No Gphone for You! Have an Android Instead

"Despite all of the very interesting speculation over the last few months, we're not announcing a Gphone. However, we think what we are announcing -- the Open Handset Alliance and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone. In fact, through the joint efforts of the members of the Open Handset Alliance, we hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can't imagine today. Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications -- all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation. We have developed Android in cooperation with the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile. Through deep partnerships with carriers, device manufacturers, developers, and others, we hope to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform. We think the result will ultimately be a better and faster pace for innovation that will give mobile customers unforeseen applications and capabilities."

My first impression is "So...that's it?". I had thought the announcement was going to be about a baked project, something coming to market soon...but this seems to be more about Google announcing their intentions to enter the market. It's hard to build a mobile OS. It's hard to get consensus amongst multiple partners. I think one reason the iPhone turned out pretty well is that it was one company working with one carrier on one vision. Windows Mobile has gotten to where it is through revision after revision, working with multiple carriers around the world. Will Google be able to do the same, only with a much bigger group of partners?

I'm also not convinced that Google can create an OS, or the applications needed to sit on top of the OS, and have it be as good as it needs to be. Google excels at Web-based services, but their applications (with the exception of perhaps the toolbar) tend to be much less impressive. I guess we'll see - one things for sure, Microsoft does best when they feel threatened, so I welcome Google's entry into this market for the way it will motivate Microsoft on one side, with Apple on the other.

More information can be found in the official press release. And perhaps the HTC Omni is the type of phone we'll see Android running on?  (Reviews, News, Opinion)

Opera Mini Version 4.0 Released

Opera Software has released the first non beta version of Opera Mini v4. Opera Mini 4 is a complete redesign of its browser with a new desktop overview mode that allows people to browse their favorite web sites, just like they would on a PC. Some of the features added in new version include landscape mode for viewing sites in a widescreen format on compatible devices, a virtual mouse mode for easier scrolling and enhanced small screen rendering. A full list of new additions can be found here. It also retains its classic features of a desktop like presentation with smooth scrolling and zooming and its file size reducing page compression for faster page loads.

Opera Mini for Palm OS requires you have the Palm Java Micro Environment installed. It is available as an over the air download at www.operamini.com.
 (Palm)

Chris Pirillo on the iPhone vs. Windows Mobile for Business Use

"I was a Windows Mobile device user for about seven years. I was against the iPhone at first, thinking my Windows device suited my needs just fine. Then Ponzi bought me the iPhone. MajorDef wrote in to ask which is better for business: a Windows Mobile device, or an iPhone? I am a product tester for Sprint, and recently got my hands on their new HTC Touch mobile device. It's not a bad device. It's very small and lightweight. It does everything I need it to do. But it just doesn't compare to my iPhone. I get frustrated trying to push a button that doesn't work on these Windows devices. After playing with this Sprint HTC Touch for about five minutes, I literally shook my head and said out loud. How did I ever DO this??. Keep in mind that for seven years, I was perfectly happy with my Windows devices. Enter my iPhone. It's not just an amazing media device, it's a joy to use. It's smooth, it's functional, it works the way I never thought it could work. It syncs perfectly with my Outlook, which is where I primarily live with my work. It can share my contacts, calenders and tasks. I can connect it to Exchange. It's just magic. Is it perfect? Hardly. But, it's the closest to perfect that any mobile device has ever come."



This is from last week, but I thought it was worth sharing - on a dedicated Windows Mobile site like this one, you might consider this flame bait, but I'm hoping we can have some intelligent discussion on what Chris is saying. As a long-time Windows Mobile user, I think Chris' criticism of the platform has significant merit - he's not just some random user that picked up a Windows Mobile phone for five minutes and said he didn't like it. He's used it for years, is aware of the good and bad, and finally decided he couldn't put up with it any more. That's significant.

From my perspective, I've only had about five minutes of hands-on time with an iPhone so I'm not the best person to compare the two. But in my hands on time with the product, it's impossible to deny the beauty and fluidity of the product. Apple did a great job with the design. But look deeper from a business user's perspective: can you process a significant amount of email with no physical keyboard? I know I can't - I absolutely need a keyboard. Can you use it as a business tool without third party applications? No, browser-based widgets are not applications. Perhaps some people can, but I know many of you rely on powerful third party software to get more done. And what about the whole Exchange issue? Chris' comments about how great Outlook/Exchange works with his iPhone were news to me - he didn't really go into details, but mentioned Plaxo. I know some people who won't use Plaxo because it's such a potential privacy nightmare. That's my brief take on the subject - what's yours?  (Windows mobile, Apple, Review)

T-Mobile Sidekick Slide available now; better e-mail on the way

T-Mobile Sidekick Slide(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

If you prefer to slide instead of swivel, then you'll be happy to hear that the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide is now available for purchase online and in select retail stores for $199.99 with a two-year contract. In addition to this ... (T-mobile, Danger)

Verizon's BlackBerry Pearl available in stores Nov. 8

For those Verizon Wireless customers who have been waiting for the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, the time is here. The pretty little Pearl is available now for purchase online and will be in stores nationwide on November 8 for $149.99 with a ... (Blackberry, Verizon)

SFGate Editorial on IPhone's Success & Palm

The San Francisco Gate has posted a new editorial entitled, "IPhone's success spawns generations of imitators-and challengers". The piece does not focus exclusively on AppleÂ’s much-hyped entry into the smartphone market, however, as it also offers some discussion focusing on Palm's cloudy outlook as well as some choice quotes from a Palm spokesperson.

Some interesting comments are attributed to Palm's Rob Katcher, senior product manager for smartphones, regarding the new Palm Centro. By far the most intriguing comment from Palm is the statement by Mr. Katcher that the iPhone hoopla has "cued people in" to touch-sensitive LCDs, a Palm hallmark since the launch of the original Pilot in 1996. Katcher additionally comments that Palm's marketing push for the Centro has been geared to play up the touch screen's capabilities in light of the iPhone frenzy. Such statements directly from a higher-up at Palm will only make long-term Palm OS users wonder why Palm has not released a device with a resolution greater than 320x320 since 2005, as Palm has produced PDAs since 2003 utilizing 320x480 LCDs”the exact same resolution found in the Apple iPhone.  (Palm, Apple)

How will Android affect the other mobile operating systems?

Like a number of my colleagues here at CNET, I had my ear pressed to the phone yesterday morning as the members of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), including Google, Motorola, and HTC, revealed their plans for Android, a new open platform for mobile devices. I'... (Palm, Windows mobile, Blackberry, Apple, Android, Symbian)

An Initial Glimpse of HTC's First Android Smartphone

Google and the Open Handset Alliance announced the Android OS yesterday, and not surprisingly speculation is already flying on what the first smartphones running it will look like. The best information available so far comes from HTC, who says it has tentative plans to make one of its prototype models into a commercial product. (Android, Htc)

Voice Recognition, BlackBerry Support Comes to Microsoft's Live Search

Microsoft has released an updated version its Live Search service for Windows Mobile devices that includes a number of enhancements. It has also released a beta version for BlackBerry smartphones.
 (Windows mobile, Blackberry)

iPAQ 610 and 910 Now Scheduled for 2008

An HP spokesperson has revealed that the two smartphones in his company's new lineup of iPAQs won't be on the market as soon as was first planned.

When these models were first announced early this fall, HP never gave specific launch dates, but indicated that the iPAQ 610 Business Navigator and iPAQ 910 Business Messenger would be on the market in the next few months.  (Windows mobile, Hp)