NYT: T-Mobile to release Android-powered home phone, tablet PC next year

According to documents obtained by the New York Times, T-Mobile's set to release a home phone early next year, and a tablet PC after that, both of which are said to be powered by Android. We're a bit light on details, but we do know the phone itself has a docking station and will come with another device for synchronization. That device's supposed resemble a small, keyboard-less laptop with a 7-inch touchscreen and could check the mail and manage data for devices across the house. Here's hoping T-Mo's been taking notes watching its AT&T HomeManager / Verizon Hub predecessors.

[SmilinGoat @ Apr 5th 2009 11:32PM]

awesome, im happy any time i see android stuff. even if i have an iPhone i want to see competition.

[L4M3 @ Apr 5th 2009 11:33PM]

how is a home phone or 7inch tablet pc competition to a cellphone with a 3.5inch screen???

[SmilinGoat @ Apr 5th 2009 11:42PM]

its not, but the software is directly linked to cell phones, and i want to see more competition in that area. make sense?

[L4M3 @ Apr 5th 2009 11:32PM]

problem is who uses home phones these days...people under 35 who understand android dont use home phones and people over 35 who do use home phones dont understand android thus wont buy it...

the tablet pc makes sense though

[KilgoreTrout @ Apr 6th 2009 5:18AM]

I am under 35 and I besides two win mob. smartphones (HTC touchHD and Samsung Omnia) I also have a fastline telephone and I would'nt have it any other way.
Why?
1) Because my telephone provider brought an optic fiber cable to my home, from which it pipes to me HD-TV, high speed internet (20000mb/s), and the landline phone is free (I just pay for the international voice calls).
2) Sometimes I still need to send faxes (via PC or via fax machine) and you need a phone line to do that.
3) In a big house , such as the one where I live, the 7 wireless handsets are extremely useful also as intercom system(which is free)
4) I don't have to pay to listen to messages in my answering machine if I can't take the phone or if I'm not home.

For all these reason I would be very happy if I could buy something similar(possibly better) to the Verizon hub, or hopefully something like the "hub" that iRiver (or was it Asus?) promised to start selling this year.

[Jeff P. @ Apr 6th 2009 10:45PM]

Speak for yourself. I use a land-line because, as much as I love my cell phone, I really don't want to carry it around 24-7. I have a multi-extension system for the house with handsets in 5 different rooms including my basement shop. There's nothing I freaking hate more than being upstairs and having someone call my cell phone which is downstairs in my jacket pocket. There is always the thorny issue of 911 service as well. While most, if not all, cell carriers offer up 911 service, they are NOT location based. I know they can approximate the location using GPS but this will not get emergency services to my front door if I collapse and can not speak. My land-line, on the other hand, will. I will most likely change over to a VOIP service very soon as I am not at all happy about the price I'm paying for my land-line. VOIP services have there own issues but they're the closest to a POTS line you can get.

[Shank @ Apr 5th 2009 11:38PM]

ad this to guaranteed to fail product list.
Android only on 1 cell thats the g1 in usa.
Android u are officially a load of shhh,so overrated n overhyped.At least when apple promises something, they do deliver.
Google stick to providing less links that are invested with malware etc.n try to resolve that problem instead.

[digitallysick @ Apr 5th 2009 11:40PM]

Its clear to me that you are mentally challenged, Changing users names often on engadget. We really hope you get the help you need , maybe could get you a stuff animal or something. We all understand your disability and wish you the best of luck in life

[Mark @ Apr 6th 2009 12:36AM]

Yeah because there are so many phones running the apple OS right? Like more then 1? How many are there? It's got to be like a million.

[Shank @ Apr 5th 2009 11:41PM]

And exactly how are u going to price a 7' tablet ,all touchscreen home phone.,??lol
android be realistic, u gonna be asking $400 for a home phone..What a louzy idea..,concentrate on creating the iphonekiller!!

[SmilinGoat @ Apr 5th 2009 11:46PM]

i agree to a point, unless the home phone is tethered to a cell phone account, then it works really well.

[gerrrg @ Apr 6th 2009 12:02AM]

Wow, a 7' tablet. That'll be taller than me.

Just for kicks, I'd bet they'll run skype-like software over 3G, which skype phones run between $100-$200 or so...def lower than $400.

[str1f3 @ Apr 5th 2009 11:42PM]

The home phone thing is garbage but the tablet is mildly interesting. I don't know if anyone would have any use for it.

[gerrrg @ Apr 6th 2009 12:04AM]

I'll bet that this year, Apple will be releasing a tablet the thickness of the iPhone, around 6"x9" or maybe larger. Then I bet, this Android on a tablet will be very similar.

[aj121489 @ Apr 6th 2009 12:33AM]

Did the picture get larger since they first posted this? Or should I just be going to bed now...

[freekyfrogy @ Apr 6th 2009 1:08AM]

I noticed that too! haha

[tim @ Apr 6th 2009 12:57AM]

As an android fan and developer, I must ask - are we ever going to see in the USA Android outside of T-Mobile?

[shootingblue @ Apr 6th 2009 1:13AM]

I'm gonna take the high road and wait to see what these devices will offer before I praise or bash them.

[Tom @ Apr 6th 2009 1:43AM]

T-Mobile's ideas seems to lag with other carriers. A tablet PC with 3G connectivity would be a welcome addition to their line up with bluetooth and the ability to make phone calls at the same time. But 7" would be a step backwards. A 9" or 10" would be better. The HTC Shift was a nice concept and too bad T-Mobile didn't jumped on the band wagon to make it work with their system. Hopefully the tablet will be thin with Windows 7 with the touch screen feature.

[Theli @ Apr 6th 2009 4:37AM]

Android powered home phone with a 7-inch screen? Sounds like the NIMBLe.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/08/nimble-is-mc-hammer-approved-brings-android-to-even-the-most-bo/

[rita hainsworth @ Apr 6th 2009 6:12AM]

Who uses a Home Phone anymore?

[HereAndNow @ Apr 6th 2009 7:05AM]

Cool! It's great that Android is open source, so that new devices & applications can be developed & deployed quickly, without the need to wait for a single OS vendor.

Android should quickly become a VERY powerful & versatile platform, as device vendors roll their enhancements back into the main Android stream.

[Matt @ Apr 6th 2009 7:35AM]

you know this comment has nothing to do with the android os, but I'm just curious. why is it that you never see a tmobile sign at a basketball or football game anywhere? You see at&t, verizon, occasionally you'll see sprint, but never tmobile...gee, I wonder why that is. are one of those 3 companies going to aquire tmobile? let's hope so since they're not 3g yet, or at least they'll be last on the list of going 3g.

[meist3r @ Apr 6th 2009 9:32AM]

Will they also tell Android users what kind of applications they can put on their phone? Oh wait, Google already does that.

I want an open phone platform. Android would be fine but they'll market the living crap out of that one too so in the end it won't be useful. Getting sick of all that politics.

[AT7 @ Apr 6th 2009 10:00AM]

dont know about the phone.. but a tablet optimised android build would be yummy. Though W7 tablet features are nothin to sneeze at.

A7

[dubmatic @ Apr 6th 2009 2:32PM]

T-mobile is trying to bridge the gap!

[Rodolfo Hernandez @ Apr 6th 2009 1:21PM]

Can't wait to see the first "Google-PC"!!!

[FILA @ Apr 6th 2009 8:55PM]

THIS IS a shot back to ATT and Verizon with there home products, and this will go above and beyond with running Android. One day we gonna have everyone on T!!!