The HTC Magic is a slick looking device with a curvy design that seems reminiscent of the Android G1. The device features a rollerball, quick keys, and a much improved camera. Video recording and the responsiveness of the camera have been improved for the launch of this device and will surely please.
The first difference from the G1 that you’ll surely notice is that it is thinner and lacks a keyboard. Other than that, you can expect the same screen resolution and size. The screen might be somewhat brighter and the color temperature slightly different, but now we’re getting into some minor details.
Overall, the phone is a good device for touchscreen lovers who want an Android phone but would like something a little slimmer with no slide out keyboard. The device looks very pretty and it’s nice to see the Android platform start to influence the look and feel of a device. For a company that also manufactures the less-than-beautiful Windows Mobile, they’re really proving they can make a wide variety of devices.
I’m really tired of spy shots being so blurry. Sometimes I think there’s no such thing as a “leak” and it’s always some marketing guy playing games with the internet. The blurry pics back up this theory because it keeps a hype going without actually revealing anything. BTW how boring is this post? Sorry.
The HTC Touch is a great phone. Problem is, Windows Mobile can be incredibly frustrating for the average consumer. The Microsoft approach is great for anyone who is a pro user. It provides you with every possible option and lets you choose your experience. It’s the complete opposite of Apple and the iPhone. Mac has always been described to me as “the computer for people who don’t understand or care about computers.” Maybe having Android on the HTC Touch is a good idea. I’d have to try it out myself.
Lenovo, the notebook maker, is developing an Android-powered handset that is supposed to be incredibly bossy. The above pic is the first available live image of the Android Lenovo device and it’s codenamed OPhone. Not very original huh? The device will launch on China Mobile and support its 3G service called TD SCDMA. Don’t expect this phone to launch anytime in the US. It’s going to be only available in China and maybe Asia.
The guys over at Phandroid have found a group of unused icons on the Android Market. The icons suggest that we’ll be seeing ringtones, wallpapers, and Google Checkout support in the near future. Expect all the ringtones and wallpapers to be governed by the carriers and therefore completely lame. As we all know, carriers have opposite of the Midas Touch. Everything they touch turns to garbage.
The T-Mobile G1 is available unlocked for $399 under a new name: The Android Dev Phone 1. The Android Dev Phone 1 is the same device as the T-Mobile G1, except it is completely open. Forget going online and giving a stranger your IMEI or following an online guide for some sketchy hardware unlock. All you will need is an Android Market account to qualify. Head over to the Android Market site for more info. There is a $25 registration fee.
The Android Dev Phone 1 is a SIM-unlocked and hardware-unlocked device that is designed for advanced developers. The device ships with a system image that is fully compatible with Android 1.0, so you can rely on it when developing your applications. You can use any SIM in the device and can flash custom Android builds that will work with the unlocked bootloader. Unlike the bootloader on retail devices, the bootloader on the Android Dev Phone 1 does not enforce signed system images. The Android Dev Phone 1 should also appeal to developers who live outside of T-Mobile geographies.
Colorware have been keeping up with all the popular devices and painting them all the colors of the rainbow. When the Bold launched, Colorware was all over it and painted it bright wonderfulness. Now, the T-Mobile G1 can be painted for a starting price of $175. For an additional $15 you can change the color of the keyboard or bottom or back.
Now that the first Android phone is on the market, Google is going to have to step up the hype if they’re going to make a dent in an iPhone dominated US market. One of the easiest ways to do this is to promote the key features that iPhone lacks such as Flash Player 10.
In this video, recorded at the Adobe MAX developer conference, Andy Rubin plays Star Dudes by DudeStudios. He also shows some great features such as the ability to zoom in on the video during play.
“We are excited to be working alongside Adobe to bring Flash technology to Android,” said Andy Rubin, director of mobile platforms at Google. “Adobe Flash is crucial to a rich Internet and content experience on mobile devices and we are thrilled that Google will be one of the first companies along with the Open Handset Alliance to bring Flash technology to the smartphone market.”
Now if Android can only wrap its head around a single app store that makes content discovery easy for the average consumer, we’d have a perfect device.
Japan’s NTT DoCoMo have put out some incredible concept devices and proven their ability to think outside of the box when it comes to mobile phones. According to the Business Standard, DoCoMo is planning an Android device next year. The device will be co-developed with Korean telecom KT Freetel of which DoCoMo owns 10%.
Being the first Android handset in Japan, there are huge expectations. With a country that has such an incredible mobile educated population, combined with a completely open platform, I’m hoping Japanese consumers and developers will push Android to its limits. The phone is also expected to be about 20% cheaper than other smartphones because of the savings with an open source OS. Stay tuned!
Graham Stewart, a software consultant from Boulder, CO., developed an Android proxy app that allows you to browse the web via a USB connected T-Mobile G1. The connection is fairly slow when relaying the EDGE data nework, and it should work with 3G. I should also clarify that this isn’t a typical “tether” in that you’ll have full Internet access, but rather this only allows web access.
[ad#google468] Click through to continue reading how to tether your Android G1 to your laptop
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