Samsung-built, Google-branded Android phones due later this year?

According to man-about-town, Robert X. Cringely, Samsung is readying not one, but two separate Android-based phones, one of which is due in September, with another model following around Christmas. If you believe what you read (and what his tipster says), these phones will not be labeled Samsung, rather they will be released as Google-branded gPhones. The model released in the Fall will be a "higher-end" model which apparently looks "somewhat like a Blackberry Pearl" but with a screen that flips and "a keyboard for texting" (though to be honest, that description makes little sense, as the Pearl has a keyboard). The second device will be a cheaper model (under $100), and will likely be released after the holidays. Of course, right now this is just speculation -- given the large gap of time between now and September, these plans could be completely rearranged or nixed altogether... even if they are accurate.

[Via IntoMobile]

[paragraph @ Feb 19th 2008 12:48PM]

I see what you did there...

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Meh, andrioid looks good, but i'm not too thrilled yet. Call me when HTC anounnces a handset...

[Jamma @ Feb 19th 2008 2:34PM]

HTC has handsets, and lots of them.

Drivers however.....

[Jeff @ Feb 19th 2008 10:13PM]

If they'd put Android on an HTC Touch (for Sprint) i'd buy it in a heartbeat. (assuming Android doesn't en up sucking.)

Because the hardware, while not nearly as smooth or powerful as an iphone, is really attractive... but the Touch's OS is a total turd. ....Android to the rescue? HTC Touch 2, with android, on Sprint..

...a man can dream.

[travis @ Feb 19th 2008 12:50PM]

What are the chances! i googled "google phone" today for the first time in about 6 months, and whats the top story today? google phone! yes. that was a nice 4 seconds.

[nxtiak @ Feb 19th 2008 12:52PM]

As long as it's touch screen it's good.
Is Android only 1 flavor unlike Windows Mobile with 2 (or is it 3?) versions?

[John Johnson @ Feb 19th 2008 12:54PM]

Will it play Doom?

[Junior @ Feb 19th 2008 4:23PM]

whats the point of saying that. everything plays doom now.

[silverblackvoid @ Feb 20th 2008 10:08AM]

wanna get low ranked?

-say the doom crap.

[The Angry Intern @ Feb 19th 2008 12:59PM]

i'm still waiting for the Banana Phone

[JAmerican @ Feb 19th 2008 2:00PM]

Ring Ring Ring Banana phone...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wky5H1xC6-I

[Tav @ Feb 19th 2008 1:03PM]

It's got to be a touch screen! I want the size of the itouch (if not smaller) but with the slide out keyboard.

[Daniel Spiegelman @ Feb 19th 2008 7:01PM]

ok this is an itouch

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/22/pasen-tries-to-go-legit-with-the-itouch-se/
i think you mean iPod Touch......

[Joe @ Feb 19th 2008 1:20PM]

I hope it will play HD-DVD. I haven't had the time to read any other news articles today, but I assume this phone is the top story.

[xbit @ Feb 19th 2008 1:20PM]

I wonder who will release a functioning SDK first - Google or Apple?

[Scott @ Feb 19th 2008 1:48PM]

Google.

http://code.google.com/android/download.html

[Jeff @ Feb 19th 2008 10:15PM]

I wonder who will be the first to release a functional SDK for a device that exists...

[Joshua Walters @ Feb 19th 2008 1:21PM]

Personally, I wouldnt mind buying something like this when my 1yr comes around this October (free phones every year! great promo!).

The only thing is, I have Verizon. I have a feeling that we will see Android phones on Verizon, I just dont think they will come this year.

Even if they do, I will have to see how well done they are. If they are crappy and restricted a ton by Verizon, then Ill go Windows Mobile. (right now I have an enV, and its pretty nice for the most basic of Smart Phone functions like Notes, Calendar, and mobile web (though not real web)).

[nojok3 @ Feb 19th 2008 9:52PM]

It will be even longer waiting for this to come to Sprint

[OziD @ Feb 20th 2008 1:25AM]

Nojok3, we got the palm centro before att!

oh, wait.

i own it and use it every day, but i'd rather have something else. its great that they got a phone before ATT, but this is a poor show. top of the line sprint phone = middle of the line att phone. glad i got EVDO, though.

[danny @ Feb 19th 2008 1:26PM]

Well if that thing doesn't look beautiful, I don't know what is. I guess a photoshopped Google logo on a cell phone just really gets it for me. And @paragraph: I highly expect to see an HTC handset... soon...

-D
http://www.androidboards.com

[ahsan @ Feb 19th 2008 1:27PM]

Maybe Google will have a Contacts API ready by then so you can sync your gmail contacts. I wish they'd get one done up for my Kaiser to sync with. Hate managing multiple contact lists.

[lou @ Feb 19th 2008 1:41PM]

I hope it'll have cut and paste! ;)

[DP @ Feb 19th 2008 1:57PM]

I saw the demo of Android in use, didn't do anything for me.

[Jeff @ Feb 19th 2008 10:17PM]

yeah... compared to the iPhone, it's really nothing special... but compared to the other garbage out there, it looks pretty decent to me.

[DP @ Feb 21st 2008 12:00AM]

If you mean average -- funny -- when you say decent, then yes, it looks very decent.

[Allen Farris @ Feb 19th 2008 3:12PM]

They might mean a full-keyboard as opposed to the Blackberry Pearl's SureType keyboard.

[KC @ Feb 19th 2008 3:16PM]

OMG. It's a KIRF!

But seriously, I am looking forward to an "open phone" that I can also use as an information display device (like a chumby) that I can leave on my desk. Hopefully this phone (os) will be "The One".

[Kyledl @ Feb 19th 2008 3:43PM]

looks more like an updated i607 (blackjack) rather than a blackberry.

[OziD @ Feb 20th 2008 1:27AM]

since when do official pictures get released before the OS is final and somebody speculated. obviously not real, man.

[trevor @ Feb 19th 2008 7:29PM]

I got really excited when I saw the side view in the picture. Then I realized it was a pen.

[Jeff @ Feb 19th 2008 10:17PM]

hahaha

[Chris @ Feb 19th 2008 10:18PM]

Sorry, can't wait that long, common' Apple release that dam 3G iphone already! Or at the very least give me a $300 8GB(not used). I like Samsung and I'm sure this should turn out to be a very nice phone but in around a year and 1/2 when Android is at the top of its game then I'll look into it.