Mobiles2day – Mobile Industry News

T-Mobile adds another Android powered handset to it’s portfolio of smartphones. You can now get HTC Desire for free if you are willing to be locked up in 2 year long contract for £35 a month. For that you will get brand new and shiny HTC Desire, 1200 minutes, 600 texts and also a flexible booster.

Cheapest 18 months contract is £15 a month, you have to contribute £164 and you will also get 100 minutes and 100 texts.

All plans with this phone include unlimited internet.

Here is a list of specifications for this phone:

Network Type: GSM Quad-band phone capable of global roaming (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
UMTS dual-band European/Asian 3G (2100/900 MHz)
Data: EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s/HSUPA 2.0 Mbit/s

Dimensions: 4.69 x 2.36 x 0.47 inches (119 x 60 x 11.9 mm)
Weight: 4.76 oz (135 g)
Battery Type: Li – Ion, 1400 mAh
Talk Time: 6.66 hours (400 mins)
Standby: 340 hours (14 days)
Display Resolution: 480 x 800 pixels, 16 777 216 colors, AMOLED
Display Size: 3.70 inches
Touch Screen: Capacitive, Multi-touch
Camera: 5 megapixels Resolution
Camera Features: Flash LED; Auto focus, Face detection, Geo tagging
Multimedia Video Playback: MPEG4, WMV, 3GP, 3G2
Music Player: MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, M4A (Apple lossless), AMR, OGG, MIDI
FM Radio
Memory Slot: microSD/microSDHC
Software: Android 2.1
Processor: Snapdragon, 1000 MHz
Memory: 576 MB RAM / 512 MB ROM
Input: Predictive Text Input
microUSB
WiFi: 802.11b/802.11g
Bluetooth: 2.1, Stereo Bluetooth
Headphones connector: 3.5mm
Other Features:
PhoneBook, Capacity depends on system memory; Ring ID, Picture ID, Search by both first and last name, Multiple numbers per contact, Caller groups
PIM, Alarm, Calendar, To-Do / Tasks, Calculator, World Clock
Voice Recording, Speaker Phone, Email
GPS: A-GPS, GPS

If you place an order now, you will probably wait for a week for it to arrive.

Samsung has announced it will upgrade its Android-based Galaxy Portal smartphone – aka the Galaxy Spica – to version 2.1 of the Google operating system.

Following is from Samsung press release:

Enhanced User Experienced
The Galaxy Spica becomes a highly intuitive communications device offering users the option to personalise no less than nine side-scrolling screens. Users can really let their imaginations run wild, creating different home screens according to different personal interests or requirements.

The handset now features augmented reality technology that displays real-time digital information of your surroundings over the view-finder of the Galaxy Spica’s 3 megapixel camera. The Galaxy Spica also features Samsung widgets, Visual bookmark and PC Sync support to enable users to synchronise their devices quickly.

Enhanced Multimedia and Messaging Functionality
The handset now comes with a number of enhanced multimedia features which transform the Galaxy Spica into a personal entertainment device. Media browser allows you to browse through your media collection with ease. The camera has been upgraded to offer enhanced picture options and viewing functionality.

Improved messaging functionality means that it is much easier to attach files to MMS and email that users can easily add contacts to messages direct from the phonebook. Improved contact management enables users to find a necessary contact very easily through the alphabetical index.

The upgrade will be available from March 2010 in Germany and gradually rolled out to other European markets, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Asia, Africa and rest of the world.

The upgrade will be available through PC Studio 7, Samsung’s sync software

T-Mobile branded version of HTC Hero will be on sale tomorrow from T-Mobile UK website. This is T-Mobile’s second Android phone, hence the name, G2. T-Mobile G2 will be available in stores few days after online launch.

Here is a quick spec list:

Processor: Qualcomm® MSM7200A^TM, 528 MHz
Operating System: Android^TM
Memory ROM: 512 MB
RAM: 288 MB
Dimensions (LxWxT) 112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm ( 4.41 x 2.21 x 0.57 inches)
Weight 135 grams ( 4.76 ounces) with battery
Display 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320×480 HVGA resolution
Network HSPA/WCDMA:

* 900/2100 MHz
* Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

* 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

(Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)
Device Control Trackball with Enter button
GPS Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
HTC ExtUSB^TM (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
3.5 mm audio jack
Camera 5.0 megapixel color camera with auto focus
Audio supported formats MP3, AAC(AAC, AAC+, AAC-LC), AMR-NB, WAV, MIDI and Windows Media® Audio 9
Video supported formats MPEG-4, H.263, H.264 and Windows Media® Video 9
Battery Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1350 mAh
Talk time:

* Up to 420 minutes for WCDMA
* Up to 470 minutes for GSM

Standby time:

* Up to 750 hours for WCDMA
* Up to 440 hours for GSM

(The above are subject to network and phone usage.)
Expansion Slot microSD^TM memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
AC Adapter Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz
DC output: 5V and 1A
Special Features G-sensor
Digital Compass

According to Andy Rubin, senior director for Mobile Platforms for Google, we will see at least 18 phones powered by Android operating system before Christmas 2009.

There are already 2 phones being sold which run on Android operating system: T-Mobile’s G1 and Vodafone’s Magic. Both devices made by HTC. Mr. Rubin did not mention which manufacturers will bring new devices to the market but it seems that they will appear in Europe first.

Indeed, the ramp-up of Android phones intensifies a battle among some of the world’s biggest software companies to create the operating system for the world’s phones (of which there are now 4 billion). Android goes up against a coming-soon new version of Microsoft’s mobile version of Windows (Windows Mobile 7), Apple’s proprietary iPhone system, the Blackberry platform, a new Palm OS for its Pre called WebOS, Symbian (mostly proferred by Nokia) and a host of Linux-based systems.

On the question of apps, Mr. Rubin reinforced Google’s position that Android is an “open” platform, though, critically, that concept has some nuance to it. It goes like this: there are three flavors of Android. Each is free. But the versions place different requirements on the handset manufacturers and wireless carriers. The differing versions – and the way they’re being adopted – gives an insight both into Google’s goals and to the way the market is receiving those goals.

1. The obligation-free option: device manufacturers can download a free version of Android, load onto their devices and provide access to as many or as few apps as they want. But the manufacturers cannot preload popular Google applications, like Gmail or Google calendar.

2. The small strings option: Same as Option 1, except that manufacturers sign a distribution agreement to include on the phone Google applications. Of the 18 to 20 phones coming out this year, Mr. Rubin said, 12 to 14 subscribe to this option.

3. The bigger strings option or the no-censorship version: These phones Google calls “The Google Experience.” They are physically distinguishable by the “Google” logo on the phone. They include a range of Google applications that the carrier and handset maker agree not to remove from the phone. The carrier and handset maker also agree not to censor access to the Android market. Meaning: if some developer comes up with an application that some people find distasteful, or that gets bad press, it must nevertheless remain available to consumers. Of the phones coming out this year, 5 to 6 belong to this category, Mr. Rubin said.

The third category provides risk and reward opportunities. The openness of the store could be a hit with consumers, but could also lead to poorly constructed applications or ones, like the baby shaking app for the iPhone, that could give Google a taint (however temporary and press driven).

When it comes to apps, Mr. Rubin said: “We want to abide by the law, but not rule with an open fist.”

Source: NY Times

G1 users in UK will finally get Android’s 1.5 update codenamed Cupcake in May 2009.

T-Mobile confirmed that it will be issuing the Cupcake update over the air. As many owners eager to get the update will already know, among other things, Cupcake will bring a full touchscreen keyboard and video capture with the phone’s camera.

The update is “live” now, and will be a phased roll-out, so the May timescale quoted is when all G1 owners should get the refresh by, but presumably could be from now on.

Update is about 44MB in size. It includes important additions such as virtual keyboard, which would be absolutely necessary for new Android driven handsets which do not have hardware keyboard. Vodafone has started selling second Android phone Magic, which is full touch screen phone.