We just got a great look at the potential of Android on Texas Instruments' new Zoom OMAP34x-II Mobile Development Platform, a sort of sexy cousin to
Compulab's exeda. The OMAP3430-powered unit is being built by Logic and is meant for software developers to work on the
OMAP3 chipset, but it's actually a pretty neat "device" in its own right, with a 4.1-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen LCD, HDMI out, all sorts of connectivity, 16GB of storage, an SD card slot, large QWERTY keypad and an 8 megapixel camera. There's also a debug board with Ethernet, USB plugs and some other technical stuff. For $1150 developers can pick up a WiFi-only unit, and $1399 buys you a 3G unit -- consumers can buy 'em too, and we can imagine certain enthusiasts wouldn't mind the cost for what basically amounts to the ultimate Android device. The unit runs other flavors of Linux, but we're really in it for the Android, especially thanks to that screen.
Wind River has been doing development on Android for a while, contributing to the original source code as part of the OHA, and one of its developers even
ported Android to OpenMoko. They've got a refined Android interface running on the Zoom, which includes a tabbed application browser, fancier widgets and a spruced up unlock screen. They wouldn't consider what they're doing a skin or a port, but it's exactly the type of stuff that device manufacturers will be looking for to differentiate their Android-powered handset. Video of all the magic is after the break.
posted February 18th 2009 7:06AM
WOW! Normally I love my WinMo but this thing absolutely enduces the fapfapfap!
One more thing. I love me some Android, as a matter of fact I used HARET to run it on my Mogul and it blew me away, but I think the real kicker is the SD card slot. MicroSD's are cute or whatever, but they're akward for anyone that doesn't have baby hands. I don't know what the power usage tradeoff is, but it does mean for an extra $100 on the intarweebs you can cop a 32gb card for $100.
Too bad I just got Asurion to replace my Mogul with a Touch Pro, which can't (yet) run Android, and has the microSD failpipes. Sigh...
http://www.wmexperts.com/hands-windows-mobile-65-and-ti-omap-34x-ii-platform
WHo said you had to choose Android OR WinMo? Here are pictures of the reference platform running Windows Mobile, just for you!
@ZSX
+1 for you man. WinMo and Android are both great, but CHOICE is greater.
Get your $1300 ready ,this will tank hard.
Are these serious comments?? Someone actually ENJOYS using Windows mobile?? Sad, very sad...
hmm...great to see the Andriod on another platform but the design of the device is simply bland. expand the screen size...utilize the surface area of the platform and try to reduce the excess space. I know it is quite feature rich but am sure you guys can do something about that...just look at what samsung, htc, sony ericsson etc are doing
The device is a development platform and not meant to compete, aesthetically at least, with consumer level products from LG, Samsung, et el. It allows you to interface to the OMAP in as many ways as possible and do your code development well before your own snappy looking phone is available to compete in the market.
I second Ashwin's comment. Although the appearance is somewhat polished TI would not want the handset makers thinking that TI is trying to get into the handset business.
if only we got stuff like this at devry instead of twenty year old crap. maybe i'd actually have a job right now.
Even though I like the design alot, I do feel edge-to-edge screens are becoming a must. Big up.
Awesome - "A New Hope" indeed
What's it gonna take to get Ti to post their build of Android with the menu tabs?!?!? ( Apache license says they aren't required to do so! )
wat provider att, sprint, t-mobil?
It's a DevKit, not a consumer level device you can use on a provider. It's mainly meant for companies that intend to use the OMAP to create their own phone..
regardless, the 3G part of it infers a cell network. I'm gonna guess its GSM.
i have no idea why, but i REALLY want this for some reason...
+1 It's nice, but not THAT nice, but I really really want it for some reason!
Get your $1300 ready!!!!dee dee deee!!
All I need is Android on a n97 type device - QWERTY, Great camera, massive memory, great design. Would kill for android over s60.
Me too
FINALLY an Android porter made GUI changes....
I salute u for these widgets even though Google hasn't released it's long awaited Widget SDK. And that tab interface was LOOOONG overdue.... that way I can use the homescreens for widgets more than shortcuts.
Ah, finally Android with a bit of UI sleekness. The side-by-side comparison is especially telling - the standard UI was unexciting to begin with but compared to the Pre it's become embarrassing. How does Android handle multi-tasking?
I'd be interested in seeing how HP's "Mi" Linux interface works with something like this (if the screen is big enough).
Awfully expensive for a device with a 4.1" screen.
Lets see a 7" screen convertible tablet netbook built around android. And even that should cost less than $1000.
It costs a grand because they'll probably only sell a couple thousand of them.
Did you even read the article? It's a devkit, genius.
I did read it, and I'm aware that it's dev system, moron. It's still too expensive.
Actually the cost of the system is pretty good for a dev system. If you have never dealt with one you might think it is high, but that is how much they cost. TI isn't making any money on these things directly, so pretty much sell them for cost.
"I did read it, and I'm aware that it's dev system, moron. It's still too expensive."
Do you have any idea how much dev kits usually cost?
...hdmi?
720P output through the OMAP3 device
Looks a lot like gadgie, realized.
Hell of a dev tool......
$1150?????let's see Texas instruments $1150 or touch $229, hmmmh I wonder which device will survive the great depression. What kind of dee dee deee would drop $1200-1700 on this . Apple already killed this , even before it's launch . DOA dead on arrival.
It's a devkit moron. It's not ment to compete against no one.
As said by many this is a development kit. Did you see the large breakout board sticking out underneath it?
What part of "developer device" you didn't understood? Oh, I forgot, it's hard to find someone that likes Apple and knows what is "development", since apple hate developers
The UI changes are nice, but I'm not yet impressed.. Android is really really great from a developer point, but it really lacks a stunning visual and sleek graphics.. Hope LG or Motorola bring that to us
Some people here are clueless, I'll make a weak attempt to explain it to them.
A development system is only for developing code on, it is not for sale as a phone. Someone mentioned the iPhone, before there was an iPhone there were a number of development systems to write the code on. You wouldn't buy or use those dev systems as a phone though.
$1000 for a dev system is very fair and normal. These things have a lot of extra connectors and interfaces that a phone would never have. Every single connector and testing point is brought out to be easily accessed.
Look at some of the other pictures and see that board attached, that would be the big difference between a dev system and a production device.
I know there's alot of love for Android, because it's all new and shiny, but what has it really done to actually impress? I'm not seeing anything amazing yet that has me running to jump ship on WinMo. And with all of this copyright, app-store, user restrictions, I'm REALLY not liking Android at all. It's beginning to look alot like hype then reality, and something insanely expensive like this is just a joke. I'm willing to bet, within 1 year, there's alot less fanfare for new Android devices.
I can almost picture wrestling with this thing to get it out of my (otherwise spacious) jacket pocket lining while it's ringing - at a meeting - the horror of awkwardness.. Like trying to wrestle a mule to enter a room behind-backward.
On the other hand it's a totally cool device, probably totally good to work with UNLESS in the company of less geeky individuals.
It's a developer tool. Keep it under wraps, leave it in the workshop/basement please. And the bezel is good for an awful lot of stickers and graffiti, it's roomy enough.
Can anybody explain to me what this has over Tegra? I still haven't seen anything that has wowed me as much as those demos. Not that I'm anything less than excited by more powerful tech in future cellphones, but Tegra still has me the most excited so far.
Question is - Will it blend?