percent). This would make it the number two (behind Symbian OS) phone OS in the world. The main factors behind this surge, according to Gartner's report, are the fact that Android is a Google-backed proposition, a company which will continue to offer more cloud-computing services and apps which will increasingly draw users into its web. They also note Android's "blend" of app heaviness (making it like the iPhone) combined with the task-mastering of Windows Mobile and BlackBerry smartphones. We'll let you know when Grandma Elly has a Sholes -- that's the real test of success and popularity in our world.