Analyst says first Android phone will ship in November, possibly without Exchange

The HTC Dream may have already cleared the FCC, but at least one analyst that has actually seen the very first Android-based device, Moe Tanabian of IBB Consulting, says that it will only be hitting stores around Thanksgiving in November, and not September or October as many were expecting. He also says that its "unclear" whether the phone will support Microsoft Exchange or not (at least right out of the gate), and that users may have to rely on Gmail if they want to receive push email. Among other tidbits, he also confirms that the device will have access to T-Mobile's own App Store-like service, and that it'll come with Google's advertising software pre-installed, which he says could not only lower the cost of the phone, but allow for lower monthly service fees as well. Of course, you'll have to take that with all the usual analyst caveats for the time being, but we're sure we'll be hearing plenty more to back it up or shoot it down before the September / October / November launch.

[Via Electronista]

[jon @ Aug 18th 2008 11:24AM]

Ads on your cell phone? Ehh.. no thanks...

[Josh @ Aug 18th 2008 11:37AM]

i guess it depends where they put the ads

[TareX @ Aug 18th 2008 11:47AM]

Ads on a cellphone? Yes please.

Especially if you get to pay 20$ or something for unlimited Data.... I wouldn't mind a stupid little Ad which I may even check out. Look at Engadget. See that "Find your Graduating Class" ad? Is it killing you? No? Would you rather pay to see an ad-free Engadget? No? Then you want small ads on your phone, but you just don't know it yet.

Also Google has been doing this for a living. If I would choose one company to send me non-annoying ads in a non-annoying way that even saves me money, it would be Google.

[Kris @ Aug 18th 2008 12:12PM]

@TareX, $20 for unlimited data? Try $15 for Sprint customers.

[TareX @ Aug 18th 2008 12:20PM]

15$? That's impressive (not considering quality and coverage)... But I was making an example directed at that ridiculous $40 for iPhone 3G data. I pay less for a month of heat.... in winter.

[riggs @ Aug 18th 2008 12:27PM]

that explains all the coats in your closet my friend

[Kris @ Aug 18th 2008 12:33PM]

I thought iPhone 3G data was $30?

[TareX @ Aug 18th 2008 12:56PM]

@ riggs

well no... but it explains my gratefulness of having a roommate :)

[lolec @ Aug 18th 2008 2:22PM]

Ads ? sure ! hackers will find a way to get rid of them, so that only stupid people will have to look at them.
getting cheap data thanks to stupid people. that´s a dream

[Freakin Ijit @ Aug 18th 2008 11:31AM]

Why should we believe this?

[Sean @ Aug 18th 2008 11:40AM]

Exactly. Just a couple weeks ago 'analysts' were saying Android would be delayed until 2009.

[Nick @ Aug 18th 2008 12:05PM]

I'm not sure all the info is right. I'd imagine that the info he got was that Gmail with have push e-mail support and that's all he knows. If someone is "unsure" and something, they should not report about it. http://htcsource.com has a good roundup on what they think about this report from Moe Tanabian.

[Freakin Ijit @ Aug 18th 2008 12:08PM]

A Dow Jones article says T-Mobile has made it official (but without a date). Here's a partial excerpt of the article:

>>> 8/18/2008 11:59:11 AM
>>> BERLIN (AFP)--T-Mobile said Monday it plans to launch a mobile phone
>>> powered by Google Inc's Android software, making it the first operator to
>>> do so and posing a direct threat to Apple Inc's (AAPL) popular iPhone...

I think it is unlikely T-Mobile would say such a thing when the release date is November or later.

[bob sakamano @ Aug 18th 2008 11:45AM]

without exchange? my guess is someway they have to work around the million patents that people have on these things (or license them)

[Alex @ Aug 18th 2008 11:48AM]

The ads are going to be on the side bars of google searches. Much like they are on Gmail right now. I dont think it is much of a problem to be like that. Sometimes those ads are actually helpful.

[From My Cube @ Aug 18th 2008 11:49AM]

if they can put tastefull ad's that will lower my phone bill, I am for it...but they better not take over the entire screen type crap....send me a txt message with some adverts and Ill sign up

[JerryA @ Aug 18th 2008 1:48PM]

I may very well be wrong but one thing Google knows is advertising. I don't expect something as spammy or avoidable as text ads or popups. I would imagine something much closer to the way they advertise in search results now. Think of using Gmaps or Search and having a few sponsored links show up in your results when you try to locate a pizza place within 5 miles of your current GPS location. You already see some of this with the current Gmaps and Live Search on Windows Mobile.

I'm more concerned with buying a Gen 1 product. I probably won't switch over to TMo since I get excellent Sprint service (as well as free roaming on VZW) in the Baltimore/DC area for $15/mo unlimited 3G data. Hopefully we see more Android devices over the next year and I can pick one up on the network of my choice after the initial kinks are worked out.

[I-phone Is I-sexaayy @ Aug 18th 2008 11:51AM]

anyone still want to deny how revolutionary the app store is?

Nice copy google. Lucky for apple your software will be buggy for the next year LOL

[sdf632 @ Aug 18th 2008 11:57AM]

LOL; guess you haven't heard about all those little issues Apple seems to be facing as well. Personally, I think android will not be less polished/functional than iPhone 3G was on release. Hopefully, the Dream won't even have a bad 3G chipset, like a certain phone that is taking flak.

[Kris @ Aug 18th 2008 12:16PM]

@I-phone Is I-sexaayy, do you really think Apple invented an applications store? The T-Mobile Sidekick has had this since its inception. Handango has provided this for many years on BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and other devices.

I hate trolls. It's one thing if they can make a good argument. It's another when they're just stupid like the iPhone trolls here.

[I-phone Is I-sexaayy @ Aug 18th 2008 4:27PM]

Haha wow. Andriod has already failed and the
Sidekick did fail already

[sdf632 @ Aug 18th 2008 11:54AM]

I call BS on this one. Why would T-Mobile deliberately do this if its already been approved by FCC and is mostly ready for launch?

[Kris @ Aug 18th 2008 12:21PM]

Being approved by the FCC and being ready to launch are very different things. Being approved by the FCC just means the hardware is most likely final (any hardware that would send out or receive any kind of signals at least).

There could be other pieces to finish like software.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Aug 18th 2008 11:58AM]

Since when does GMail have push? Did I miss something? Are they gonna roll it out for this launch, and if so, will it be available on other devices?

[koresho @ Aug 18th 2008 1:56PM]

Gmail has always been push capable- I have my BlackBerry tied to two separate Gmail accounts now. I believe all you need for push is IMAP support, but don't quote me on that... I'm not quite sure.

[Kris @ Aug 18th 2008 12:18PM]

@koresho, GMail currently does not have push. IMAP is a way of synchronizing e-mail and folders but does not do any kind of push e-mail.

Now if you're currently with someone like T-Mobile, they have it setup with their BlackBerry devices so that when you setup your account, their servers automatically check it every minute and when a new mail is found, it's pushed to your device. This has nothing to do with GMail.

[TareX @ Aug 18th 2008 12:23PM]

Gmail has enabled imap and pop3 a long time ago.
I have been pushing Gmail to my E65 via Nokia Mail Exchange... for over a year now.

It should be easier with the new Nokia Email client...

[Jon @ Aug 18th 2008 12:09PM]

oh yeah could you imagine if they had substituted the word Apple for Google, wow how the geeks would be squealing about how "bad" Apple were and how there would be no way they'd ever buy the phone.

Hypocrisy stinks.

[Jon Doe. @ Aug 18th 2008 12:46PM]

Yah well Google fans generally aren't pompous self important douchebags. When the Apple community and Apple's attitude that they are the best comes down to reality. Then people will stop picking on Apple. Until then...live with it.

[Jon Doe. @ Aug 18th 2008 12:43PM]

Grrrrr. October T Mobile. Make it October!

[Javaflash @ Aug 18th 2008 12:43PM]

How many products from Google come with ads built in? Google Docs, Talk, Earth, Picasa? Guys at MountainView are smart. They won't squeeze ads into places that irritate end users or impact core functionality of a product.

My worry = Android will DOA by Google's lay-back research centric approach on product intro. These geeks are no AAPL, who are always able to sell skin-deep craps (iMovie, iDVD, iWorks minus Keynote, iPhoto, Mac OS X, Mobile Me) for the price + looks of rare gems.

[AngryPenguin @ Aug 18th 2008 12:54PM]

Yes, God forbid someone actually make a good product that sells itself!

[imgroupie @ Aug 18th 2008 12:48PM]

not to mention the mobileme issue..

anyways this whole apple vs google thing is lame, google worked with apple to create the safari browser on 4 the iphone. apple had its market share now its time for google

[Christian @ Aug 18th 2008 1:28PM]

Just give us the date and specs already, I've been drooling for too long, I have to keep drinking water to keep up...

[bpm2000 @ Aug 18th 2008 1:40PM]

not sure how they implement it exactly but Helio has had push gmail for a while now. Yea I know, Helio.

[skyshock21 @ Aug 18th 2008 2:22PM]

Something tells me the guys at the android developer offices in Google are laughing their ass off.

[Freakin Ijit @ Aug 18th 2008 3:06PM]

Ya think?

Lol!

[nick @ Aug 19th 2008 2:29PM]

Iphone nano is going to dust pretty much everything. Sad to say..