Google shows off masked Android handset
By Donald Melanson 
posted Sep 16th 2008 11:53AM
posted Sep 16th 2008 11:53AM
It looks like Google was doing its best to spread Android fever in London this morning, with it taking advantage of its Developer Day event to show off a working Android phone for the first time in Europe. While Google apparently wasn't quite ready to take all the wraps off the suspiciously Dream-like handset itself, PC Pro reports that it looked "far more polished" than it did in earlier leaked videos, and that by all accounts it was actually a "finished commercial device." Google's Mike Jennings was, on the other hand, more than eager to talk about the OS, and he even dropped a tantalizing "why not?" when asked if Android could be used on devices other than phones. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any video of the event available, but you can check out a few first hand reports by hitting up the links below.
Read - TechRadar, "Google shows off final Android handset"
Read - PC Pro, "Android handset hits London"
Read - PC Pro, "Will Apple or Android get in my pocket?"
Update: Video of the event has been found (thanks, rxgator). Head on past the break to check it out.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Read - TechRadar, "Google shows off final Android handset"
Read - PC Pro, "Android handset hits London"
Read - PC Pro, "Will Apple or Android get in my pocket?"
Update: Video of the event has been found (thanks, rxgator). Head on past the break to check it out.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
It's funny how much better looking the word "Google" is typed as a headline versus their actual logo. The time for an update is long overdue. Oh, and Android is a yawn.
I disagree with everything you just said.
Android is a yawn? Please provide details of your experiences with Android devices. I am dying to find out about it and with a statement that bold, you are clearly someone in the know!
The logo needs an update? What are you 12?
h8ers gotta h8
"captainpease" is a paid troll for AT&T, who full time job is to spread FUD about Android.
"The logo needs an update? What are you 12?"
Nope. Just a iHype Fanboi...wait....that is redundant. Sorry.
youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmniBnVB6wA
Thanks for the video. I was among the "everyone who sent this".... I tipped Engadget like 6 hours ago.
Anyway, utterly disappointed. The tape covering the logos is proof it is the final product. And it looks like a polished black version of the leaked "prototype-ish" phone. The OS had better be kick-ass to justify the not-so-impressive hardware.
Alright not so "prototypish" in black... but again it's no Diamond/iPhone/TouchHD either.
oooo different colors! As we noticed before, the black one looks the best.
I second that.
But wouldn't a hot rod red and jet black mixed look even more better?
I think so.
I'm just waiting for a cherry coloured one.
Then I can use black boot polish on it and make it Oxblood!
... I miss my second hand oxblood docs. :(
Yeah, as far as other devices, i think Android would be great for a CarPC!
I think it would be awesome on PSP2. If only...
Taylor, you didn't sign your post
Damn you Mr. Blurrycam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least have a video though :D
Go here:
http://keepvid.com/?url=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DnmniBnVB6wA
and download the high quality version. It's much better.
Can I have an Android-powered Treo that runs Access' Palm OS translation layer, please?
I'd even pay for it. Yes, I'm that serious.
@PM
"Are you serious? I'm not an apple fanboy, but I think it stands true when I say that Google has shown off the Android much more times without delivering, than Apple did with mobile OS X."
Really? Everything you say after "I'm not an apple fanboy" indicates you in fact are. Lets see... How many times did Apple demo the iPhone as a work in progress to show the fans how it was coming along before it launched? How can Android have failed to deliver more often when it hasn't even been released and therefore hasn't failed to deliver ANYTHING yet?
"The android is a fantastic platform, and it's very powerful, but it went through a lot more hiccups."
Huh? Are you from the future when Android has already launched and has problems? Can I ride in your Delorean? To claim that Android has gone through more hiccups before it has even launched is assinine.
"The only thing that Apple really, badly screwed up on was the MobileMe launch, where they tried to launch a million things at once (figuratively speaking). Other than that, almost all Apple releases go pretty smooth."
Where have you been? Almost everything about the iPhone 3G launch has been a complete fail. There are/were serious, sweeping problems with basically every aspect of the device and the services offered on it.
My Apologies, Craig. This should have appeared under the comment below.
For sure this is going to wipe out Apple.
Let us face a reality, Apple can not get anything to work properly. All they can do well is raise expectations and then not deliver on it.
Go Google.
I'm all for Google, but they aren't competitors at all. The iPhone is even powered by Google maps. Android isn't the iPhone killer, it is an open source free OS.
Are you serious? I'm not an apple fanboy, but I think it stands true when I say that Google has shown off the Android much more times without delivering, than Apple did with mobile OS X. The android is a fantastic platform, and it's very powerful, but it went through a lot more hiccups. The only thing that Apple really, badly screwed up on was the MobileMe launch, where they tried to launch a million things at once (figuratively speaking). Other than that, almost all Apple releases go pretty smooth.
Seriously, grow some pubic hair, before you talk kid.
wasnt android announced officially a short while ago? what are you talking about?
Android really isn't a competitor to MobileOSX. At least, that's not the reason Google are doing it. They're all about open standards - making it so anybody can access their services. They don't want Microsoft or RIM closing down access to Google services through proprietary protocols (see: Netscape, Exchange, Active Directory).
Apple have the same concern. IE broke standards, so people had to write sites that only worked with IE. If that happens again, both the iPhone and Mac OS no longer have decent access to the web. It's the same with flash - if flash becomes so popular that nearly all sites are using it, an inferior version on OSX or iPhone would be a serious blow. Google have a good relationship with Apple, because they're both relying on open standards to market their products, and Apple benefits a lot from Google's services (Maps, search..etc).
This is about standards and openness. Google want a popular mobile platform that they can't be locked out from. Apple (and Google) want standards compliant browsers to have a majority market share to take away the threat of Microsoft locking them out of the web. That's why WebKit is open-source and optimised for all kinds of devices.
Gah! I have to admit an epic fail on my part. See above comment under Craig that should have appeared here in regards to PM's comment. Sorry Craig.
@frankthetank
So does that mean since OSX is "powered by" Microsoft Office, Apple and Microsoft aren't competitors? Of Course Android is meant to compete with the iPhone.
It's not even about Google vs Apple. It's about Google giving consumers another option. This notion is confirmed by the fact that Android is an open-source platform, rather than being a closed ecosystem (as seen in the iPhone, etc). If Google wanted to directly compete with an Apple or a Symbian or what-have-you, Android wouldn't be open-source.
Google isn't trying to dominate or attack the market, they're just trying to shake it up and potentially revolutionize it.
Yep, other companies have been "wiping out Apple" for what, 25 years now? You should ask Michael Dell about predicting Apple's demise, he seems to be good at it. But I'm sure this one will do it! I expect to see Apple completely gone any day now. Wait for it.... any second now...keep waiting...
@PM,
What are toy talking about. Google has only shown off Android at Developer conferences. It has never had a release date.
You clearly no idea what you are talking about.
When you say that MobileMe is the only screw up, are you ignoring all the bug fixes that they released less than a month after launch ?
Are we forgetting the inability to register the phone at launch ?
Apple screwed it all up.
"Android isn't the iPhone killer, it is an open source free OS."
Your logic is flawed. Android is the Mobile OSX killer.
it's called the "iPhone OS"... commenters not knowing it's actual name certainly seems to invalidate most of their judgmental comments.
That's not Android 0.9b, that's 1.0 or something. It sure aint' what's available for us to download at code.google.com
Way to observe the "all developers are equal" spirit of Open Source, Google.
Settle down. They are a little more concerned with getting a 1.0 device out the door. You'll get the new code soon enough.
THey don't have to release code right to the public as soon as they they make it. A little selfish of you don't you think?
the device looks like crap
HTC Touch Pro will be better
I agree. Also, is it just me or is the wow factor on the UI non existant? The guy hardly got me excited about the project as he mumbled his way through an obviously unplanned show. Jobs put on a good show and I think for 30 minutes after every Apple event I want everything he's spoken about, of course, I quickly return to my senses shortly after.
He even made the 4g nano look good, that's saying something.
Looks awesome.
I WANT AN ANDROID PHONE.
I have to say I'm a total iPhone fan, but the Android seems very promising. It's interface is smooth, responsive, and the Open GL is looking good. I've recently seem a demo of the SE Xperia smartphone and believe me the Andriod is a WHOLE other level. Android is like bring the an iPhone like OS to the masses (other companies that are not Apple). But still I would never ditch my iPhone =).
Your weird.
@schmitty338
And you don't have a grasp on the English language.
@schmitty338
If you dont have anything intelligent to say dont bother commenting. For as far as I know, you're a 12 year old who need to review your grammar.
Yes! My prayers have been answered!
The majority of what was shown seem more dependent on hardware than software or were they showing how open the OS is and how easy it is to write programs to run on their OS.
I honestly don't see why this is so huge, it's not even out yet, I wanna text drive before I make any comments on quality.
u shouldnt text drive, you can kill someone.
Like that dude with the train in California..
"Text Driving" is illegal, well, atlest here in the states. lol
Sorry, I couldn't resist...
Actually texting is not illegal in most places in the states while driving. Holding the phone up to your ear is the only thing widely regulated.
The difference compared to this demo and iphone demos is that the crowd doesn't go wild after every sentence jobs makes.
NO, the difference is that Jobs and crew actually know how to present products, whereas Google just throws up some monotonous nerd-type that mumbles threw an unorganized presentation laced with small-talk nonsense when the hardware is lagging...
Still gonna need a carrier to give 'unlimited' data over 3G + some real minutes at a great price to compete with the iPhone
t-mo perhaps? hmm ..
$35 unlimited G3 and texting is the current rumors are true. Screw ATT. They can go iFrack themselves.
seems very slow.....
I have confidence in Google to keep improving on their OS. I'm not worried about that, I just want the damn phones out already
And that confirms GPS availability on the phone. Hurrah!
iPhone killer?
No.
iPhone maimer?
Definitely.
This just looks beautiful. I've spent the day designing an app for the iphone and it's incredibly restrictive. As beautiful as the iphone is, a multi-platform OS(?) is much more exciting.
It's good all round - its genuine competition for Apple, so can only bring down prices.
It also pisses all over Sony's X1. What a bunch of dicks they look now with the vid from yesterday :)
I like Google, and use their online services often, but honestly, how are you going to convince people to buy this? Open source doesn't sell, you may as well tell someone how many steps the processor pipeline has at a best buy, nobody knows or cares in the regular world. That being said, who does that leave? Business users, gadget geeks, and ... ? Business users either have to buy Blackberries because of their jobs or some other smartphone because they need windows mobile. Gadget users might consider it, but honestly from what I've seen I'd rather have a Touch Pro/Xperia/Touch HD. I currently have T-Mobile, they don't have excellent coverage and I travel a great deal. That being said, Google are great at adding value to their services, and maybe T-Mobile will offer competitive data rates.
Hum... Android. Lots of potential, but from all I have seen so far, as a customer, I would definitely get an iPhone over this. Simple fact: The UI does not look attractive, as many have mentioned before. And though I personally like the possibility of writing my own applications and the whole open source thing, I don't think the average customer will care. They will look at the device, compare it to the iPhone or the HTC Touch, and decide that this is not cutting it. However, if we get a UI such as those concepts shown by tat cascades, I am SOLD!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRxsxynZV8I&feature=related
TAT Cascades is very restrictive for Android...
Anyway, rest assured. Motorola bought TAT Cascades and will supposibly slap it on its Android phone in Q1 2009.
That is all very nice and cool, but will it copy/paste?
i'm sleepy. this suppose to compete w/ apple?
i want this phone so bad, ill even stick with t-mobile as my carrier, sigh, and all the headaches inherent with that..
awesome to see gps implemented. i was worried about that even tho htc has other gps phones out with other carriers.
/agreed on poor presentation. should have been more polished like .....um, apple :P
google turns me on.