You may already be immune to those Sprint commercials that keep using the term “4G”, but the reality is that they may have a 4G WiMax network in a lot of cities, but no phones! Well that’s about to change this summer with the introduction of a new 4G smartphone.
There’s a good chance too that it’ll be an HTC running Android. Sweet! [Well, if you're a Sprint customer] Here’s hoping that it’s a Pre/Droid/iPhone-class gadget.
Google decided to have some fun with the Nexus One release, and create this fun video of some ninjas ‘unwrapping’ a Nexus One box. Only a minute and a half long and pretty entertaining. Head over to YouTube if you’d like to see the video in HD.
AT&T announced that it plans to launch 5 new Android smartphones in the 1st half of this year (2010) [press release]. The phones will be from HTC, Motorola and Dell. Yes, Dell.
What does this say about AT&T relationship with Apple and its iPhone? Perhaps nothing, but perhaps that the honeymoon is over and Apple may really be taking its iPhone to other networks as well.
As we predicted, here’s another eBook reader. The eDGe from enTourage is not just an e-reader, but a netbook, notepad and A/V recorder/player. It is also unique in that it is a dual-screen device.
Includes a SD card, USB flash drive and WiFi. The eReader screen is a 9.7″ diagonal with a resolution of 1200 x 825 pixels, while the color touchscreen for the netbook is a 10.1″ diagonal 1024×600 pixel screen.
The netbook includes an audio recorder to capture lectures for later playback or sharing. It also has a video camera to record still images or movies as MP4s or 3GP files. You can plug in headphones or a microphone or use the built in speaker and recorder.
eDGe™ runs the Google Android OS with 3GB of memory and has future support for 3G using an EVDO or HSDPA mobile modem.
Available in Feb 2010 for $490.
First there were the rumors, but now Dell has confirmed that they are getting into the cell phone handset market and yes, the Mini 3 as it will be called, will run Android.
They’re starting off in China and Brazil, but hopefully will release a handset stateside soon.
It seems like an incongruous pairing, but Radio Shack (aka The Shack) is set to carry the iPhone 3G and 3GS in Dallas and New York City by Thanksgiving, and then nationwide in 2010.
Of course, if you can’t wait, you can still get an iPhone at Wal-Mart or Best Buy OR you could get yourself an Android handset instead.
The folks at Gizmodo are saying that the upcoming eReader from Barnes & Noble will run Android. If that’s true, I’ll be thrilled. As a ‘power user’ at minimum, I always want my electronics devices to be more than just appliances. I want them to be computers, that can be modified and updated and hacked. Having the OS be Android will open up the possibilities for the eReader to have a long and useful life that doesn’t absolutely depend on just being an eReader. Kudos B&N. This will also put Android to the test as more that just a cell phone OS.
Another device jumps on board the Android bandwagon. This time it’s Archos whose latest Internet tablet, the Archos 5 runs the Google OS. The tablet hasn’t been released yet, but it’s already available for pre-order at Amazon.
Here’s another IM aggregator that makes managing all of your online personalities on your cell/smart phone/mobile easier: Nimbuzz Mobile. It can handle Skype, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, AIM, Google Talk and more using a single login. Nimbuzz not only IMs, but also manages clls, messaging, photos, video, music and more.
Nimbuzz also lets you locate your buddies on a map (assuming they’ve got their GPS tracking turned on), and if they’re running Nimbuzz too, you can ‘buzz’ them which turns on Nimbuzz on their phone.
Nimbuzz is now available for Android as well. You can see the full list of supported devices here.
Motorola’s first Android handset, the CLIQ, makes its first appearance on the T-Mobile network. The CLIQ is a slide-out keyboard handset with a 320×480 3.1″ HVGA screen that operates on WCDMA and GSM networks. Other notable features include the accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, a microSD card slot, touch screen, 802.11b/g WiFi, 6 hour battery life (325 hrs in standby) and of course, all of the various Android applications and features.
Motorola already has other Android handsets in the pipe, and Google has already announced that there will be at least 18 Android handsets by the end of 2009 and certainly more next year.
