TechFaith hard at work on Android device, not saying who it's for just yet

Manufacturer TechFaith flexes some serious ODM muscle in its native China, slapping together phones for a variety of name brands -- including Open Handset Alliance member Motorola. It's a curious coincidence, then, that TechFaith is running its mouth right now about crafting an Android-powered device that it expects to be ready for end users sometime in early '09. For the moment, the company's official line is that it's "still in talks with several interested customers" and expects to make an announcement about which company will be lucky enough to silkscreen its logo onto TechFaith's hard work at the end of November. With Android being a bit of a hot commodity right now, we can totally see any number of companies engaged in a bidding war here -- but unless Moto has something ready to go, like, yesterday, it sure seems like working with TechFaith now to get something out of the door on the double could be the right move. [Warning: Subscription required]

[Via Talk Android, thanks Chris]

[Temo @ Oct 9th 2008 11:34AM]

Subscription required?

[randy @ Oct 9th 2008 11:36AM]

If it's thicker than a MOTOFONE, I'm not interested.

They could make this G-Phone a third as thick as the current G-phone, and I *still* wouldn't buy it.

Thin is in, Google. This isn't 1999. Get with it.

[TareX @ Oct 9th 2008 12:06PM]

A cheap Chinese company manufacturing for Moto.... yeah I don't think it's going to be hi-res.

[mike @ Oct 9th 2008 12:33PM]

As opposed to the cheap Chinese companies who build all Apple's products?

[TareX @ Oct 9th 2008 4:33PM]

which Apple products? the high res ones? Yeah let me know when you hear about them.

[loosely_coupled @ Oct 9th 2008 4:56PM]

@mike

The difference being this is an ODM aka they DESIGN *and* manufacture the products. Apple, on the other hand, designs and engineers everything in house and simply uses contract manufacturers to build and assemble all of the pieces.

[danny @ Oct 9th 2008 12:44PM]

I really wish Android would be stuck to high-end, quality devices like the G1. I'm afraid of it ending up like Windows Mobile, with cheap and slow devices giving people a terrible impression of the real power it has. But, open is open. Nothing we can do about it if we end up with some really crappy phones running Android.

-D
http://www.androidboards.com

[MyHeadisFed @ Oct 9th 2008 1:07PM]

oh god I know what you mean...

[d00b @ Oct 9th 2008 2:40PM]

If more people think like you, we'd still be paying $4000 for 386 computers.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Oct 9th 2008 4:01PM]

Hmm, well if Android remains a fast, stable, highly extensible, highly customizable Mobile OS, I PRAY it goes the way of WinMo, what with its ubiquity, large developer base, and availability on many providers and handsets.

[loosely_coupled @ Oct 9th 2008 5:01PM]

@Danny

Ignore the turds like this "Ryan" guy -- they obviously don't get it. Windows mobile may be ubiquitous, but that is only because most of these manufacturers didn't have a viable option until now. The windows CE core is bloated and inefficient, and the current windows mobile 6.1 interface is a throwback to the late 90's compared to Iphone/Android/Nokia Tablet OS. Based on it's plummeting marketshare, I think most people agree with me, although HTCs attempt to "paper-bag" it with TouchFlo has extended it's execution date a bit longer...