Despite of expectations and promises, the long-awaited phones featuring Google Android operating system (OS) may note emerge on the market until sometime in late Q1 2009 since handset maker High Tech Computer (HTC) has certain software related problems.
According to Trip Chowdhry, an analyst of Global Equities Research, HTC is “having structural problems to incorporate Google’s demanded feature set”. Apparently, HTC is “demanding a guaranteed minimum revenue surety from Google”, from which Mr. Chowdhry concludes that “HTC does not think there will be enough demand for GPhone,” reports Barrons web-site.
The fact that Google demands pre-specified feature-set from the Android-powered phones is definitely positive, as it greatly eases choice for end-users. However, the fact that HTC is unsure about the success of the so-called Gphone is alarming.
In fact, according to the analyst, who cites industry sources, Google Android operating system “is not able to attract enough developers because toolkits offered by Microsoft, Apple, Research in Motion, and Nokia’s Symbian software group, have sucked up software developers’ attention”. This is exactly a thing to worry about: without third-party applications many end-users may not become interested in Google-powered devices, not only because they are used to their Blackberry or Nokia, but also because of lack of software for the Android platform.
Google itself denied the report from the analyst and said that the Android remains on-track.
“We remain on schedule to deliver the first Android-based handset this year and we’re very excited to see the momentum continuing to build behind the Android platform among carriers, handset manufacturers, developers and consumers,” a spokesperson from Google said in an interview with News.com.
Showing posts with label GPhone News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GPhone News. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Announcing the Android 1.0 SDK, release 1
This Post from: http://android-developers.blogspot.com, Posted by Dan Morrill
About this time last year, my colleagues and I were preparing for the first of the “early look” SDK releases. I remember being a little freaked out—November 12 was starting to sound awfully close! But I think I can safely speak for the entire Android team when I say that we were all very excited about that upcoming release. In the year since, we’ve run and concluded the first Android Developer Challenge, given away $5,000,000, released more SDK builds, and worked with our partners to prepare the first device for users. It’s been quite the whirlwind of a year.
In one of those strange cosmic symmetries, here we are a year later, and we’re once again very excited about an upcoming release. I’m referring, of course, to the first Android-powered device that our colleagues at T-Mobile have just announced—the T-Mobile G1. We can’t wait to see our hard work on store shelves and in the hands of users, but today we’re almost as excited because we’re announcing the brand-new Android 1.0 SDK, release 1.
Yes, that means we’re officially at 1.0. Of course the SDK won’t remain static—we’ll keep improving the tools by adding features and fixing bugs. But now developers can rely on the APIs in the SDK, and can update their applications to run on Android 1.0-compatible devices. The Android Market beta will also launch with the T-Mobile G1, providing developers an easy and open way to distribute their applications on that and later devices. I’ve already seen a lot of applications that have me stoked, and I can’t wait to see things really come together as developers cross that final mile to prepare their applications for Android 1.0.
So what’s next for us? Well, we’ll keep working on the SDK, as I said. But we’re also working hard with our partners in the Open Handset Alliance on the open-source release, with the aim of making the code available in the fourth quarter. The second Android Developer Challenge is also on the horizon—watch this space for more details. We’re also already working on the future of the Android platform, and on more devices. We’ve updated the Developer Roadmap, and we’ll keep updating it as more information becomes available.
It has indeed been quite an exciting road to get to where we are today. The road stretches on ahead though, and we’re not slowing down for a moment. I look forward to meeting and working with many of you developers out there—and trying out your apps on my phone!
About this time last year, my colleagues and I were preparing for the first of the “early look” SDK releases. I remember being a little freaked out—November 12 was starting to sound awfully close! But I think I can safely speak for the entire Android team when I say that we were all very excited about that upcoming release. In the year since, we’ve run and concluded the first Android Developer Challenge, given away $5,000,000, released more SDK builds, and worked with our partners to prepare the first device for users. It’s been quite the whirlwind of a year.
In one of those strange cosmic symmetries, here we are a year later, and we’re once again very excited about an upcoming release. I’m referring, of course, to the first Android-powered device that our colleagues at T-Mobile have just announced—the T-Mobile G1. We can’t wait to see our hard work on store shelves and in the hands of users, but today we’re almost as excited because we’re announcing the brand-new Android 1.0 SDK, release 1.
Yes, that means we’re officially at 1.0. Of course the SDK won’t remain static—we’ll keep improving the tools by adding features and fixing bugs. But now developers can rely on the APIs in the SDK, and can update their applications to run on Android 1.0-compatible devices. The Android Market beta will also launch with the T-Mobile G1, providing developers an easy and open way to distribute their applications on that and later devices. I’ve already seen a lot of applications that have me stoked, and I can’t wait to see things really come together as developers cross that final mile to prepare their applications for Android 1.0.
So what’s next for us? Well, we’ll keep working on the SDK, as I said. But we’re also working hard with our partners in the Open Handset Alliance on the open-source release, with the aim of making the code available in the fourth quarter. The second Android Developer Challenge is also on the horizon—watch this space for more details. We’re also already working on the future of the Android platform, and on more devices. We’ve updated the Developer Roadmap, and we’ll keep updating it as more information becomes available.
It has indeed been quite an exciting road to get to where we are today. The road stretches on ahead though, and we’re not slowing down for a moment. I look forward to meeting and working with many of you developers out there—and trying out your apps on my phone!
TMobile G1 Phone, Google’s Android-Powered Cell Phone, Unveiled
NEW YORK — The first phone that harnesses Google Inc.’s ambition to make the Internet easy to use on the go was revealed Tuesday, and it looks a lot like an iPhone.
T-Mobile USA showed off the G1, a phone that, like Apple Inc.’s iPhone, has a large touch screen. But it also packs a trackball, a slide-out keyboard and easy access to Google’s e-mail and mapping programs.
T-Mobile said it will begin selling the G1 for $179 with a two-year contract. The device hits U.S. stores Oct. 22 and heads to Britain in November and other European countries early next year.
The phone will be sold in T-Mobile stores only in the U.S. cities where the company has rolled out its faster, third-generation wireless data network. By launch, that will be 21 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Miami.
In other areas, people will be able to buy the phone from T-Mobile’s Web site. The phone does work on T-Mobile’s slower data network, but it’s optimized for the faster networks. It can also connect at Wi-Fi hotspots.
The data plan for the phone will cost $25 per month on top of the calling service, at the low end of the range for data plans at U.S. wireless carriers. And at $179, the G1 is $20 less than the least expensive iPhone in the U.S.
Android, the free software powering the G1, is a crucial building block in Google’s efforts to make its search engine and other services as accessible on cell phones as they already are on personal computers. The company believes it eventually might make more money selling ads that get shown on mobile devices than on PCs, a channel that will generate about $20 billion in revenue this year.
Both Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. also are investing heavily in the mobile market in hopes of preventing Google from extending the dominance it enjoys in searches initiated on PCs.
T-Mobile USA showed off the G1, a phone that, like Apple Inc.’s iPhone, has a large touch screen. But it also packs a trackball, a slide-out keyboard and easy access to Google’s e-mail and mapping programs.
T-Mobile said it will begin selling the G1 for $179 with a two-year contract. The device hits U.S. stores Oct. 22 and heads to Britain in November and other European countries early next year.
The phone will be sold in T-Mobile stores only in the U.S. cities where the company has rolled out its faster, third-generation wireless data network. By launch, that will be 21 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Miami.
In other areas, people will be able to buy the phone from T-Mobile’s Web site. The phone does work on T-Mobile’s slower data network, but it’s optimized for the faster networks. It can also connect at Wi-Fi hotspots.
The data plan for the phone will cost $25 per month on top of the calling service, at the low end of the range for data plans at U.S. wireless carriers. And at $179, the G1 is $20 less than the least expensive iPhone in the U.S.
Android, the free software powering the G1, is a crucial building block in Google’s efforts to make its search engine and other services as accessible on cell phones as they already are on personal computers. The company believes it eventually might make more money selling ads that get shown on mobile devices than on PCs, a channel that will generate about $20 billion in revenue this year.
Both Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. also are investing heavily in the mobile market in hopes of preventing Google from extending the dominance it enjoys in searches initiated on PCs.
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