The folks over at AndroidSPIN have just received a leaked build file which supposedly outs yet another Android handset in the already overflowing HTC catalog. What makes this one so special you might ask? A little hunting through the code reveals these details:
- 1.5 GHz processor (Interestingly at CES Qualcomm spoke of a 1.3 GHz Snapdragon processor and a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, so either we have a third configuration here or this may be the first dual-core Android phone)
- WiMax (Pegging this one for Sprint)
- Android 2.2? (a.k.a. Froyo)
It should be at least Q4 until we see this one unleashed, but the speed with which new devices are churning out of HTC does seem remarkable. At least in part their breakneck pace might be attributed to the ability to focus more intently on the internals rather than having to be concerned with the exterior hardware design. I think we could all predict with reasonable accuracy the basic appearance of the next HTC Android device, but what we will find beating inside is the mystery.
As a fan of the platform it is a thrill to see HTC funneling so much of their resources into Android, but there is a part of me that hopes they slow down just a bit.
This embarrassment of riches is a blessing and a curse for Android at the moment; at what point does the omnipresent news of the “next big thing” on the horizon go from exciting to paralyzing? How many of you out there find yourself completely unable to pull the trigger on any Android device out of fear that we are only days or weeks away from another groundbreaking release?
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Sean Riley
Sean has been obsessed with mobile technology ever since stealing his dad's bag phone and Android has been on his radar since its earliest days. For his thoughts on gadgets and tech that fall outside of the Android universe you can also find him blogging at Technogasms.
30 Comments
HOLY CRAP@ That processor!
I dont think this news is paralyzing. If anything it is good news for Android lovers. We are living in a smartphone world, where things are ever so changing. The average smartphone now, will only last 1 year if that. I think the consumer is used to upgrading phones every year, I mean look at Apple. They are releasing a new iPhone every year.
The key will be battery management along with improved battery capacity as these clock speeds head higher & higher, nevermind the heat dampening.
Just get on with the “Spring 2010″ for the Nexus One on Verizon. Providing I can finagle a family plan deal with it, I really want to get my ‘droid on.
I’m definitely still using a myTouch. I got it Summer of ‘09 and it’s not even Spring ‘10, but it is hopelessly outdated. Even with a 2.1 update it’ll be just as slow. Now I’m going to have to decide between getting a new phone or a new netbook.
I’m running a mytouch as well and trust me, install cyanogen rom. It’s very easy (there’s a bunch of tutorials online) and it sped up my phone 2 to 3 times. It also increased my battery life to around 48 hours, not to mention having multitouch and the latest android updates.
Yeah you really just need to root it so you can get apps to SD and partition your SD card. I’m running a MLIGN 3.3 Hero ROM on my mt3g right now (just to try the sense UI out), and it’s running great. It’s fast enough for daily use and the battery lasts all day with no problem. Just look up some tutorials on XDA forums and find some good ROMs and start having fun
i am new to the rooting game i have a g1 and was wondering what this XDA site is u talk about. i have been to cyanogen website and its hard to figure out where to start. if u all could point me in the right direction i really want to get into doing things liike this on my android phone. do u think it would be easier to root a newer phone than the g1 or should it be about the same since we are on a similar OS.
I think this is great news. I love seeing Android get so much attention from so many companies and carriers. (Although I am dissapointeed that this one’s heading for Sprint). But I also agree that it can make it very difficult to ‘pull the trigger’ on any one new device. I’m still using my dated G1 that I bought last March (and typing on it this second).
I really liked the looks of the Cliq when it was nearing release, but I’m now glad that I’ve waited. I’m really hoping for a snapdragon powered Android device with a physical keyboard…I was willing to give that up for the N1, but I don’t yet qualify for an upgrade and couldn’t warrant spending $530 for the phone (no matter how awesome it may be).
I’m in the same situation as you with the G1.. I want to stay with t-mobile because they have the cheapest rates and they are soon to be the fastest network. Not qualifying for an upgrade, our only option is to get the equipment installment plan where you you pay the full price of a phone over 20 payments. So the nexus for example would only be an extra $25 a month. However, after talking to t-mobile about 5 times, sadly the nexus isn’t covered under the e.i.p. because its sold through google.. So looks like we just have to wait it out for the next awesome phone, too bad this htc scorpion is going to sprint because it looks sick!
/sigh
Looks like I’ll be only getting about 6 months use out of my Nexus One, huh?
i thought the same thing when i saw the mini 5 from dell.. now the idea of a 1.5 Ghz processor but.. with the monthly updates im expecting from google for this phone we’ll see how long it stays in the spotlight
I agree that there are an overwhelming number of handsets out there, making it hard for developers to produce legit applications. I have the droid eris though and am completely satisfied.
Last August, I bought an HTC Magic. A while later the Hero came out, and I wanted one, but waited. Then the Droid appeared. I wanted one, but it’s CDMA-only, so I waited. The Nexus ONE showed up, but it only runs on WIND Mobile here, so again I’m waiting. The Milestone is about to appear on Telus, Bell, and Rogers, but the keyboard is too small thanks to that space-wasting touchpad, so I’m waiting. Now the HTC Bravo is looming – should I wait?
I can’t tell you how much I yell at my myTouch for being super duper slow, slowest phone I’ve ever had…
Was lookin at the N1 but now a dual core 1.5ghz phone? Ur killing me.
Root. Apps to SD. Partition. oh and keep those caches clear. Try CacheMate in the Android Market
Kinda reminds me of the late 90’s with computers..
you’d buy one, and before you got it to your car, a new model came out for $50 less and loaded with new features
I’m still rocking a stock G1. It works but I do want something more. I’m really liking the N1 but I’m not sure I want to drop $530 for a new smartphone.
Hold off on N1 if you have any carrier other than T-Mobile. Mini 5 or Other ATT Androids may be more powerful since they have the time advantage.
Before I even got to the last paragraph I was thinking ‘not another model’. How many Android phones have HTC announced this year? It’s ridiculous and I for one can’t buy a phone today knowing that this is coming soon. I almost bought a Nexus, but because I held off three weeks I now can’t.
Not everyone can afford to upgrade their mobile every year – especially as carriers tie you in to an 18- or 24-month plan
Hell yeah HTC is bring out the big guns!
Android=win!
I’m definitely in the “paralysed” camp! First, I was nearly seduced by the Magic, then the Hero. Now I’m weighing up whether to get the Nexus when it comes out on contract (in the UK) or weight a couple weeks more and get whatever equivalent HTC bring out. In the meantime, I’m still using my trusty SE K770i!
Well I just want the Supersonic. This will be the last phone of my life.
I really don’t see this as a problem. Slowly I’m meeting more people with Android phones (Droid, G1, Eris, Moment) and they are all VERY happy with their phone. Why? They aren’t super techtastic and on A&M.com all day waiting for a phone with a smidge of RAM or .1 GHZ improvement.
Not that there is anything wrong with it, we need people pushing for the latest advancements. But that isn’t the general public.
The general public goes to the store and sees 20 different phones and, because of the proliferation of Android, 18 of them are going to be Android phones. So, why does it matter? Again, the public doesn’t care about “Android” persay, rather they care about how it looks, how it feels, what is does.
The more options that are out there, the more people who will buy Android. The more people on Android, the more successful the market gets. On and on and on.
Good points Dean. Certainly the non-techie crowd won’t care and the techie crowd (myself included) will probably grit their teeth and keep updating every 6-9 months, but what about the developers?
The gap between a low and high end Android device is ever widening. Some will just target the high end devices, case in point iCommando, but that isn’t really a winning proposition for them. By the end of this year it would appear that we will have Android phones for sale with both 528 MHz processors and dual-core 1.5 GHz processors all combing through the same market. Those two groups looking at the same selection of apps is like Playstation and PS3 owners having the same games to choose from.
I guess I’m just hoping that the “high end” device adoption happens fast enough that the market doesn’t stagnate as developers continue to build for the lower end of the market.
the laptop/desktop market has been this way forever. Developers can do software that runs on different-specced PCs, why not phones ?
I have my rooted G1 and I love it more than when I had it stock. I am content with what I have, it still kicks my gf’s Curve’s ass lol, but as more and more phones roll out, I’m thinking Im gonna wait another year, ’til my contract ends, to buy another phone, and it’s HIGHLY likely that it’s going to be an Andoird powered phone.
Damn I was almost set on buying Bravo! Really can’t pull the trigger.
I think it is great that there are so many options out there. The biggest being that I still have the G1 and yet have no phone to switch to. With TMobiles cost, soon fastest internet, AND ONE YEAR SMARTPHONE UPGRADES there is no way I’m switching carriers. And the phones out right now don’t fit what I’m looking for. I want a physical keyboard that feels like the g1. Even with swype I wouldnt want a non physical keyboard phone. Furthermore, I don’t want senseui or motoblur and I like being able to root my phone. Eventually a phone manufacturer will nail the phone I’m looking to get and I will upgrade.