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I hope everyone had a Merry Chrismahanukwanzakah, got to cover them all, T-Mobile is reportedly giving out more presents and starting to ship out new higher capacity batteries and a bigger back covers for the HTC G-1. Those that currently own the old version should receive an e-mail detailing the shipments and hope to get all of the batteries out within a months time. With news of the new ‘Cupcake’ upgrade and all the new features a new and more powerful battery will be needed. Unfortunately I got rid of mine due to the horrible battery life that came with it, now I kind of regret it more battery life would improve my opinions of the device.If there are any owners here that have the e-mail don’t hesitate to share it with us and we’ll share it with the other site readers.

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Samsung is hard at work developing their Android powered handset, and we can’t wait to see it!  The electronics manufacturer plans to release the phone in Q2 of 2009 to the Sprint and T-Mobile networks.  Sources are saying that the phone will be similar to the Omnia, available on Verizon, and the Instinct, available with Sprint.  It will feature a touchscreen just like the other Android handsets.  There are no specific details on the hardware, but if it is like the other mentioned phones, there will be no QWERTY and there will be only a few buttons, keeping a minimal look to the phone.

I can’t wait to see what comes of this.  I have a feeling that Samsung wants to out-do the other phone makers using Google Android, so be prepared for something out of this world.

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Kogan Agora

If you remember my last post about Kogan we talked about the announcement made about a new Android phone available to Aussies. In that announcement they noted a detail release before Christmas, and it looks like they achieved that goal. They have just announced two phones that are available for purchase now and shipped out January 29th, labeled the Kogan Agora Pro. Right now they are accepting pre-orders of the phone for $399AUS ($256USD), which is an unlocked phone that will be able to be used on any network in Australia. For $100 less you can get this from Kogen to be used on their network.

The phone features some pretty neat features that make it stand out from the G-1 by T-Mobile. The Agora features 3G connectivity, a 2.5mm touchscreen, physical QWERTY keyboard, GPS, Wi-Fi, 2MP Camera, bluetooth and more. These are great features that give you bang for your buck! Alternatively you can pick up the Agora that does not include the camera, GPS, or Wi-Fi connectivity, it is selling for $100 less.

We are looking forward to hearing more about the phone, and wishing for a review unit, *hint hint*, or even a reader from Australia that nabs one of these to give us a review!

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A Nokia roadmap leaked by an anonymous source had been passed on to Engadget Mobile who have published the details on their site.

It seems that Nokia could be planning to release a handset with the Android OS in 2009 and some of the features will include:

• Full QWERTY keyboard
• 3.5-inch 640×350 display
• 8GB ROM
• microSD slot
• Touch sensitive UI
• 5MP camera
• Integrated compass, accelerometer, proximity sensor and FM transmitter

The device is nicknamed on the Nokia roadmap as ‘Eitri’. Although it isn’t stated anywhere that this will be an Android device, it is believed by Talk Android that these are very ‘Android favouring features’.

Are you a die hard Nokia user who would love to see them release an Android handset? Leave a comment and let us know!

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Two weeks ago today I ordered the HTC G-1 on the T-Mobile network. I have used the phone for almost two weeks and have had the chance to try out the features. The QWERTY keyboard is very sturdy and easy to type on and also easy to get used to. The slide on the other hand, well its still sturdy, but after a week of texting it has started to squeak like a door. So whenever I walk around and the screen shifts it sounds like there’s a mouse in my pocket.  Now the interface is stellar, Google went all out with the Android platform. The menus are clean and easy to use and the scrolling wallpaper is simply stunning. The camera is not as great as I expected, it doesn’t have a built-in flash, or video capabilities, but it works and that’s all that matters right?

I guess the main problem of this phone, which changed my whole opinion on it, is the battery. The first day I tested the phone after fully charging it and leaving all the features on, it lasted 4 or so hours.  After the disappointment I phoned T-Mobile to ask what the problem was and the representative told me to turn off the Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS, e-mail Sync, etc. and that should help improve the life. Well after turning of the functionality of the full-featured phone, the battery life improved and the phone became boring. Without all of those features it became a glorified text message phone. I never got the chance to try the 3G speed and the battery life with the 3G because T-Mobile screwed up my order and didn’t activate the data service.

In conclusion, this phone is sorta well built, the Android OS is outstanding, but the battery will cause this phone to sink.  With all the features that come in the box, not being able to use them really makes me upset.  Why buy a full-featured phone if you can’t use the features.  I enjoyed the two weeks I had with the phone, but sadly I must send it back and wait for the next Android phone to come around.  If I were to rate the phone I would give it 2.5 stars (or for the blog, 2.5 Android bots)

Huawei has recently announced that they will be launching an Android phone in the first half of 2009. The news came from Director of Marketing James Chen. Huawei is probably best known for their low-end devices that are scattered around the marketplace. Now with the introduction of the Android open-source (and FREE) OS, Huawei might be on to something here.

Huawei’s first and only phone to this point is a Windows Mobile device. Chen commented that with Android, they see a lot of opportunity in the global marketplace… they should be able to achieve very quickly some level of success by offering a solid set of features without affecting price.

The part of this story I like, is that Huawei isn’t really out for the brand recognition. Their Android device will be produced and sent off to carriers who can then brand them as their own. The Huawei name will appear nowhere on the device. Looks like the timing is dead-on for Huawei to make a big splash here. Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG and Motorola have all yet to introduce Android-based devices. Should be a very interesting Q1 in 2009 in the world of Android devices!

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At the recent Web 2.0 Summit, CEO of AT&T Ralph De La Vega got talking a little bit about the new Android OS from Google. He commented that AT&T “continue to look at Google’s Android operating system but is not prepared to make any moves to carry any Android phones.” He continued “the platform is still evolving and needs to open up even more to offer a wider array of non-Google applications.”

A representative for AT&T stated “we continue to evaluate the Android platform, and if customers want it, we will offer it.” It seems AT&T are fans of the Android operating system but are waiting to see how it evolves before they take anything on.

AT&T obviously had a different view when they took on the iPhone — this was a completely new handset with a completely new operating system yet they didn’t hold on to see how it ‘evolved’. They jumped right in and grabbed a slice of the cake. And I bet they’re glad they did.

Would you like to see AT&T offer an Android handset? Let us know by leaving a comment.

I always say that a first impression is key to a lasting relationship.  Well the first impression of this phone is scaring me a bit.  I’ll talk about some of the main features and hardware to give you an idea of the phone.

Hardware

The phone itself is a bit bulky, but sold.  The weight is equally distributed among the body which mellows out the thickness.  The touch screen is really amazing.  It has a great response time and has very high quality.  The downfall is the glare, though it may be a small flaw it can hurt on special tasks.  The curved bottom gives the phone an odd look but really helps when talking on the phone.  It moves the microphone closer to the mouth allowing better reception of the sound.  The slide seems to be really sturdy and far from breaking.  The track-ball is very useful with links on a web page and for navigating menus.

Texting/E-Mail

The use of the physical qwerty keyboard makes this phone top notch.  The slightly bumped up keys are raised just enough for you to know where your thumb is and prevent wrong typing.  The interface for texting is set up just like the iPhone where each contact is like a conversation.  The even cooler part is that it groups all messages from that contact together into one big conversation.  With e-mail I have only used the G-Mail application that comes auto installed.  The phone syncs all of your messages and has them ready for you to read.  Writing e-mails is a breeze with the qwerty and e-mails are quickly sent over the data network.

User Interface/Operating System

I could literally write pages on how great the Android platform is.  Google did an amazing job with designing the UI and making it easily accessible.  The first thing you see when turning on the phone is the main home screen.  It has a clock and other shortcuts already set, but the best part is your ability to customize your three screens.  When you scroll to the left you are presented the far right screen, confusing isn’t it haha just picture pulling the next screen towards you.  On this screen you see the Google Search bar that lets you enter in what you want to search for and it opens up the browser and navigates to Google.com for you.  on the far left screen you have a completely empty space for you to design and add applications, shortcuts, or widgets to.  My all time favorite part of the home screen is the scrolling background.  When you scroll from screen to screen the background moves with you making the picture seem to be spread out.  Look for a continuation of this tomorrow as I review a bit deeper into the UI.

Battery

This happens to be the ultimate bad of this phone.  I’m talking so bad that it may be worth nto getting the phone.  I know that sounds harsh, but when I have a phone that can’t keep a charge for a full day, I have huge problem.  The main battery test I have run is starting at 8:30 this morning.  The only tasks done were texting, and sending/receiving e-mails.  All of this happening on the 2G signal, because where I live there is no 3G available.  I am not even using the wi-fi to connect to the Internet, mainly because that would just drain the battery.  Now one consideration is that EDGE is always running and sending and getting G-Mail information.  But that should be a small task to complete, for such an advanced phone.  The bulkiness does not even come from the battery.  It is as small as a normal cell phone battery that wasn’t made for a smartphone.  My main complaint is that this is a smartphone with huge capabilities, but a battery that has no punch.  Official time of death today, 3:00pm.

Since I have no battery and can’t continue the review, I shall wait until I get home and charge the phone up.  Look for a continuation tomorrow and more features.

With the launch of the HTC G-1 on the T-Mobile network many phone makers are hot on the heels to create a device to run Android.  One of those developers is a company not well known for their phone business but for their production of netbooks.  Asus has lead us to believe that they will release a new phone running the Android platform in Q1 of 2009.  This is a big step for them because they only have one phone in the US market and this will help push them into high numbers.  Android is becoming the new thing to have and phone companies are trying to pair a headset with the platform to get ahead in the game.

Let’s hope this phone will look sleek and run the Android operating system smoothly.  Unfortunately they won’t be making the Holiday season this year, but those that save their money up should be able to pick this one up early 2009.  There is no official release date, price, or carrier set for this phone’s release, but we will keep our readers up to date on the news we receive.

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Yes you heard right, Engadget is reporting that Wal-Mart will be the first retailer to sell the G1 in store.  The most amazing part, they will sell the phone for $148.88USD with a 2-year service agreement, which is a ‘rollback’ on the $179.99USD price at T-Mobile stores across the nation.  What does this mean for early adopters of the phone?  Sucks to be the first doesn’t it.  Unlike the free money given to early adopters of the iPhone that got a check when the price dropped, early G1 users will receive nothing.  The phone will be available for new and existing customers that are eligible for service or upgrade.  The early bird does get the worm, but when it comes to technology he pays the higher price.

Look for the T-Mobile G1 at one of the 550 locations getting the phone on November 24th.  Good luck finding the nearest store with the product, I suggest you call you local store closer to the date to confirm them having some of the units.

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