Google shows off masked Android handset
By Donald Melanson 
posted September 16th 2008 11:53AM
posted September 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]
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.