Crave

No, it's not the best phone ever.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

I cringe every time I hear the phrase "iPhone killer." And in a month like this, when we've reviewed the Palm Pre, the iPhone 3G S, and the next Google Android phone that is expected to land at T-Mobile, I've heard it way too many times.

My biggest issue with the phrase is not that's it's overused--though that's part of it--it's that it implies that the iPhone needs to be killed. Calling the latest touch-screen phone an "iPhone killer" automatically elevates the iPhone to a place that it doesn't deserve. Yes, it's an excellent, innovative device that does many things well, but it's not the best cell phone on the planet. And with the possible exception of its multitouch Web browser, it's not the ultimate pinnacle of cell phone development.

We need only to look at the iPhone's 3G's latest rivals to know that other devices can pose serious competition. No, they're not perfect either, but they're certainly innovative in their own way. And despite what some Apple fans may argue, they're not going anywhere.

Palm's innovative new WebOS is like nothing we've seen before. The Pre multitasks beautifully, its Synergy feature and notifications system are incomparable, and its multitouch browser almost beats the iPhone at its own game. We didn't love the Pre's hardware, but Palm will be coming out with more WebOS devices. Who knows what round two will bring?

Android handsets like the Google Ion/HTC Magic offer a fantastic interface, great integration with Google services, and a truly user-customizable experience. What's more, since Android will run on more than one device, consumers will have a real choice of hardware. Of course, that last point depends on Google and handset manufacturers actually introducing more Android devices. I'm impatiently awaiting the follow-up T-Mobile G1.

There will never be a "world's greatest phone," though people will find the best phone for their needs. We also should remember that competition and choice are good things. We should not desire a world where there is only one kind of cell phone, much like we shouldn't desire to drive one kind of car, drink one kind of soda, or wear one brand of shoes. There is plenty of room in this world for multiple brands of phones, whether they be flashy, multimedia handsets like the iPhone or simple candy bar models that just makes calls.

So, please lay off the "iPhone killer." It's not fair, it's not accurate and it's just not right.

(Credit: Engadget Mobile)

On Tuesday, T-Mobile USA announced its plan to release a new Google Android smartphone in early summer. Though the carrier didn't go into much detail about the device, it did say that the product would be a follow-up to the T-Mobile G1, so our money's on the HTC Magic/Google Ion, which is currently available through Vodafone in Europe and Rogers Wireless in Canada.

To add fuel to the fire, Engadget Mobile has what appears to be the artwork for the product's sales packaging, and sure enough, the HTC Magic is pictured on the front. But more interesting is the name: T-Mobile MyTouch 3G. In addition, it looks like the smartphone will be offered in black, burgundy, or white. The artwork certainly draws attention, but I'm not so sure about the name.

The OPhone is expected to be a version of the HTC Magic, which came out in February.

(Credit: Damian Koh/CNET Asia)

For a holiday, it's been an eventful day in the world of HTC-Android-phone news. First came those leaked internal AT&T documents that showed, among other things, a new HTC Android device called the Lancaster that's supposedly targeted for an August U.S. launch. Now comes word of HTC's plans, starting next month, to sell an Android-powered smartphone in China, the world's largest wireless market.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new China-bound Android phone will be a version of HTC's Magic, the successor to the T-Mobile G1 (formerly known as the HTC Dream) that launched in February.

The phones will reportedly be customized with software from wireless carrier China Mobile and called OPhones (referring to Open Mobile System, the name for China Mobile's customized version of Google's mobile operating system). And yes, the name does bring to mind another little smartphone we've heard of, but at least, as far as we can tell, the "O" will be capitalized.

There's no final word on price yet, but the WSJ speculates that HTC's new China phone will retail for about 5,000 yuan, or about $730.

Come on, give us something!

2009 was supposed to be the "year of Android." But we are now five months into 2009 and not a single new Android device has landed in the United States. And outside our borders, only the HTC Magic has arrived at carriers.

It all started at CES, when rumors abounded that a gallery of new Android devices would debut at the show. Yet, CES passed without a single Android announcement. So the focus shifted to the GSMA World Congress, but only the HTC Magic landed in Barcelona. Like a skipping record, the buzz then repeated itself for CTIA. But that show passed--you guessed it!--without any new Android models.

It's not that new handsets aren't coming; it's that they're taking so much time to get here. The FCC has certified the HTC Magic for T-Mobile USA, and Samsung and Motorola have models on their way. T-Mobile has promised more models this year, and other phone manufacturer companies are joining the chorus. The latest is Acer, which only joined the smartphone game in February. Reuters reported yesterday that an Acer exec promised an Android device by the end of the year.

Well, I've got news for you, Acer and others. I want less talk and more action. Promises are great, but as we pass into summer (or winter, depending on your hemisphere) I want to see a real handset actually go on sale. It's been seven months since the release of the G1, so the time has passed for something new and better. I'm concerned that Sprint is a member of the Open Handset Alliance, but also hedges on if it will ever offer an Android device.

I love Android's potential, but I'm impatient and I fear that if we have to wait much longer the gadget world will move on. We're getting the Palm Pre next month and a new iPhone should be on the way. It's now Android's turn to deliver the goods

We finally have a release date for the Palm Pre.

(Credit: Palm)

Update at Wednesday, May 20 at 10:00 a.m. PST: A few readers have asked about the North America version of the Nokia N97. It should launch June 2.

Though summer is always a busy time for new cell phones releases, so far the summer of 2009 is shaping up to be a doozy. We expect a full load of new handsets over the next three months with June being an especially hectic time for high-profile models. To help you keep track of the news, here's a handy list.

Palm Pre
After months of waiting (and plenty of rumors), we finally learned today that the Palm Pre will go on sale Saturday, June 6 for $200. Palm pushed its "first half of the year" deadline to the very end, but it appears they'll make it.

We're hoping to have a review unit by the time it hits stores so that we can give you the full scoop on this much-anticipated device. Indeed, we're very excited to finally be able to touch it. June 6 was a bit unexpected since Sprint typically releases new devices on a Sunday. But the date does give Palm a two-day jump on what should be the next incarnation of the iPhone.

Last week, we previewed the HTC Magic and revealed some of the enhancements the company made to Android, most significantly, the addition of Microsoft Exchange support. Well, it looks like the Taiwan manufacturer's R&D department is far from done when it comes to tweaking the default Android 1.5 firmware.

A video has emerged with what is supposed to be the ROM for the upcoming HTC Hero--installed on a T-Mobile G1 device.

Some of the improvements include a new music player, a calendar that's somewhat similar to the one found on the Touch Diamond2, and changes to the browser interface comprising a new loading status bar and a jazzed-up screen for switching between windows.

(Credit: Android)

While many cell phone fans are awaiting the launch of the Palm Pre and details of a new iPhone, there's another segment of the community that's waiting for something else: more Google Android phones.

Their arrival seems imminent with a T-Mobile-branded HTC Magic passing through the FCC and now the Samsung I7500 getting the official stamp of approval. Also, there are rumors of a Motorola-manufactured T-Mobile G1 v2 slated for October. And let's not forget that Sony Ericsson, HTC, and Samsung have more than one Android device slated for 2009.

While the prospect of new hardware is exciting and we certainly need some new designs to add to lonely (and umm, clunky) T-Mobile G1, let's not forget the guts of the phone, the actual Android operating system.

A number of features and fixes are being added through the Android 1.5 Cupcake update, including an on-screen landscape keyboard, video recording, stereo Bluetooth, updated Webkit browser, and UI improvements. All were welcome and much-needed additions, but we'd like to see a few more things in the near future. Native Microsoft Exchange support would be a good start as well as Flash support. G1 users have also complained about the inability to save apps to SD cards and limited internal memory.

Android 2.0 (code-named Donut) is already attracting buzz, though we know very little about it except that it will support WVGA and QVGA screen resolutions. It may or may not address some of the issues above, but while we wait for the new devices to come out, let me ask you, dear Crave reader: what would you like to see in the next Android device? It can be about the hardware or software or both. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Microsoft Exchange on HTC Magic.

(Credit: Damian Koh/CNET Asia)

This post was last updated on May 15 at 11:28 a.m., PT.

Earlier on Thursday, we reported on the Singapore HTC Magic launch and learned from our friends at CNET Asia that HTC has two more Google Android devices planned for the year. Great to hear, but was there more immediate good news that flew under the radar?

In Damian Koh's hands-on report of the Magic, right there in the sixth picture, plain as day, is Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support on the HTC Magic (kudos to CNET News reporter Stephen Shankland for noticing).

Koh also writes, "One of the new features on the Magic is support for Microsoft Exchange. We managed to get it to sync with our Outlook e-mails, contacts, and calendar entries with nary a hassle." HardwareZone also mentioned Exchange support in its report of the Asia-bound Magic.

The lack of native Exchange ActiveSync support has been a major detractor for the T-Mobile G1's use in the corporate environment. True, recent third-party applications like DataViz Documents to Go have added this functionality, but native support would be huge. It's not clear, however, whether the Exchange compatibility is specific to the Magic or if it will be pushed out to the other Android devices (the G1 and European model of the HTC Magic), but we can't imagine that support is far behind. Messages to the Google Android camp were not returned as of press time.

A Google representative issued this statement in response to our question about native Exchange support:

"Android does not currently include support for Microsoft Exchange. This remains a ripe opportunity for 3rd parties, as the Android Open Source project, supported by Android Market, provides developers complete freedom to extend Android and enable a wide range of connected mobile services. We are beginning to see initiatives and products from the community designed to target the mobile enterprise market. We believe our approach of openness, both at the platform level and for application distribution, will drive rapid innovation and availability of consumer and enterprise solutions on Android."

Clearly, this left us a little confused, especially after we talked to Damian and he confirmed the Exchange support was native to the OS on the Magic, so we got in touch with our HTC contact here in the U.S., who offered this clarification:

"The Vodafone version of Magic has "with Google" on the back, like the G1. This simple phrase indicates that the phone has a pure Google experience - no customizations have been made to the software. The Magic being sold in most of Asia is not a "Google experience" phone so we are able to add HTC-specific software into Android. That version of Magic has Exchange support, plus a more full featured camera application, a custom dialer application with smart dial and additional widgets as well."

There you have it. Unfortunately, this means that we won't see this feature pushed out to the G1, which also has the "with Google" on back, but it's also interesting that you have these two flavors of Android devices. However, we should also point out that the Asian HTC Magic isn't carrier-specific, so perhaps this has something to do with it.

The HTC Magic and HTC Dream: we could see more HTC Android handhelds soon.

(Credit: HTC)

Here's some news straight from the horse's mouth. At Thursday's launch of the HTC Magic in Singapore, Executive Vice President Jason Juang told CNET Asia in an aside that the company will be releasing at least two more Android smartphones by the end of this year. He remained coy when pressed for more details.

HTC's no longer alone in the Android party as Samsung has recently announced its first Android offering, the I7500. We'll continue to keep you updated. Meanwhile, check out our hands-on pictures of the Magic, or if motion images are your kind of thing, click to a First Look video here.

(Source: Crave Asia)