(Credit:
YouTube)
Google won't officially unveil its Nexus One smartphone until Tuesday, when it has scheduled an Android Press Gathering. There are plenty of descriptions and images of the phone floating around the Web, though--a result of Google's decision to "dogfood" the device with employees.
And now, some video. Wednesday, a 10-minute clip of what appears to be someone taking the phone through its paces popped up on the Web. There's no sound, and the device appears to be configured for French speakers, so if you're an American with a short attention span, I'm not sure what the appeal would be. But some of you are going to want to watch it, anyway.
This normally would be the place where I'd embed the relevant YouTube video. But this is one video Google doesn't want on its video site, and the company is pulling the footage down as quickly as it can. (This is where I imagine the Viacom guys chortling and rubbing their hands).
That said, you can find the clip without much effort, particularly if you search other video sites not owned by Google. Have at it, if that floats your boat.
Story Copyright (c) 2009 AllThingsD. All rights reserved.
Additional stories from AllThingsD
The ethereal Google Phone could arrive as early as January 5 on T-Mobile's network, according to a report.
Google could start selling the Nexus One directly to consumers on January 5, according to a new report.
(Credit: Cory O'Brien via Twitter)That's according to TmoNews, a blog that obsessively tracks the movements of T-Mobile. It says it has obtained an internal training document that mentions the Google Phone, thought to be the Nexus One phone distributed to Google employees earlier this month.
In the document, T-Mobile informs its employees that "the Google Android phone will be sold solely by Google via the Web," backing up other reports that Google is about to make a radical departure from its previous phone strategy and "compete with its customers," something Google Android chief Andy Rubin had said the company was not interested in doing.
The document makes no mention of timing, but TmoNews said its sources believe the phone will launch on January 5 at 9 a.m., just before the major CES trade show gets underway in Las Vegas (we presume that's 9 a.m. Pacific time, but the document didn't stipulate the time zone). Engadget reported a similar launch date last week.
We still don't know what the Nexus One/Google Android phone will cost, or even whether sales of the phone will be limited to a small number of registered developers, as Google as done with two previous phones. However, it's hard to believe that T-Mobile would need to gear up for the launch of a phone sold in very limited qualities.
Ever since Google said it had no plans to sell its own phone directly to consumers in October, it has refused to comment on its Android strategy as reports it was about to do just that have built. A Google representative did not return an e-mail seeking comment on Tuesday.
(Credit:
Cory O'Brien via Twitter)
We know that one of the hottest Google Android phones out there is the one you can't get yet. Well, unless you're a Google employee of course. So the question remains, when will the general public be able to get a Nexus One of their very own? Well, according to the latest rumor, it could be as early as January 5.
A tipster told Engadget Mobile on Wednesday that the Nexus One will be available on that date but by invite only. The invitations will be sent out by Google but the tipster didn't have any information as to how the company is deciding who to send the invites to and no word on pricing. It seems a little suspect to us, but hey, we know Google likes to pull surprises.
In addition to a possible release date, Engadget Mobile posted full specs for the smartphone:
- Android 2.1
- Support for T-Mobile's 3G bands, quad-band GSM/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
- 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED touch screen
- 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and video recording
- 512MB RAM/512MB Flash; expandable up to 32GB
- 1400mAh lithium ion battery
Thoughts?
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
(Credit: CNET UK)This post was updated on 12/21, 1:17 p.m., PT with information about a second version of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 getting FCC approval.
The FCC has given the green light to Sony Ericsson's first Google Android phone, the Xperia X10. Filed documents show that the quad-band GSM smartphone supports T-Mobile's 3G network, though it remains to be seen whether the carrier will offer the device or whether it will be sold unlocked.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 looks to be a powerhouse with a 4-inch, 854x480-pixel touch screen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 8.1-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
CNET UK got a first-hand look at the device when it was first introduced in early November and was disappointed to see it running Android 1.6 instead of 2.0, but hopefully it'll get a nice upgrade before it hits the UK in February 2010 and whenever it lands stateside.
Update: It looks like a second version of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was was approved by the FCC on Monday, this time supporting AT&T's 3G network. The plot thickens. (via Engadget Mobile)
(Source: Phonescoop)
(Credit:
Josh Miller/CNET)
On Thursday, Sprint revised a tweet it sent out last week regarding an Android update for the Samsung Moment and HTC Hero. Both smartphones won't be getting an Android 2.0 update; instead, they will get Android 2.1. (Pause for applause.)
The carrier made the announcement via its Twitter account, but unfortunately didn't provide any more specific details as to when the updates might be rolled out other than it would be sometime in the first half of 2010.
Currently, only the Nexus One is running Android 2.1. While features of this version of the operating system are still largely unknown, some people have spied enhancements including a Palm WebOS-like Deck of Cards feature, more home screen panes, and additional 3D items in the app tray.
(Additional sources: Engadget Mobile, Gearlog)
(Credit:
FCC)
Updated at 4:20 PST with response from T-Mobile.
After a busy weekend where it made its very unofficial debut, HTC's Nexus One entered into full legitimacy Monday with approval by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC documents also reveal that the device will support North American GSM bands (850 and 1900) and T-Mobile's 1700 3G network.
Though at least one Nexus One sighted this weekend was running on an AT&T SIM card, the support for T-Mobile's 3G would leave AT&T out of the running for the Nexus One, at least for now. The two carriers use the same GSM bands for voice calls, but their 3G networks are incompatible.
T-Mobile said it doesn't comment on rumors or speculation, but its participation in the Nexus One (aka the "Google phone") would send a mixed message concerning how the device would be distributed to consumers. The Wall Street Journal reported today that Google would directly sell the Nexus One as an unlocked unsubsidized model. Distribution through a carrier channel, however, would mean that Google wouldn't sell the Nexus One on its own.
Details and specs on the Nexus One remain mostly unknown, but the FCC documentation also shows that the handset would support hearing aids, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi.
(Source: Phonescoop)
Updated at 5 p.m. PST with additional details and at 10 a.m. PST December 13 with photo of the phone.
A blog post from a Google executive on Saturday morning dropped hints that the company would release a Google Android phone of its own.
In the post, Mario Queiroz, a Google vice president of product management, said the company had developed a "mobile lab" device that "combines innovative hardware from a partner with software that runs on Android." According to Queiroz, Google has distributed the device to Google employees worldwide so that they could test the new technology and help improve it.
Quieroz's announcement came only a few hours after reported sightings of the device. CNET TV Associate Producer Jason Howell, who had a very brief hands-on with the gadget Friday night and first relayed the news on Twitter, confirms that the "mobile lab" device is an HTC phone running the Android 2.1 operating system.
"I knew it was an HTC device," Howell said. "It looked like the Touch, but was a lot thinner...it was a slick-looking thing and very nice." He also spotted a trackball and four standard Android menu controls, and he said the display was "supersharp" and rivaled that on the Motorola Droid.
Howell didn't get a chance to dig into the handset's specs or detail the changes from the 2.1 update, but he noticed animated wallpapers, slight visual enhancements to the user interface, and a camera on the rear face that resembles the HTC Touch Pro 2. Curiously, Howell said he didn't see any Google logo on the handset. TechCrunch published additional, though unconfirmed, details, including a Snapdragon processor, an OLED touch screen, and a voice-to-text feature, while TheUnlockr posted leaked photos.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the handset will be called the Nexus One. Although HTC made the hardware, the software and user interface is all Google, from the applications to the "look and feel of each screen."
The Journal also said Google will begin selling the device early next year, directly to consumers, thus bypassing the traditional carrier channel. As an unlocked GSM device, the Nexus One could be used with T-Mobile or AT&T, though it's unclear which carrier's 3G bands the handset will support. During his brief tour, Howell wasn't able to test the performance, but he said that the Nexus One he handled was running on an AT&T SIM card.
Reports that Google would release its own Android phone first appeared earlier this year. The move is significant, as it could pit Google against the carriers that it so far has used to distribute existing Android phones. Also, without a carrier contract and subsequent service rebates the Nexus One could cost a few hundred dollars. For those reasons, I was a little skeptical when I first heard the rumor, so count me wrong on this one.
Acer S100
(Credit: FCC)The highlight at the Federal Communications Commission is the Google Android-powered Acer S100 that appears to be destined for AT&T. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.
Acer S100
Kyocera S2300
LG LN240
LG VX5600
Motorola
Motorola
Nokia (RM-482)
Pantech P2000
Pantech UM815
Samsung GT-B5722C
Samsung GT-E1086L
Samsung GT-S3650W
Samsung GT-S5150
Samsung SGH-A867
Samsung SGH-T939
ZTE X990
(Credit:
Josh Miller/CNET)
While Verizon customers have been feeling the Android love lately with updates for both the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris, Sprint users have been left to wonder when they might see an update for their Android devices. Well, we sort of have an answer now.
The carrier announced via Twitter on Friday that it will offer an Android 2.0 update for both the HTC Hero and the Samsung Moment, which is great news. Unfortunately, the update won't come till the first half of 2010 (no specific date was given), but hopefully it'll be on the earlier side of the new year like the Droid Eris so you won't have to wait too long.
(Credit:
Josh Miller/CNET)
We don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that the Motorola Droid was the hottest Android phone to be released in 2009. Of course, the Verizon Wireless ads attacking AT&T and the Apple iPhone did a lot to bring attention to the smartphone, but it wasn't all hype. The smartphone delivered with excellent performance, an attention-grabbing 3.7-inch WVGA touch screen, and the benefits of Android 2.0, including Google Maps Navigation.
With the combination of clever marketing and just being a solid device all around, the Droid has quickly become one of CNET's most popular smartphones and more than 1 million units are expected to be sold by the end of the year.
Perhaps you're one of the thousands who purchased the Droid and are enjoying all that the smartphone has to offer. However, to help you get even more out of the device, we've rounded up some of our favorite accessories and apps for the Droid, as well as some frequently asked questions about various features, tips and tricks, troubleshooting, and more. Of course, this is just a sample of what's out there, so if you have any favorite accessories or tips that you want to share with other fellow Droid owners, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
Accessories
Motorola Droid accessories
Cell phone accessories blog
Software update
Android 2.0.1 for Droid users coming soon
Applications
Yelp
AndroidStats
Fring VoIP
Cooking Capsules
Photoshop for Android
Slacker Radio
Pandora Radio
Personal Assistant
Facebook
Droid FAQ
All about the Droid
The Droid and hands-free calling
