China's QiGi i6 supports Android, Windows Mobile, lust in one package

For now, Android's got about as much enterprise support as a Sidekick (well okay, a little more, but not much) -- so that's got to be keeping G1s out of the hands of throngs who are too tied-down to Exchange, Notes, or some equally stuffy piece of server-side software to be able to make the switch. China's QiGi feels your pain, which is where the company's surprisingly okay-looking i6 comes into play: the handset supports both Android and Windows Mobile, although you can't dual-boot -- you've got to choose one and run with it until you decide to install the other. It packs a 624MHz processor, 256MB of ROM, 128MB of RAM, a trackball, and -- in lieu of a QWERTY slide -- an on-screen Chinese keyboard with stylus support that we haven't seen before. Android, we love ya and all, but until you go through puberty, this multi-platform support is just about the best thing we've ever heard.

[Thanks, zsx]

[Sean @ Nov 28th 2008 3:04PM]

ooo a trackball

[markg90 @ Nov 28th 2008 3:08PM]

I like how they capitalized the R in Android.

It's AndRoid!

[Fred @ Nov 28th 2008 6:14PM]

Like they're included with the phone?

[Mustaine @ Nov 29th 2008 3:18AM]

too many andRoids and you'll andRage

[florin @ Nov 28th 2008 3:11PM]

it would have been nice to see more pictures >:P

[florin @ Nov 28th 2008 3:23PM]

http://www.eprice.com.hk/mobile/news/?news_id=6051


i don't think it has a qwerty sliding keyboard from what i've seen in those pics

[florin @ Nov 28th 2008 3:27PM]

and here http://androidcommunity.com/qigi-offers-a-slick-smarphone-that-runs-either-android-or-windows-mobile-61-20081128/

they say there are two different versions... one to run winmo and another for android

[iEye @ Nov 28th 2008 3:19PM]

This is where smart cell phones should go. Run whatever OS you want on the thing.

[Hackettman @ Nov 28th 2008 3:34PM]

YES!!!!!

[Phoenix @ Nov 28th 2008 3:35PM]

So the exact opposite of the iPhone?

[Patriks7 @ Nov 28th 2008 3:35PM]

Funny that it's you saying it..

[Mitchell @ Nov 28th 2008 3:57PM]

Cool

[nerdtalker @ Nov 28th 2008 6:52PM]

iPhonexARM, I can see it now...

[El Taco @ Nov 28th 2008 7:30PM]

A.K.A., you like Windows Mobile and Android phones but you only want to run OS X on them?

Or do you only like the iPhone but are not satisfied with OS X?

[tekd @ Nov 29th 2008 1:22AM]

Yeah I have no idea why Palm has the exact same hardware running different OSes but you can't swap between them. Then again I suspect if you could almost nobody would be left running PALM OS (err I mean ACCESS)

[goiko @ Nov 28th 2008 3:19PM]

http://tech.163.com/mobile/08/1128/17/4RRRDJTE0011179O.html
more pictures

[Hackettman @ Nov 28th 2008 3:37PM]

Alittle sad that theres no keyboard...... I got spoiled with my ppc 6800.......

[Adam Williamson @ Nov 28th 2008 9:16PM]

hackett - did you know you can run Android on the 6800 / Titan / Mogul / whatever you want to call it?

[poisonborz @ Nov 28th 2008 3:51PM]

Umm, WinMo one seems legit, but right now I'm not so sure about Android... blue explosion, android logo, and Willy Wonka font - that's not how I remember from the screenshots.

[Phoenix @ Nov 28th 2008 3:53PM]

Looks a lot like the HTC Touch...


But it's a good idea. GO INNOVATION!

[ZSX @ Nov 28th 2008 3:58PM]

There's no need to thank me Engadget! In fact, the irony is that I first read about the phone on Engadget Chinese (where there arre also loads more pics of it running Android)
http://cn.engadget.com/2008/11/27/wm-android-qiji-i6/

By the way, the company's name is actually "QiGi" (in Chinese it is written "琦基"); Google translate appears to screw it up.

[Chris Ziegler @ Nov 28th 2008 4:59PM]

Ah ha, thanks once again!

[David @ Nov 28th 2008 4:24PM]

Engadget loves me.

[Fernando G. @ Nov 28th 2008 4:25PM]

cool

[Nick @ Nov 28th 2008 4:35PM]

neat-o!

[ricky @ Nov 28th 2008 5:00PM]

as soon as it does 2 sim cards I'm in for one

[TareX @ Nov 28th 2008 5:11PM]

It's not bad for a low-end non-3G phone.

But I'm gonna wait for the 2009 iPhone HD killer....

[Adderz @ Nov 29th 2008 7:36AM]

The iPhone was released in 2006, its now the end of 2008.

There will never be an "iphone killer" because HTC is not Apple.

HTC target different segments with different devices. Apple tries to target EVERYONE and the people who need a better camera or a keyboard can get stuffed.

If HTC build a device to compete DIRECTLY with the iPhone it will cannibalize their other phones sales.

[2fast4u2fast4u @ Nov 28th 2008 5:27PM]

Milkshake puppies!

[Ray @ Nov 28th 2008 7:36PM]

What the?!?!

[Greg Mcp @ Nov 28th 2008 8:24PM]

I could see this coming. Android is going to be Huge in cheap Chinese knock off phones.
A powerful, free, open source OS? Exactly what they want.

[Only a Passerby @ Nov 29th 2008 10:40AM]

Not that I expect much from someone using a Hitler pic for avatar, but really man, why is it more knock off if QiGi uses Android than when HTC (btw also sort of Chinese) does?

[Alex @ Dec 9th 2008 4:03PM]

By "also sort of Chinese" you of course mean Taiwanese, Taiwan being a completely different country.

I can guess that Greg's point is that Android is going to be a good solution for the knock off "iFones" and their kin. All the fake Sony Erricsons we see on here..

It's perfect for them. They can stop making they're own OS and use Android, if the hardware is fast enough that is.

[Armin @ Dec 19th 2008 5:27AM]

how much is its price???is there any body know the price of qigi i6 win or goal...?