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Android Hardware Thread - 2009 Edition

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killakiz said:
My guess is that the Passion/Bravo are the locked versions of the Google phone.
Click to expand...

What's the point of an unlocked version though is what I don't get. If it really can only be used on Tmobile to the fullest anyways why does it matter if it's unlocked or locked? Not like there is another 3g network you'd be able to take it to.

Obviously if it supports the AT&T spec then the above is discounted, but going of what we know I wonder why the unlocking matters.
 
Brettison said:
What's the point of an unlocked version though is what I don't get. If it really can only be used on Tmobile to the fullest anyways why does it matter if it's unlocked or locked? Not like there is another 3g network you'd be able to take it to.

Obviously if it supports the AT&T spec then the above is discounted, but going of what we know I wonder why the unlocking matters.
Click to expand...

The original iPhone didn't support 3G on any network, yet people still thought it was a great phone.
 
Pctx said:
well with whatever version you had.... if it was the G1... rumors of memory issues have been there for a while.... and sense UI get's updated after stock android phones. No big surprises.
Click to expand...
I don't have the G1. However if a particular phone was not compatible with the update it should me mentioned on the website. The rest of them should be a universal update at the same time.
 
Brettison said:
What's the point of an unlocked version though is what I don't get. If it really can only be used on Tmobile to the fullest anyways why does it matter if it's unlocked or locked? Not like there is another 3g network you'd be able to take it to.

Obviously if it supports the AT&T spec then the above is discounted, but going of what we know I wonder why the unlocking matters.
Click to expand...

It would have been good if it supported AT&T 3G, but unlocked lets people pick it up without having to leave their contract. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be fine with the idea of Edge + Wifi if it meant they don't have to pay an ETF or buy it from a shady buyer on eBay.
 
tokkun said:
The original iPhone didn't support 3G on any network, yet people still thought it was a great phone.
Click to expand...

Yes, but that was a few years ago. Every smart phone now is 3g be it Win Mo, Crackberry, iPhone, Palm, Android or whatever. People aren't gonna get a smart phone and pay for the plan if it's frick'n slow ass edge.

I can see what the other person above said though about buying it without having to renew the contract if they just want to roll with wifi. That actually sound semi appealing to me if the phone isn't outrageous.
 
Brettison said:
Yes, but that was a few years ago. Every smart phone now is 3g be it Win Mo, Crackberry, iPhone, Palm, Android or whatever. People aren't gonna get a smart phone and pay for the plan if it's frick'n slow ass edge.

I can see what the other person above said though about buying it without having to renew the contract if they just want to roll with wifi. That actually sound semi appealing to me if the phone isn't outrageous.
Click to expand...
Not exactly, some newer blackberries on at&t are not 3G capable. Not that I agree with the Google phone only supporting tmobile 3g in the US.
 
Fatalah said:
I'm just wondering what carrier this Google-Phone will run on. Wasn't there an article last month talking about how a Google-Phone would run on its own network?
Click to expand...
All of 'em. Maybe they'll shaft us at Sprint, as I understand some Sprint exec poo-pooed Android when it was first announced. But I'm expect/hoping for all. Sounds like it has nice features. PEACE.
 
CDMA, presumably (there was Desire and DesireC, the latter is the Eris on Verizon)

I hope it's all black like the leaked euro Passion. Silver, no thanks.
 
So I wonder where all the rumors identifying this as The Google Phone came about. I mean, so far, it just sounds like a really, really good Android device. The Droid is a really good Android device, too, but it wasn't being called the Google Phone by TechCrunch and their peers.

Maybe it just means Google will make a big marketting push behind it.
 
Battersea Power Station said:
So I wonder where all the rumors identifying this as The Google Phone came about. I mean, so far, it just sounds like a really, really good Android device. The Droid is a really good Android device, too, but it wasn't being called the Google Phone by TechCrunch and their peers.

Maybe it just means Google will make a big marketting push behind it.
Click to expand...
The G1 is a google phone. I thought it just called Google phone because it was a developers phone.
 
Since it will be sold directly to consumers unlocked, Google has to have something else up its sleeve. They could have chosen a carrier and released it like all the previous mainstream Android phones, but hopefully they're including some kind of Google Voice + Gizmo5 integration. That's what I'm hoping, at least.
 
Battersea Power Station said:
So I wonder where all the rumors identifying this as The Google Phone came about. I mean, so far, it just sounds like a really, really good Android device. The Droid is a really good Android device, too, but it wasn't being called the Google Phone by TechCrunch and their peers.

Maybe it just means Google will make a big marketting push behind it.
Click to expand...

The Google employee that first tweeted about the phone referred to it as "the new Google phone." Since then, "insiders" have confirmed that it's real, and it will be sold by Google, not any specific carrier.
 
Doesn't that sound like a conflict of interest though?

P.s. gaf mobile is sweet but don't steal my account info cool thanks
 
Battersea Power Station said:
So I wonder where all the rumors identifying this as The Google Phone came about. I mean, so far, it just sounds like a really, really good Android device. The Droid is a really good Android device, too, but it wasn't being called the Google Phone by TechCrunch and their peers.

Maybe it just means Google will make a big marketting push behind it.
Click to expand...
It never was hardware wise.
 
Vyse The Legend said:
The Google employee that first tweeted about the phone referred to it as "the new Google phone." Since then, "insiders" have confirmed that it's real, and it will be sold by Google, not any specific carrier.
Click to expand...

Presumably 'the new Google phone' means that it is the sequel to the Dev Phone 1 & 2.

They were also manufactured by HTC, unlocked GSM with T-Mobile 3G, and sold directly by Google. Again, I'm not sure why people are acting like this is such a new thing. They have been following this same formula every 6 months. The only potential difference here is that there is an assumption that Google will be selling this phone to non-developers (though this is not really confirmed yet).
 
tokkun said:
Presumably 'the new Google phone' means that it is the sequel to the Dev Phone 1 & 2.

They were also manufactured by HTC, unlocked GSM with T-Mobile 3G, and sold directly by Google. Again, I'm not sure why people are acting like this is such a new thing. They have been following this same formula every 6 months. The only potential difference here is that there is an assumption that Google will be selling this phone to non-developers (though this is not really confirmed yet).
Click to expand...

Yes, that's why news sites are reporting this new phone as being unlocked and sold directly to consumers. I don't think the previous "Google phones" were speculated as such.
 
Look for this phone in major retailers and Tmobile end of Jan/Feb w/ option to by the phone and stick it on a network that you already have. (aka Tmo or AT&T).

I've been doing a lot of digging on this and what Google is doing is darn near genius.

With Apple locked into Verizon until next June at the earliest... Google is getting a leg up on the market share almost 6 months head of time. What I mean by that is that they are planning on having this GSM phone unlocked to use on AT&T and Tmo's network in order to force the carriers into adoption of Android hardware, whether they want it or not.

Presumably, a Tmo person who has a Blackberry/Android device just have to have the correct internet for it which is a quick call to customer service.

AT&T peeps, you should be able to use your existing data plan (aka iPhone data plan) with this phone which is what I'm betting Google is testing out right now and it seems to be working.

So what does this mean for us?

Well--- I would imagine the "Google" phone is going to be a hybrid of what HTC has on the roadmap w/ something extra special to have this set apart as "THE" Android phone to own.

Google then gets forced adoption on AT&T without any strings and forces iPhone users to think about switching for a "sexier" phone. (provided it's a looker.)

Price wise.... there is everything under the sun being speculated on. I would bet that we see this puppy @ Walmart, Target, Fred Meyer, Sears where ever for a $99 price tag. T-mobile might have it even cheaper if you bundle it or god knows what but I'm going to venture a guess that Google is going for Apple's throat on this.

Very interesting stuff.
 
Pctx said:
Look for this phone in major retailers and Tmobile end of Jan/Feb w/ option to by the phone and stick it on a network that you already have. (aka Tmo or AT&T).

I've been doing a lot of digging on this and what Google is doing is darn near genius.

With Apple locked into Verizon until next June at the earliest... Google is getting a leg up on the market share almost 6 months head of time. What I mean by that is that they are planning on having this GSM phone unlocked to use on AT&T and Tmo's network in order to force the carriers into adoption of Android hardware, whether they want it or not.

Presumably, a Tmo person who has a Blackberry/Android device just have to have the correct internet for it which is a quick call to customer service.

AT&T peeps, you should be able to use your existing data plan (aka iPhone data plan) with this phone which is what I'm betting Google is testing out right now and it seems to be working.

So what does this mean for us?

Well--- I would imagine the "Google" phone is going to be a hybrid of what HTC has on the roadmap w/ something extra special to have this set apart as "THE" Android phone to own.

Google then gets forced adoption on AT&T without any strings and forces iPhone users to think about switching for a "sexier" phone. (provided it's a looker.)

Price wise.... there is everything under the sun being speculated on. I would bet that we see this puppy @ Walmart, Target, Fred Meyer, Sears where ever for a $99 price tag. T-mobile might have it even cheaper if you bundle it or god knows what but I'm going to venture a guess that Google is going for Apple's throat on this.

Very interesting stuff.
Click to expand...

Just a few things to dispute there...

-Apple is locked into AT&T, not Verizon, until June
-$99? Right. Try $299-$399 most likely. The hardware included is meant to rival class-leading phones - this will debut with iPhone-like pricing or more. (Remember this is a 1GHZ new chip in a multi-touch phone. However, no contract and ability to work on any GSM network in North America makes this an attractive phone to power users and business consumers.


Anyway, some new stuff..

It's now being reported that the phone will include Tmo's 3G bands, not AT&T. Look for EDGE service for AT&T users. I find that odd, but I'm sure it'll all shake out in the coming weeks. ( http://twitter.com/gruber/statuses/6612197729 )
 
I'm hoping the big news that accompanies the release of the "Google phone" will be a unification of Google Voice, Gizmo5, and Google Talk. Such a move would involve a big push for usage over WiFi, but I don't see how that can fly anywhere but in urban areas.
 
tokkun said:
From the leaked HTC codenames I'm guessing:

Passion: US GSM (T-Mobile) a.k.a Google Phone
PassionC: US CDMA (Verizon and/or Sprint)
Bravo: Euro GSM
Click to expand...
medical_dragon_gaf.png


hmm....just when i thought droid was my phone to get again.. i'm waiting till january to make my choice. we'll see what happens.
 
majfux.jpg


:o

Look familiar? For a story that broke on Twitter it's only fitting that the first reported picture of the mythical, magical "Google Phone" would appear there as well. The tweeted image above appears courtesy of one Cory O'Brien, an account manager at a San Francisco Bay Area marketing agency that does not list Google as a client. That note of caution aside, the image above is an exact match to that leaked HTC Passion / Bravo image from October, only this time lacking the HTC logo on the top-side bezel. Besides the pic, O'Brien tweets that the "Google Phone = iPhone + a little extra screen and a scroll wheel. Great touch screen, and Android." Granted, none of this is confirmed yet, but with Google releasing so many of the devices as part of its "mobile lab" concept, well, we expect to see plenty more sightings in the run up to the rumored January launch.
Click to expand...

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/13/google-phone-makes-first-twitter-appearance/
 
Probably gonna get leapfrogged by the next iPhone iteration if that's the best they can come up with a year after the fact. :/
 
That trackball looks too low to use almost for such a big phone(3.5" - 4").

Im very intrigued more about how this thing is going to be sold more so than the hardware/software. So did google make agreements that AT&T, Tmo, etc would support the phone but not sell it? If so then this could change the TelCom industry as we know it. If the phone is priced properly ie not a penny above $200, this could force a huge chunk away from apple dominance. People wouldnt have to break their ETF or pay $400+ for an unlocked phone to switch to a "better" phone, presumably all they would need is a data plan if Google really does plan to have VOIP as its main voice service.

Is their plans for a CDMA Version at launch?
 
Ok, yeah... I'm totally into this new phone - I hope it's not a let down. I found someone on twitter who had a good idea about searching for EXIF info on Picasa, and BINGO. Tons of pics from the "Nexus One"!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=nexus one&psc=G&filter=1#

Click on "More Info" On the right, and you'll be treated to a bunch of great info like..

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=nexus one&psc=G&filter=1#5414474033992308418

Which contains..
Photo information

Dec 12, 2009
2592×1944 pixels – 1007KB
Filename: 2009-12-12 13.14.36.jpg
Camera: HTC
Model: Nexus One
ISO: n/a
Exposure: n/a
Aperture: n/a
Focal Length: n/a
Flash Used: n/a
Latitude: 37.339386° N
Longitude: 121.894956° W
Click to expand...

Sexy huh? :)

Edit; Oh yeah... HTC Passion = HTC Bravo = Nexus One for sure now... this badboy has the dual LED flash for sure. I submit the following pics for evidence :P Bring on the Snapdragon goodness. :lol

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?orderby=date&psc=G&q=nexus+one&filter=1#5412302644456827090
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?orderby=date&psc=G&q=nexus+one&filter=1#5414194745821015938
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?orderby=date&psc=G&q=nexus+one&filter=1#5414214157883235234
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?orderby=date&psc=G&q=nexus+one&filter=1#5414572187718994194
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?orderby=date&psc=G&q=nexus+one&filter=1#5413078638563093026
 
lmao when I saw that I picture I went "AHHH!!" I can't believe this is real. I want Google to clarify what this is being positioned as. I also want to know if it's running Sense, a new stock Android, what. If it has interactive wallpapers than it's obviously something new.

I'm surprised that this has a trackball, I thought HTC was phasing those out (according to those leaks). For this phone to be such a big deal, that makes little sense, so maybe they're going to continue to use trackballs.

I thought I'd be more jealous but I don't really have a desire to get this. Pretty nice though.
 
Looks really nice. Wonder if this is just the Bravo with a different casing. If it is I would still perfer the Bravo due to Sense. The Sense on the HD2 is a thing of beauty and cannot imagine having my next phone without it. I am currently using the Eris.
 
SSGMUN10000 said:
Looks really nice. Wonder if this is just the Bravo with a different casing. If it is I would still perfer the Bravo due to Sense. The Sense on the HD2 is a thing of beauty and cannot imagine having my next phone without it. I am currently using the Eris.
Click to expand...

Well, it appears that the Nexus One has a trackball whereas the Bravo has an optical trackpad, so that's at least one difference that goes beyond the casing.
 
HoTHiTTeR said:
Just a few things to dispute there...

-Apple is locked into AT&T, not Verizon, until June
-$99? Right. Try $299-$399 most likely. The hardware included is meant to rival class-leading phones - this will debut with iPhone-like pricing or more. (Remember this is a 1GHZ new chip in a multi-touch phone. However, no contract and ability to work on any GSM network in North America makes this an attractive phone to power users and business consumers.


Anyway, some new stuff..

It's now being reported that the phone will include Tmo's 3G bands, not AT&T. Look for EDGE service for AT&T users. I find that odd, but I'm sure it'll all shake out in the coming weeks. ( http://twitter.com/gruber/statuses/6612197729 )
Click to expand...

Sorry... meant to say locked out of Verizon until June.
Price wise.... I don't doubt that it may be more but I think Google is trying to push it's advantage of value and ability to jump on and off a GSM carrier.
As far as the bands for 3G on Tmo or AT&T--- two versions will most likely be made.

New pics of the phone = sex.
 
Unless it's being handled by a giant, it looks a bit small. We need some specifications. I was hoping for a 4in screen, so I could reasonably justify abandoning my "Qwerty keyboard is a must" requirement.
 
Vyse The Legend said:
Unless it's being handled by a giant, it looks a bit small. We need some specifications. I was hoping for a 4in screen, so I could reasonably justify abandoning my "Qwerty keyboard is a must" requirement.
Click to expand...

The Bravo is 3.6-3.7 inches, so I guess I'd be that size
 
Vyse The Legend said:
Unless it's being handled by a giant, it looks a bit small. We need some specifications. I was hoping for a 4in screen, so I could reasonably justify abandoning my "Qwerty keyboard is a must" requirement.
Click to expand...

I have big hands and when I hold my 3.2 inch Hero the same way he's holding the Passion, the screen/top of the phone ends a lot closer to my index finger than the Passion in the photo. (Yes, I reenacted the photo.) So that's definitely bigger than a 3.2 inch screen, and it makes sense to be 3.7 like the leaks suggest.
 
Still would prefer this "bravo" as the google phone:
7dec09kjyrt235rsa.jpg


Little confused how that Google phone can be a Passion/Bravo and yet look so different from the Bravo above.
 
pxleyes said:
Still would prefer this "bravo" as the google phone:
7dec09kjyrt235rsa.jpg


Little confused how that Google phone can be a Passion/Bravo and yet look so different from the Bravo above.
Click to expand...

It's not. The Bravo has an HDMI-out port. The Passion doesn't.

Apparently, "insiders" are saying that the GPhone is the Passion, and the Bravo, well, is the Bravo. The latter was wrongly mislabeled as the Passion by bloggers and confused tipsters.
 
I have a question. Do you think Google gave these phones to employees knowing that they would leak info/pics excetra on the web? Good viral marketing?
 
zedge said:
I have a question. Do you think Google gave these phones to employees knowing that they would leak info/pics excetra on the web? Good viral marketing?
Click to expand...
No doubt.

I hope this phone doesn't have a shitty trackball. I hate them. Outdated and archaic.
 
Bboy AJ said:
No doubt.

I hope this phone doesn't have a shitty trackball. I hate them. Outdated and archaic.
Click to expand...

>:( I loved the fact it has a trackball + large touchscreen. This is like a perfect storm of cellphone specs if it all holds true. OLED 3.7in touchscreen, trackball, dual mics, thin, snapdragon, unlocked (though if it's T-Mobile 3G only that's gunna suck major ass), sold by Google, released next month, and with the best version of Android yet?! What else could you possibly want from this thing?!
 
No trackball and a 4.3" OLED. I agree with the rest, however. Can't have it all, though. At least not without paying through the nose.
 
zedge said:
I have a question. Do you think Google gave these phones to employees knowing that they would leak info/pics excetra on the web? Good viral marketing?
Click to expand...

Clearly they don't mind the internet talking, but it's not like they need to build hype. Announcing this out of left field would have been shocking and maybe a better route to have taken.

Bboy AJ said:
No doubt.

I hope this phone doesn't have a shitty trackball. I hate them. Outdated and archaic.
Click to expand...

:/

<3 the trackball on the Hero, even after calling it stupid and unnecessary before getting one. I would hope the trackball is jumbo like the Sprint Hero and not small like the Eris, though. Feels better.
 
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