In a surprising move, Dell said Friday it will sell its first-ever smartphone in Brazil and China, which should land on shelves as soon as the end of this month. The device, called the Mini 3, will run the Android operating system, an open-source mobile operating system project nurtured by Google.
Sales of smartphones running the Window Mobile operating system declined 20% in the third quarter at the same time that total smartphone sales surged 13%, according to an analysis of newly released sales data from Gartner.
The Droid invasion landed on Friday and so far the iPhone comparisons haven't stopped. Customers showed up for midnight launches to be first to get the new Android 2.0 device, and Verizon stores haven't had any issue burning through their inventory of the new phone. There is at least one other iPhone comparison that bears noticing, though--battery life.
Well, that didn't take long: Just three days after the Droid dropped, and we already have our first leaked-document-style rumor. What is this, the iPhone or something?
High Tech Computer (HTC), which developed the first smartphone based on Google's Android mobile operating system, saw revenue decline in the third quarter due to increased competition and weak sales in Europe.
Onlookers say that Google is in charge of Android development, despite pitching the software as a community project. But experts say that could be the only way Google can ensure that the software is actually released.
With this week's release of Verizon Wireless' Droid phone comes the first real test of the potential for fragmentation with Android.
Does the latest Android phone on Verizon, the Droid Eris, seem familiar? Not only does it have an almost identical name to that other Verizon Android phone, but it looks an awful lot like the HTC Hero, which debuted in the US on the Sprint Network. The HTC Droid Eris will be available alongside the Motorola Droid on Friday, November 6 in Verizon stores.
Mobile unified communications vendor DiVitas Networks has added iPhone, BlackBerry and Android to the set of platforms it is supporting with software to access desk-phone and presence features on cell phones.
Sony Ericsson's first Android-based smartphone, the Xperia X10, comes with a unique user interface that's designed to improve handling and organization of communications and multimedia content. But one analyst said the interface still needs work, particularly when it comes to speed and responsiveness, before the phone hits the market.
As expected, Sony Ericsson announced an Android-based Xperia handset on Tuesday. Known as the Xperia X10, Sony's first entry in the Android space introduces a new Wireless Stereo Headset, along with a new user interface platform called UX and new apps dubbed Mediascape and Timescape.
Acer showed off two of its newest products on Friday, and said they'd be on global markets soon.
Even before the phones it is hinging its future livelihood on hit the market, Motorola posted a surprise profit and upped expectations for the current quarter.
Google Maps Navigation,introduced today, puts the company in direct competition with GPS makers and former best friend, Apple. The service, which can nicely replace a standalone GPS, is only available for handsets running Google's Android operating system.
Sprint Nextel next year will introduce a new, more open application store on its feature phones, turning to a third party to manage it with the goal of getting new offerings out to consumers in an average of one week.