Firm shows off functional Android build on ancient HTC hardware

California-based a la Mobile has crafted a somewhat complete set of phone apps in prototype form -- you know, the most basic kinds of things you'd need on a smartphone to make it usable -- on top of Android, claiming it's the first group to show off a fully functional prototype. The firm installed its goodies on a Qtek 9090, a rather ancient, janky HTC device from days gone by, proving that a wide swath of devices already in the marketplace will be ripe targets for Android transplants once solid, fully functional code is widely available. Though no one in the 34 member strong Open Handset Alliance has publicly committed to a particular Android software stack -- let alone a particular hardware design -- a la Mobile says that it's making a play among OHA member manufacturers to take a good, hard look at its wares as they navigate the process. The head of the LiMo Foundation, a sorta-competitor to the Open Handset Alliance, naturally downplayed a la Mobile's efforts, calling Android "just like a big lab experiment" -- though he did manage to call the prototype "interesting." How about we keep the verbal volleys to a minimum and get some friggin' Linux in the mainstream, ladies and gentlemen?

[Johan S @ Jan 13th 2008 3:37PM]

The device is at QVGA, which is useless. Thanks to its QVGA centric dev environment, Android itself is headed for failure (unless phone manufacturers realize that web enabled devices need higher resolutions)

[L @ Jan 13th 2008 4:33PM]

And what makes you think that it is QVGA-centric?

The API documentation clearly mentions higher-than-QVGA resolutions...so do some research before you start whining about QVGA - YET again. It's getting tiresome, reading your pointless ramblings in any post that even just remotely mentions a display...

[quiksilv3r @ Jan 13th 2008 4:37PM]

Pixel Obsessive Disorder. POD. You should seek help.

[Reader @ Jan 13th 2008 5:12PM]

Wow... Your avatar is even dedicated to how much you don't like QVGA. I didn't notice people cared about phone screens that much.

[Richard Lai @ Jan 13th 2008 5:22PM]

Johan S: your comment is already a failure.

[andi @ Jan 14th 2008 8:23AM]

yup, QVGA is far too weak... but the android-dev is not oqvga-centric...

and anyone ripping on this guy... try looking at the screen of a nokia e70 or n80 or whatever other, or any KDDI phone from japan if you can get your hands on one. you'd be stunned to see the difference...

[Colin B @ Jan 13th 2008 3:45PM]

Has anyone else grown tired of the recent overuse of the word "janky"? Just wondered if that bothered anyone else...

[Canman99 @ Jan 13th 2008 6:13PM]

Yeah, I think the use of that work is kinda janky!

[RichardBronosky @ Jan 13th 2008 7:40PM]

It is certainly in need of a swanky replacement.

[MJB @ Jan 13th 2008 3:48PM]

Chris Zeigler - I swear if you use the word JANKY one more time in a post...try the thesaurus (too bad its not a REAL WORD!)

MJB

[Chris Ziegler @ Jan 13th 2008 3:50PM]

Probably not worth getting that upset about, but duly noted nonetheless.

Chris

[austin @ Jan 13th 2008 4:12PM]

please, continue to use janky. put it in all of your articles. just to press mjb's buttons

[Samo @ Jan 13th 2008 4:31PM]

Brit here - what does 'Janky' mean?
I personally want Android to succeed, and having it on an old device just mean that it doesn't take the best, newest and most expensive components to just run the OS, unlike some other OS' *cough* Vista *cough*.

that, and I do like Google as a co, if they stop scaring the normal peeps with privacy fears.

@Johan S: Remebmer, Android is a s/w project, and it's up to the device manufacturers to make decent devices... and as a note, it appears some smart phones are getting VGA screens (Eten M800 bein one).

[Andrew @ Jan 13th 2008 4:54PM]

Haha, I'm American and I don't even have a clue what it means. I can only infer from the context that it's some variation of "not good"

[av8or @ Jan 13th 2008 4:20PM]

how about skanky?
skanky
just rolls off the tongue, try it
i like skanky, it works for me XD

[Christopher Price @ Jan 13th 2008 4:20PM]

The Qtek 9090 is hardly a "janky" device from HTC. It is based on the HTC Blue Angel (In fact, a perfect reference-design implementation). The Blue Angel was sold as the Siemens SX66 in the United States, and a CDMA version (Harrier) was sold on Sprint and Verizon.

The Blue Angel is largely considered for making HTC a popular name brand worldwide. Hardly janky.

Christopher Price
PhoneNews.com

[Chris Ziegler @ Jan 13th 2008 4:21PM]

Christopher,

It's janky in that it's old. a la Mobile could've picked any of dozens of newer HTC models, but the fact that they chose the 9090 is an encouraging sign for enthusiasts that will be looking to replace Windows Mobile with Android on their devices later this year.

Chris

[Christopher Price @ Jan 13th 2008 4:29PM]

Old doesn't make an HTC device worthless. Hackers have installed Windows Mobile 6 on the 9090, and all other Blue Angel devices.

People love that Neonode N2 which only has GPRS, yet rag on a Blue Angel running Windows Mobile 6. It's a painful dual standard that convinces Microsoft and Co to not offer official upgrades for these older devices.

[Andrew @ Jan 13th 2008 4:31PM]

Yeah well, it's still better than my Mogul, how sad is that? The Mogul only has 64mb of RAM while the 9090 has 128! So in reality, even with a phone that old, it doesn't show me that it can work on my current and much newer phone. The Mogul is such a turd. Oh well, it gets the job done.

[Andrew Cooper @ Jan 13th 2008 5:22PM]

Janky - cheaply/poorly made/designed, malfunctioning, likely to have a piece or pieces fall off during use. you get the idea. probably evolved from the word junk, but I am just guessing.

[Angus Hedger @ Jan 13th 2008 5:57PM]

I have one of those phones!!

Might be old, but the specs are better than a lot of the newer ones,

Its missing 3G, but thats its

400mhz cpu/128mb of ram = Good!

And running WM6.

But it would be nice to try Android on this thing, so its nice to hear.

[BCTI @ Jan 13th 2008 7:06PM]

If I can dial a number and the call goes through, then it's a good phone. Do you really need all the features of a supercomputer packed into a phone?
It's a phone. I have a laptop if I need to send mail. I don't have any desire to watch a movie on my phone. If a person has comeup with a way to make phones cheaper, then more power to 'em. It's nice for some people to have a device than can multitask, but not everyone needs it. Just having a device that can work everywhere on the planet on one unified network would be an achievement.

Oh......Take a poll and pick the ugliest design and loudest color.

[Markus @ Jan 13th 2008 8:04PM]

I wish the andriod the best of luck. Maybe they can produce a phone I will be able to afford.

[marcelol @ Jan 13th 2008 9:46PM]

Chris: a 9090 is not an ancient piece of hardware by any stretch. Matter of fact, there's Windows Mobile 6 even running ( and nicely I might add ) on them, with many things even HTC probably didn't envision.

[The_Steven @ Jan 13th 2008 10:00PM]

Interesting.... So there's hope yet I can pull my "old" HTC 8125 out of the closet and re-flash it with the Android s/w.... Hmmmm /:)

[skulldriveshaft @ Jan 14th 2008 2:03AM]

To see Android being usable on "old" hardware, this would make the bottom of the cellphone markets much LOWER.

All of a sudden, old hardware can be reflashed and sent back out for one more round, the overstock of hardware won't have to be cleared out because it doesn't conform to some new OS/firmware.

This could save alot of phones from going to the landfill, they could be given to charities without feeling guilty that you gave someone an outdated phone with a past due OS/firmware.

Thanks a la Mobile for showing that even the low end of the spectrum, from a manufacturer's standpoint, still has market relevance and desirability given the right Android setup.

[Joel Stephen @ Jan 14th 2008 5:57AM]

This is great for the consumer and the cellphone world I hope Android succeeds. Being able to run on the older hardware means many phones can be resurrected and that it should be easy to install on more advanced hardware.

Why doesn't HTC make devices with large screens anymore and more memory the 9090 still equals my TyTn and the Tilt in many ways which is sad. And whats with HTC feeling that their phones have to have so much surface area to screen real estate. I like HTC products but its about time they update their form factor.

[lettcco @ Jan 14th 2008 9:41AM]

yes! another step closer to get android on my HTC mogul! F!@# window mobile 6!

[planner @ Jan 14th 2008 7:25PM]

I just screenshot of A La Mobile's apps has been spotted at
http://openandroids.com/2008/01/14/screenshot-of-a-la-mobiles-application-on-htc-qtek-9090/
It looks really cool.