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Android Hardware Thread - 2009 Edition

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salva said:
So i take it that the HTC Hero won't work with the SERO plan right? =(
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No one knows. It's not even officially announced for Sprint.

Personally, I think that any phones that target social networking (such as the Hero) will require Everything plans in the future. But, all the phones that have required Everything plans so far have been Sprint exclusives, so if the Hero also comes to other networks, there could be a chance. It will be telling to see what they do with the Touch Pro 2 when it launches in a few weeks.
 
nubbe said:
Rachel better have the QSD8672 or better. I'm not buying another phone with the MSM7200.
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Well, it's always been rumored to use something from the Snapdragon platform

http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/10385.html

According to supposedly leaked hardware renders and a new YouTube video, Sony Ericsson may be working on a high-end Google Android device to join the lonely Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 in the Xperia family. Rumors say the so-called Sony Ericsson Rachael will run Google Android with an improved interface design from Sony Ericsson, much like the original Xperia X1 ran the Panels interface on top of Windows Mobile. In fact, the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog claims to have a video of the new Rachael interface in action, and they have posted the video on YouTube. If accurate, that video seems to show design elements that keep some familiar Android features, in addition to offering some of the contact cards and other interface ideas from Panels. Still, if this video does show the newest Xperia phone interface, we think its enough of a departure to guess that Sony Ericsson might be giving up on the Panels experiment, at least on the Android side of the family.

The rumored Sony Ericsson Rachael will also use the Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon platform, a super-fast processor and chipset capable of clock speeds up to 1 GHz. The Snapdragon platform has just begun showing up in advanced Windows Mobile devices from Toshiba available abroad, and it offers HSPA network speeds up to 7.2Mbps. The platform also boasts dramatically improved 3D graphics, which will undoubtedly help the complex interface designs we're seeing here.

Further Sony Ericsson Rachael rumors place an 8-megapixel camera on the phone, complete with auto focus, of course. The device might also use a 3.5mm headphone jack and a miniUSB connector. Those might not seem like significant specs, but that's a departure for Sony Ericsson, who traditionally uses their proprietary Fast Port connector for headphones and Memory Stick Micro (M2) for memory expansion. The only exception in Sony Ericsson's lineup so far has been the original Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, which used the more standard ports and slots, lending more credence to the rumor that this phone, if the specs are to be believed, will join the Xperia family.

The phone is rumored to sport a very large touchscreen, up to 4-inches diagonally. We're hearing that the Sony Ericsson Rachael could support screen resolutions up to 800 by 480 pixels, or WVGA resolution, in keeping with current top-of-the-line touchscreen phones, and we have no reason to doubt this.

Sony Ericsson has played coy with us concerning its upcoming Xperia family plans. We specifically questioned the company about upcoming Xperia-branded devices when they gave us a hands-on look at the Sony Ericsson Satio, Aino and Yari phones. Though these 3 new devices will not be joining the Xperia lineup, Sony Ericsson reps at the time made it clear that the Xperia family would not begin and end with the Xperia X1, and that future development would be forthcoming. When the original Xperia X1 was launched, Sony Ericsson also told us that the branding would not be exclusive to Windows Mobile. Therefore, none of these rumors seem far out of line, and all of the rumored specs are in keeping with the best phones currently on the market, so none of this seems unrealistic to us.

In addition to the Sony Ericsson Rachael, rumors are also circulating about a strange new phone called the Sony Ericsson Kiki. Supposedly leaked renders of the Sony Ericsson Kiki don't make clear exactly how this phone will work, but we've seen mock-up ideas of a projected screen, which will appear to the user to have some depth and sort of hover within the phone itself. More details about the supposed Sony Ericsson Kiki have yet to surface, but clearly the rumor mill is churning with thoughts of this unique new concept phone from Sony Ericsson.

As these are all rumors and supposedly leaked information, Sony Ericsson has yet to comment on any of these developments, so we don't have any official pricing or availability on the Sony Ericsson Rachael and Sony Ericsson Kiki. As we said, all of the rumored technology is currently available, though the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform is only shipping on one handset currently, the Toshiba TG01.
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If the above is true, and this is available from a decent carrier ... this might be my next phone. AT&T's troubles have made me hesitant to go with the iPhone.
 
Boy Genious Report
More Motorola Android rumors afoot: Shules will run Eclair at launch, AT&T will get GSM version; Flash on track for 2010
Posted by Zach Epstein on Aug 11, 2009 3:38 pm

bgr-moto-shules2.jpg


A new wave of rumors surrounding Motorola and two of its first Android-powered devices is making the rounds this afternoon and if even a few tidbits pan out, it could mean big things coming from the down and out manufacturer. The focus is clearly on the Shules, or Sholes depending on who your source is, and the Flash makes a brief appearance as well for good measure. Let’s get to it:

* The Shules will launch with Eclair — Donut is so H1 2009, and Motorola’s upcoming Android slider will reportedly drop with Eclair on board. It may even be the “flagship” Eclair handset intended to showcase all of the new features Android will have obtained with Eclair’s release.
* The Shules will be a gaming beast — The handset is optimized for ARMv7 architecture and will be able to gobble up 3D graphics and games like none other. Supposedly.
* There is a GSM version of the Shules in the works — While Verizon will get the CDMA version of the Motorola Shules this year as an exclusive, there is already a GSM version in the pipeline and it should land on AT&T, or T-Mobile, some time in 2010.
* The Flash is still on track — One of the many handsets we scooped last year, the Flash, is still said to be making its way to Verizon and it should launch in early 2010. This further supports what we speculated earlier month.

While absolutely none of this new info is confirmed by any means, a lot of it certainly makes sense. Slap some Blur goodness on top of this Android pie and you might just end up with the first Motorola smartphones in ages that are actually worth getting excited about.

Thanks, D F!
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God I hope this makes it to T-mobile.
I would also love to have the Rachel and the Hero.

Once any of these appears on the T-mobile USA network I will abandon my iPhone 2g for the goodness of Android. :D
 
i'm curious if some of these newer android devices will be able to make use of all the items on the app store.

i want an android specifically because of the UI customizability through programming. there are always things taht annoy me in a phone's UI, and i don't mind putting in time to release things to fix annoyances or to accelerate tasks. i'm worried that some of these newer phones with customizable interfaces won't support all of the extensions or even allow me to put my own apps on them :\
 
soco said:
i'm curious if some of these newer android devices will be able to make use of all the items on the app store.

i want an android specifically because of the UI customizability through programming. there are always things taht annoy me in a phone's UI, and i don't mind putting in time to release things to fix annoyances or to accelerate tasks. i'm worried that some of these newer phones with customizable interfaces won't support all of the extensions or even allow me to put my own apps on them :\
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That is also a concern of mine. I hope all or most manufacturer's make it easy for power users to install the standard Android OS on the phones. But who knows, its most likely they won't.
 
Level 8 Boss said:
The question is, what space year will the sexy Rachael land.
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Considering how mature the UI looks in the video, I'm guessing it ain't all that far off.



SimleuqiR said:
That is also a concern of mine. I hope all or most manufacturer's make it easy for power users to install the standard Android OS on the phones. But who knows, its most likely they won't.
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I'm sure it won't be hard to hack them.
 
My friend wants me to trouble shoot and set up her new MyTouch and I need to reset the username on the phone. Is there a way to do this without erasing all the data on the phone? This is extremely annoying. I feel like I've searched every fucking menu on the phone and I still can't figure it out.

Also... where do you download the MyTouch software?
 
Actually I should be asking if there is any software that allows you to manage MyTouch settings on your computer (i.e. like iTunes for iPhone).
 
SimleuqiR said:
God I hope this makes it to T-mobile.
I would also love to have the Rachel and the Hero.

Once any of these appears on the T-mobile USA network I will abandon my iPhone 2g for the goodness of Android. :D
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I'm right there with you.

Android and Me said:
2. There is a W-CDMA(UMTS) version of Sholes in the works

Verizon will get first dibs on the Sholes phone, but it is set to come to multiple carriers. Our source tells us a UMTS/W-CDMA version is already in the works and almost to appear on AT&T. W-CDMA is the same technology that T-Mobile uses for their 3G network so they remain a possibility as well. These other versions of the Sholes are likely to come a bit later(2010). The UMTS version will also hit several carriers worldwide.
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It sucks that we have to wait until 2010 though. I was hoping to replace my G1 this year. :(
 
tokkun said:
No one knows. It's not even officially announced for Sprint.

Personally, I think that any phones that target social networking (such as the Hero) will require Everything plans in the future. But, all the phones that have required Everything plans so far have been Sprint exclusives, so if the Hero also comes to other networks, there could be a chance. It will be telling to see what they do with the Touch Pro 2 when it launches in a few weeks.
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Not really. The Pre is only exclusive for a little while, and it requires an Everything plan. All the new big ticket phones require Everything plans, I'm not sure if that applies to Windows Mobile though. That should already be known though in Sprint forums, I guess the Pro could be an example to reference, I just am unsure off the top of my head.
 
jonnybryce said:
Not really. The Pre is only exclusive for a little while, and it requires an Everything plan. All the new big ticket phones require Everything plans, I'm not sure if that applies to Windows Mobile though. That should already be known though in Sprint forums, I guess the Pro could be an example to reference, I just am unsure off the top of my head.
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What do you mean 'all the new big ticket phones'? Only the Pre and Instinct require the Everything plan right now, and the most recent smartphone releases, the HTC Snap and Blackberry Tour (the latter of which can be considered a 'big ticket phone', both work on SERO. No Windows Mobile phones require Everything plans.

At this point, everything is just speculation since there haven't been enough phones requiring the Everything plan to form a definitive trend. Wait and see what happens to Touch Pro 2 before drawing conclusions. It's supposed to be out in 3 weeks, and will probably be the 'biggest ticket' (at least in terms of price) phone released on Sprint this year.
 
Onix said:
Man, the Hero's screen looks like absolute shite next to the iPhone 3GS.
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It's smaller and a bit dim; but seeing as how I fucking despise AT&T at this point, iPhone is off the table until Apple can work with other carriers. :\

Also the Sholes/Shules is supposed to have a larger display than iPhone, so hopefully that will be more appealing to folks looking for pretty.
 
I've been messing around with Android for a few days (my friends MyTouch that I referred to in a post above) and I have to say, I don't really like it. It's alright and probably the best alternative to iPhone in a direct comparison but iPhone is still far ahead of Android and it's hardware.
 
Here's a new one, the Dell Benzine. Apparently slated for the chinese market
BGR said:
dellsmartphone.jpg

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE class 12
Size: 68.6cc
103g grams weight
Dimensions: 58 x 122 x 11.7mm
Display: 3.5″ nHD 640×360 LCD, 18-bit, 262K colors
OTA capable
Microsoft Exchange support
Google, AIM, Yahoo and MSN IM support
3 megapixel auto-focus, flash, 8x digital zoom camera with 30fps video shooting mode, built in photo editor
USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
A-GPS
On-screen QWERTY keyboard, hardwriting recognition, multi touch UI
MicroSD slot
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Also, from the same article:
BGR said:
If that wasn’t enough, our source told us that the Motorola Android phone headed to Verizon isn’t called the “Shules” it’s the SHOLES (arguing over code-names, are we?) and it’s a 13.7mm slider. Better still, we were told to mark our calendars for a late September launch of the Motorola Morrison on T-Mobile.
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Source:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/08/13/dells-smartphone-pictured-again-specd-other-android-details/
 
Name a good free image host and I'll try and post something (now in the office without the phone so may not be today).

Had work to do today so not had much of a chance to play with it... but I did switch it on for a little bit :) Need to get it configured how I want it and get on the Market to get some free apps. Also hoping to do some development this weekend.

I'll post some thoughts and maybe some pics or video this weekend...
 
The Take Out Bandit said:
It's smaller and a bit dim;
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I don't care about the size, but the image quality is HEINOUS in comparison. Brightness, contrast, and reflectivity differences are HUGE.
 
Onix, I've had mine for a few days, my girlfriend has an iPhone 3G and I don't see the massive difference that you do... You sound like you've used both so I'm not accusing you of fanboy-ism. However, I am accusing you of being a cyborg from the future, a future that has seen heavy investment in research to build cyborg eyes that can spot differences between phone screens available in the space year 2009.


Anyway, there was a post with a comparison video of the hero and the Galaxy and the Galaxy looked like it was defecating on the Hero from a height. So far though, the Hero screen is plenty bright enough for me, but I've not been outside with it much though. Auto backlight comes enabled, it's slightly annoying but I just switched it off and whacked the brightness right up - again appears plenty bright to me. I do suspect the iPhone is brighter (not got the two side by side atm) but I am yet to wish for something brighter.
 
Ok, not really a hardware question, but I wonder if Android market currently have any apps that will allow me to do some simple painting and 2D animation ?

For the iPhone, there is, for example, Brushes, that allows you to paint quite nicely. They also have another apps that do 2D animation which I don't have the name of right now. So, anyways, anything like those on the Android market ? :)
 
Probably already stated, but AT&T needs to get off their asses and get an Android phone. I was super excited for the HTC Lancaster, but they passed that up for 2 new WinMo phones. =\
 
NetMapel said:
Ok, not really a hardware question, but I wonder if Android market currently have any apps that will allow me to do some simple painting and 2D animation ?

For the iPhone, there is, for example, Brushes, that allows you to paint quite nicely. They also have another apps that do 2D animation which I don't have the name of right now. So, anyways, anything like those on the Android market ? :)
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Cyrket.net <= You can search here.
 
WOOWOOOO!

Motorola to Unveil Android Handset on Sept. 10

Chris Head, PC World

Aug 25, 2009 6:03 pm

A postcard invitational featuring the Android OS' mascot is the newest indication that Motorola is poised to release a new Android handset (or handsets) this September. In recent years Moto's proprietary "dumb-phone" platform has been increasingly eclipsed by smartphones, and especially so with recent releases and price-drops (of the Android OS and Apple iPhone, respectively). Given the potential for the Android OS to help move Moto into the smartphone market quickly and painlessly, the rumor has been nearly impossible to write off as purely wishful thinking.

Motorola has had an Android-focused section of their "MOTODEV" developer website for some time, but this is the closest we've seen to an official confirmation that Motorola's first Android handset is nearly here.

Images purported to be of Moto's new "Morrison" handset (rumored for T-Mobile) show a T-Mobile G1-like form factor with the familiar slide-out full QWERTY keyboard. Unlike the G1, however, the trackball has been replaced with a directional pad that is completely covered while the keyboard is stowed. The front-face features a large, wide-format screen and what looks to be three touch-sensitive buttons. The rumored Verizon handset, codenamed "Sholes," has a similar form factor, but with slightly different navigational buttons and a larger display.

Rumors aside, we'll know on September 10th how this new Android entry compares to its OS brethren and how it will position Motorola's future in the smartphone market.
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http://www.pcworld.com/article/170791/motorola_to_unveil_android_handset_on_sept_10.html
 
http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-10322411-251.html

CNET Blogs said:
We're receiving more tips as we approach the Motorola Android event on September 10. An Android Atlas reader with access to the Motorola Sholes sent in pictures that show off the new look for Android Market. The tip is unconfirmed, but based on the information that was provided, I'd say the screenshots are real. Please keep in mind that these reflect a work in progress and the final look could change.

The pictures below reveal an updated user interface. The new Market has buttons for Top Paid, Top Free, and Just In. There's also a search button in the upper corner of the screen. Most of these features were previously available, but were buried in the menu system. The top level listing also gives a preview of which apps are in each category.

The update appears to be mainly a face-lift, so there's no word on additional features. The tipster noted, however, that this version of the Market was available in a Donut build of Android. The Motorola Sholes will ship with Eclair, so we should see this Market update on other Android phones before Sholes launches later this year.
Click to expand...

newmarket2_cnet_270x399.png
newmarket3_cnet_270x399.png


About damn time!! :D

Also it's becoming more clear that Donut = 1.6 and Eclair = 2.0.
 
Is it generally assumed that the Sholes is the best android phone coming to the states? I read on phonearena that Verizon won't be at this Motorola event in September. Wouldn't you think they would attend this press conference if the Sholes is suppose to be the big iphone competitor?
 
CaptainStrong said:
Is it generally assumed that the Sholes is the best android phone coming to the states? I read on phonearena that Verizon won't be at this Motorola event in September. Wouldn't you think they would attend this press conference if the Sholes is suppose to be the big iphone competitor?
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They might not be outing the Sholes at that. I've heard rumors it's just for the Morrison, which would stink.
 
Andrex said:
They might not be outing the Sholes at that. I've heard rumors it's just for the Morrison, which would stink.
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oh please tell me you aren't confident in this rumor....if the sholes isn't really happening anytime soon i may actually look at the Storm 2
 
CaptainStrong said:
oh please tell me you aren't confident in this rumor....if the sholes isn't really happening anytime soon i may actually look at the Storm 2
Click to expand...

The Sholes is coming in October to Verizon. This leaked internal document from a Verizon employee came out today:

1zdrgcy.png


However, news did hit that Verizon was not attending the Motorola conference, so that begs the question: Is the Motorola event only to announce the Morrison for T-Mobile? Then again, maybe Verizon doesn't need to be there at all.
 
Vyse The Legend said:
The Sholes is coming in October to Verizon. This leaked internal document from a Verizon employee came out today:

1zdrgcy.png


However, news did hit that Verizon was not attending the Motorola conference, so that begs the question: Is the Motorola event only to announce the Morrison for T-Mobile? Then again, maybe Verizon doesn't need to be there at all.
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So Verizon is.....actually......getting....an...Android phone?! Dr. Sholes here I come!
 
Fatalah said:
So Verizon is.....actually......getting....an...Android phone?! Dr. Sholes here I come!
Click to expand...

From leaked documents, they're also getting the HTC Desire, which is purported to be a "With Google" phone, so that means it won't have any bad Verizon tinkering holding it back (if that is their strategy with their Android handsets.)
 
Archos 5 Android details and pics!

646771.jpg
IMG_113455.jpg


16 GB Solid State: $293.95
32 GB Solid State: $369.95
160 GB Hard Drive: $319.95
500 GB Hard Drive: $419.95
+ DVR Station: $129.95
(All current Archos 5 peripherals seem to be compatible!)

Shiny! I hope it still comes in white like the leaked photos.
 
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