Seems like Verizon is slowly letting the new cat out of the bag. Four hours ago, from @VZWOffers — the new Droid is coming. Android 2.0 is coming to Verizon and you can sign up for more information here. This marks the launch of Motorola’s new Android 2.0 smartphone. More information here.

If you check out the flash animation, the copy pokes fun towards the iPhone’s weaknesses. NIce try here, but really, you honestly can’t start comparing Android with the iPhone. Some features include speech recognition, 5.0MP camera, hardware keyboard, multitasking and high speed Internet.

Post from: Cellphone9

Coming this October, Motorola launches their first Android powered phone. Exciting — as it is one of the first iterations of the QWERTY keypad on an Android powered mobile phone. The DEXT comes with 3G, GPS, Bluetooth, a 5.0MP camera, sliding keyboard and preloaded with Cupcake v1.5.

The selling point of the DEXT is MOTOBLUR, an app that allow the syncing of all social networks including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace … I assume that the apps are modular similar to the “People” app built into the HTC Hero.

Available through Orange, it comes preloaded with Orange Maps.

[photo c/o Motorola]

Post from: Cellphone9

The HTC Hero is also one of the first devices to use teflon as its real estate covering. Say goodbye to aluminum and plastic ladies and gents. Teflon is the future.

[image c/o author]

Post from: Cellphone9

The i7500 Galaxy is Samsung’s first Android-based handset that is also going to be available in the UK under O2. Pricing has been released and for £73 (USD $120) a month, you get the phone for free. There are 18 and 25 month lock in contracts with the telco. Unlike the HTC Magic, the Galaxy navigates using a large directional pad. Overall though it does resemble HTC’s own Android device.

Allegedly, the Galaxy doesn’t come with any proprietary features from Samsung (i.e something like the widget based interface on their other phones) which makes this phone’s UI and software identical to any other G1 or HTC Magic. So I guess the choice is yours — if you’re into trackballs, get the Magic whereas if you want a directional pad, go for this one.

[image from press photos]

Post from: Cellphone9

Sherpa is sentient. And it’s the one thing that’s kicking T-Mobile into the top spot. Developed as an application and propagated initially by the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G, this app serves as a mobile connoisseur that learns about places you search for in its wide database. Sherpa adapts your browsing habits and learns from the places you frequent, the items you browse and makes recommendations based on your preferred listings.

Sherpa goes as far as looking at the date and time and matching your results based on the time when you browse — allowing you to see relevant information such as the store hours of certain shops.

GENIE (Geodelic Engine for Interest Evaluation) is the secret to Sherpa’s success. Usually, consumers would want to download specific types of city guides catering to books, restaurants, stores, etc. Sherpa tailor fits your habits, which means that if you’ve been searching for restaurants more often, GENIE will make places to eat a more prominent search than, say, shopping.

[press photos]

Post from: Cellphone9

1. First, a total free sync solution to the HTC Magic with my iCal and Address Book. If there existed one, the telco where I got it from didn’t really elaborate on the apps. Apparently, not all Androids are created equal and the version for the Philippines packed into the HTC Magic doesn’t even have the online marketplace or Google sign in. Sad!

2. Second, although my USB port recognizes the HTC Magic as a device and charges it, I can’t use it as a target drive to store data. I can’t even detect the microSD card inside it. Transferring photos and vids can be such a pain.

I’ve Google’d. I’ve even Yahoo’ed. Has anyone found a solution to these?

Post from: Cellphone9

Similar to how Nokia launched their Ovi Music store in Singapore, it seems like the new Android OS for the HTC Magic isn’t fully implemented in other parts of the world. In the Philippines for instance, the Android store isn’t even a built in on device application which you can launch.

There isn’t even talk about integration with your Google Applications. Nonetheless, the HTC Magic is a good piece of hardware that seems very promising in what it can deliver. Not sure about when HTC will deploy the rest of the features, or if this is something the telcos should be pushing rather than the phone manufacturers. *shrug*

[image c/o myself]

Post from: Cellphone9

Here are the key features:

* Download, open and send attachments in Gmail and other e-mail applications like the free RoadSync Beta

* Supports all the latest Microsoft Office file formats including Office 2007

* View, edit and create new documents on your T-mobile G1 and HTC Magic

* Access important files stored on expansion cards via the built-in file browser

* Automatically maintains a list of “Recently Used” documents for quick access

* Securely open password-protected files

* Multiple zoom levels with portrait and landscape support for optimized rendering on a small screen

* Touch-screen, trackball and keypad navigation

* Supports rich formatting in Word To Go including bold, italics, underline, font color, alignment, bulleted and numbered lists, tables, bookmarks, comments, footnotes, endnotes, track-changes, etc.

* Powerful data computation in Sheet To Go with support for 111 functions, cell formatting, row and column preferences, auto-fit options, freeze panes, sort, cut, copy, paste, undo, redo, etc.

Post from: Cellphone9

Look, if you found out that you could have gotten $30.00 more worth of groceries then maybe I’d understand because thirty bucks can buy you a lot of produce. But when Walmart slashes $30.00 off the T-Mobile G1, I don’t think the early adopters should complain. I mean, you were crazy enough to buy it the day it shipped. That’s one. Second – the holidays are fast approaching and expect these discounts to happen. Third – it’s Walmart!

Walmart recently slashed thirty bucks off the new T-Mobile G1. And it seems that CNN is picking up such IMPORTANT news.

[image c/o Cellphone9]

Post from: Cellphone9

One of the lead developers walks us through Google Apps in sync with your desktop on the T-Mobile G1. Similar to how Apple’s .Mac application should work, the Android OS does exactly the same, syncing your GMail contacts, calendar, GTalk account, Street View and Google Maps. Neat.

And yeah, the UI is very iPhone-like.

Post from: Cellphone9