T-Mobile To Offer Android-Based Phone By Christmas

Unspeaked · Aug 15, 2008, 04:51 PM

Quote:

T-Mobile USA And HTC To Offer First Android Phone

Posted by Eric Zeman, Aug 15, 2008 09:14 AM

HTC will launch the first commercially available smartphone running the Android platform on T-Mobile USA's network, according to a new report. It will be available by Christmas, and maybe as early as October. This is not a big surprise.

HTC has confirmed its commitment to producing an Android phone sometime this year again and again. It is the one hardware manufacturer that has publicly said that it is going to give Android a chance. HTC's CEO said as much in November 2007, shortly after Google (NSDQ: GOOG) announced Android...

LINK

MacRumors · Aug 15, 2008, 06:41 PM

T-Mobile will be the first carrier to offer an Android-based mobile phone, according to a report by the New York Times. The phone will be manufactured by HTC and will likely draw comparisons to Apple's iPhone.

Quote:

The high-end phone is expected to match many of the capabilities of Apple’s iPhone and other so-called smartphones that run software from Palm, Research in Motion, Microsoft and Nokia to access the Internet and perform computerlike functions. The HTC phone, which many gadget sites are calling the “dream,” will have a touch screen, like the iPhone. But the screen also slides out to expose a full five-row keyboard.

Since it was announced last November, Google's Android mobile phone platform and SDK has seen its share of criticism as development has continued.

According to the article, a recent low-quality YouTube video posted of the phone and its software is likely accurate.

It's recently been rumored that T-Mobile is preparing to launch an app-store for all of its devices.

Article Link

wadejc85 · Aug 15, 2008, 06:43 PM

I don't see anything special in the phone. Maybe it's just me?

Plus, the keyboard looked kind of annoying to type on.

monke · Aug 15, 2008, 06:44 PM

Didn't Apple look into having a slide out keyboard for the iPhone too?

It looks like a cool phone, but will it have the feature set to beat an iPhone? Probably not.

kjs862 · Aug 15, 2008, 06:44 PM

Competition is good. Maybe once this comes out Apple will work harder to get the software bugs out of the iphone.

alphaod · Aug 15, 2008, 06:45 PM

Looking foward to Android.

plumbingandtech · Aug 15, 2008, 06:46 PM

For a moment there, when the google rumors where new way back when, I thought they might have a shot at crippling the new iphone market share.

I no longer worry.

They may sell a lot.

Then again quality != quality.

I'm sure the kiddies with the sidekicks will want to upgrade to this sort of thing though.

AvSRoCkCO1067 · Aug 15, 2008, 06:47 PM

What an awful video...

wadejc85 · Aug 15, 2008, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plumbingandtech

I'm sure the kiddies with the sidekicks will want to upgrade to this sort of thing though.

Yes they will. My girlfriend wants one.

Klaxons2012 · Aug 15, 2008, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alphaod

Looking foward to Android.

...care to expand on that?

ArtOfWarfare · Aug 15, 2008, 06:49 PM

The guy in the video breathes really heavily.

Xavier · Aug 15, 2008, 06:50 PM

Looks like a neat alternative to the iPhone

longofest · Aug 15, 2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

The guy in the video breathes really heavily.

Was definitely thinking Darth Vader

mrrydogg · Aug 15, 2008, 06:51 PM

Perfect combination....

Awful, grainy video and someone with a breathing disorder. Did it really need to have sound?

I don't mind the slide out keyboard. Would be a cool option on the iPhone (especially if it included some basic game controller keys). I probably wouldn't use it that much, but it would be nice to have.

dlastmango · Aug 15, 2008, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

The guy in the video breathes really heavily.

Its DARTH VADER... and he wants you to join the DARK SIDE...

Klaxons2012 · Aug 15, 2008, 06:53 PM

I'm not a big fan of HTC manufacturing. My parents bought two HTC phones and when they would use the GPS, the thing could bake a Pizza. I think it would take a great effort from the Android dev folks and HTC to come out with a strong competitor. Apple had me on content delivery alone, so if this App Store has great things to offer and they aren't like the current crop of WinMo apps now (for the most part are useless), then I'd be interested at best. I'm pretty happy with my iPhone.

gcmexico · Aug 15, 2008, 06:53 PM

not impressed at all

nickspohn · Aug 15, 2008, 06:53 PM

It's going to fail.

Anyone who wanted an advanced touch screen phone has bought one by now, and i can say that once your an iPhone user, you are going to one for a while. Android will do okay, but it's going to flop compared to what some of the people say and how well it will do.

wadejc85 · Aug 15, 2008, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrrydogg

I don't mind the slide out keyboard. Would be a cool option on the iPhone (especially if it included some basic game controller keys). I probably wouldn't use it that much, but it would be nice to have.

I hated the slide out keyboard on the Cingular 8125. The phone's screen kept getting stuck in the portrait position instead of changing to landscape. Plus, the keys were so small that I would accidentally hit send SMS message instead of the letters I was trying to type.

Granted, the phone ran Windows, which explained all the problems.

But the 8125 was twice as thick as the iPhone. So.... I'd rather not have a keyboard.

Klaxons2012 · Aug 15, 2008, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrrydogg

I don't mind the slide out keyboard. Would be a cool option on the iPhone (especially if it included some basic game controller keys). I probably wouldn't use it that much, but it would be nice to have.

I'm in the same camp. I like to type fast and sometimes the iPhone's softkey has a hard time keeping up. A physical keyboard would be nice and game control keys would be a deal closer.

hardhatmac · Aug 15, 2008, 06:57 PM

yea no kidding...Darth Vader has one...so I guess that means I need to get one...

Klaxons2012 · Aug 15, 2008, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wadejc85

I hated the slide out keyboard on the Cingular 8125. The phone's screen kept getting stuck in the portrait position instead of changing to landscape. Plus, the keys were so small that I would accidentally hit send SMS message instead of the letters I was trying to type.

Granted, the phone ran Windows, which explained all the problems.

But the 8125 was twice as thick as the iPhone. So.... I'd rather not have a keyboard.

Did you ever have battery/heat issues with yours?

striatic · Aug 15, 2008, 06:58 PM

looks like a solid design. essentially a sidekick with the screen exposed, which isn't exactly radical but offers a lot over the current iPhone interface.

clearly there is a lot of demand to hack these devices, something that Apple has continually sought to curtail, if Android can allow for greater flexibility in terms of customization i think that would appeal to a lot of people.

and while the iPhone is a great piece of hardware, it only comes in one form factor, and that form factor isn't going to be right for everyone. some people just need a keypad, and if an Android phone has one they'll go with it.

i hope Android is very successful and puts Apple into a position where they have to open up the iPhone more.

Mykbibby · Aug 15, 2008, 06:59 PM

Just another cheap phone with a touch screen slapped on it and a cliche name...

wadejc85 · Aug 15, 2008, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klaxons2012

Did you ever have battery/heat issues with yours?

Yes! It heated up when I used the phone for longer than 20 minutes.

The headphone/microphone jack stopped working, as well.

Aug 15, 2008, 06:43 PM	#3
wadejc85 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: PA	I don't see anything special in the phone. Maybe it's just me? Plus, the keyboard looked kind of annoying to type on. __________________ Wade Tail Fin Comics ~ 20" iMac ~~ 15" MBP ~~ iPhone 3G ~~ iPods ~~ '09 Subie FXT ~

Aug 15, 2008, 06:44 PM	#4
monke macrumors 65816 Join Date: May 2005	Didn't Apple look into having a slide out keyboard for the iPhone too? It looks like a cool phone, but will it have the feature set to beat an iPhone? Probably not. __________________ Yesterday it worked. Today it is not working. Windows is like that.

Aug 15, 2008, 06:44 PM	#5
kjs862 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Long Island	Competition is good. Maybe once this comes out Apple will work harder to get the software bugs out of the iphone. __________________ Power Mac G5 Dual 2.0Ghz (1 Gen), 6.5GB Ram, X800XT, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Aug 15, 2008, 06:45 PM	#6
alphaod Contributor Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LIE x37	Looking foward to Android. __________________ Search before you post: MRoogle Mac Pro E09 (2x2.66/6x2GB/4x300GB10K/GTX285) \| Dell 3007WFP-HC (30") MacBook Air M09 (2.13/2GB/128GB) \| iPhone 3GS (32GB/White/Unlocked)

Aug 15, 2008, 06:49 PM	#11
ArtOfWarfare macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2007	The guy in the video breathes really heavily. __________________ 24" Aluminum iMac, 2.4 GHz, 3 GB RAM Mac OS X 10.6.1 (Snow Leopard) 32 GB iPhone 3G S (OS 3.1)

Aug 15, 2008, 06:46 PM	#7
plumbingandtech macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jun 2007	For a moment there, when the google rumors where new way back when, I thought they might have a shot at crippling the new iphone market share. I no longer worry. They may sell a lot. Then again quality != quality. I'm sure the kiddies with the sidekicks will want to upgrade to this sort of thing though.

Aug 15, 2008, 06:47 PM	#8
AvSRoCkCO1067 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: CO	What an awful video...

Aug 15, 2008, 06:50 PM	#12
Xavier macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2006	Looks like a neat alternative to the iPhone __________________ Flickr - MBP

Aug 15, 2008, 06:51 PM	#14
mrrydogg macrumors regular Join Date: Sep 2007	Perfect combination.... Awful, grainy video and someone with a breathing disorder. Did it really need to have sound? I don't mind the slide out keyboard. Would be a cool option on the iPhone (especially if it included some basic game controller keys). I probably wouldn't use it that much, but it would be nice to have. __________________ 2.2GHz MacBook Mac Pro Desktop w/30 inch CD 16GB 3G iPhone 8GB iPhone 3rd Gen iPod Nano 2nd Gen iPod Mini

Aug 15, 2008, 06:53 PM	#16
Klaxons2012 macrumors regular Join Date: Sep 2007	I'm not a big fan of HTC manufacturing. My parents bought two HTC phones and when they would use the GPS, the thing could bake a Pizza. I think it would take a great effort from the Android dev folks and HTC to come out with a strong competitor. Apple had me on content delivery alone, so if this App Store has great things to offer and they aren't like the current crop of WinMo apps now (for the most part are useless), then I'd be interested at best. I'm pretty happy with my iPhone. __________________ Quote of the Week: "A trillion dollars for baked beans? I didn't know they had Whole Foods in Zimbabwe." - Lewis Black

Aug 15, 2008, 06:53 PM	#17
gcmexico macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New York City	not impressed at all __________________ PB G3, Imac G4, Imac G5, MacMini Media Center, MBA, TV, 3gS Iphone, 4th gen Nano, Drobo

Aug 15, 2008, 06:53 PM	#18
nickspohn macrumors 68040 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chicago	It's going to fail. Anyone who wanted an advanced touch screen phone has bought one by now, and i can say that once your an iPhone user, you are going to one for a while. Android will do okay, but it's going to flop compared to what some of the people say and how well it will do. __________________ iPhone 3GS Review \| iPhone 3G Review \| iPhone Review

Aug 15, 2008, 06:57 PM	#21
hardhatmac macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Utah	yea no kidding...Darth Vader has one...so I guess that means I need to get one... __________________ Sigs should be pictures. Sure, people put their computer specs here, but specs say nothing about who I am therefore have no place in my "signature."

Aug 15, 2008, 06:58 PM	#23
striatic macrumors newbie Join Date: Aug 2008	looks like a solid design. essentially a sidekick with the screen exposed, which isn't exactly radical but offers a lot over the current iPhone interface. clearly there is a lot of demand to hack these devices, something that Apple has continually sought to curtail, if Android can allow for greater flexibility in terms of customization i think that would appeal to a lot of people. and while the iPhone is a great piece of hardware, it only comes in one form factor, and that form factor isn't going to be right for everyone. some people just need a keypad, and if an Android phone has one they'll go with it. i hope Android is very successful and puts Apple into a position where they have to open up the iPhone more.

Aug 15, 2008, 06:59 PM	#24
Mykbibby macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Palm Springs, CA	Just another cheap phone with a touch screen slapped on it and a cliche name... __________________ Mac Soda: Quenching Your Thirst for Everything Apple

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode