Report: Android phone on tap for China
Once there was just a single Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. Coming soon, in Australia, is the Kogan Agora. Now reports are pointing to an emerging gadget for China, known for the moment as the "OPhone."
The Lenovo-badged "OPhone"
(Credit: ModmyGphone)The site ModmyGphone is showing off a photo of a sleek gadget that it says is a joint effort of Lenovo, the PC heavyweight, and China Mobile, the largest cell phone operator in China:
The latest bit is, the phone is looking good and ready for testing. OPhone is a codename for phones that will be based on China Mobile's OMS (Open Mobile System) which is essentially Android + TD SCDMA (China's home-grown 3G standard).
Another site, ITProPortal, says that the smartphone, with "iPhone-esque minimalist features," is expected to debut in February or March.
The phone is likely to be a strictly domestic product, the reports say. China Mobile's spin on the OS would give it the ability to commission customized phones and would give it leverage in profit-sharing discussions. The mobile operator reportedly had a falling out with Apple over whether China Mobile could make modifications to the iPhone.
China Mobile is a member of Google's Open Handset Alliance, which just gained 14 members, including Vodaphone.
Jonathan Skillings is managing editor of CNET News, based in the Boston bureau. He's been with CNET since 2000, after a decade in tech journalism at the IDG News Service, PC Week, and an AS/400 magazine. He's also been a soldier and a schoolteacher. E-mail Jon.
Puh-lease!
How much can you expect from a company that can't strike out on their own and not be a "copy-wannabe"? This isn't instilling much faith.
Its not like the iPhone is the end of the universe. Before the iPhone we used to think some other phones were the best or more user friendly etc.
Companies should stop copying each other and start becoming even more innovative and give us something we can really be proud of. The more the options the better the competition. That's what I like.
Where is your source for the statement that " The mobile operator reportedly had a falling out with Apple over whether China Mobile could make modifications to the iPhone."?
I have not seen or heard of any reports of such a fallout. Is this a theory or based on actual reports? Thanks for any further info.
It was reported in China Daily. See: http://qwix.com/38
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by Constable Odo
December 12, 2008 12:08 PM PST
- Why does every handset need to be compared to the iPhone. There's plenty of market for different types of handsets. There are more full-featured phones, more costly phones, less costly phones, phones smaller in size. There's room for many handsets, so why does every handset need to be clamed an iPhone killer. The OPhone looks nice enough and for some reason or the other might be a good iPhone alternative or just good in it's own right.
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