First Sony Ericsson Google phone to run Android OS 2.0
(Credit:
Android)
We already know that Sony Ericsson has plans to release a Google Android phone in 2009, but ever since joining the Open Handset Alliance in December 2008, we haven't heard a peep from the company. That is, until now.
Speaking at a launch event in Taiwan, Peter Ang, Sony Ericsson's Asia-Pacific vice president of marketing, told reporters that its first Google smartphone will arrive in the "near future" and that it will run Android 2.0 (aka Donut). Ang added that the device will have Sony Ericsson's unique style and though he did not elaborate on what exactly that meant, he did refer to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and its use of the interactive panel interface.
There were earlier rumors that Sony Ericsson would release an Android phone by the summer, but considering that the Android 1.5 Cupcake update is just now being rolled out to T-Mobile G1 owners and Sony Ericsson's device will run Android 2.0, this scenario seems doubtful. Or perhaps the next-generation operating system is farther along than we thought? Wishful thinking?
[Additional sources: SlashPhone, Android Community, SlashGear]
Bonnie Cha is a senior editor for CNET, covering smartphones and GPS. When she's not testing the latest gadgets, you can find her chasing after her crazy lab or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California. E-mail Bonnie. 
I sure hope 2.0 includes some of the features & cosmetic changes demonstrated in the HTC Hero video. Those changes really give Android a much more polished look.