China
Dell’s budget Android phone leaked – Dell Mini 3T1
Dell’s second Android smartphone after Dell Mini 3i or Dell Aero might be the Dell Mini 3T1, which has just appeared in China. The Mini 3T1 supports the Chinese homegrown 3G standard being promoted by carrier China Mobile, TD-SCDMA, according to the government regulator.
That means China Mobile is likely to offer the phone, and that the phone could have a version of the Android operating system that China Mobile has modified, just like Dell’s last phone for the carrier.
The Mini 3T1 also has a shorter screen than the other phones, using the extra space for three buttons below the screen and a circular section that looks potentially like another button pad. The phone appears to have a 2.0 megapixel camera in the Chinese regulator’s image of its back. No details on pricing or launch dates were available.
China Unicom launches Android-based Samsung Galaxy I6500U
China Unicom, one of the Big Three integrated telecom operator in the country, will bring another mobile phone based on the sparkling Android operating system to the market in an ongoing effort to diversify its product array. Samsung Galaxy I6500U, the long-awaited model based on the Android platform initiated by Google Inc, will be available nationwide in the near future, announced the terminal division of China Unicom lately.
The device, made by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., will be the second Android-powered model customized by China Unicom, according to the Beijing-based company. In mid March, China Unicom rolled out XT701, the first model based on the Google-initiated operating system, in cooperation with Motorola, Inc.
Samsung Galaxy I6500U will be available for Android fans one or two weeks after an advance sale, said the China Unicom terminal unit, noting that the gadget will be first put up for sale on 360buy.com, a partner of China Unicom, from March 29.
Like Motorola XT701, the new model will enable users to get an access to the full-fledged WCDMA network operated by China Unicom. In addition, 3G users can surf on the Internet in places covered by Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) network and can enjoy featured 3G services provided by the telecom operator.
“Samsung Galaxy I6500U will refresh users’ Internet surfing experience by bringing the mainstream websites within the reach of users conveniently,” said an executive for China Unicom, “the device has a browser bookmark preinstalled with some popular online information platforms and applications.”
The mobile phone has a simple and stylish appearance specially designed for businessmen and youngsters, supporting a wide range of functions that personal computers (PCs) offer.
Reuters:China Unicom to sell Android phones despite US-China spat
China Unicom, China’s No. 2 mobile carrier, said it will sell handsets running Google’s Android operating system, dispelling doubts raised after a dispute between Google and the Chinese government.
In January, Google postponed the launch of two Android-based mobile handsets in China, for which Unicom would have been the carrier. The delay followed a high-profile spat between Google and Beijing over a hacking incident and Google’s unhappiness over having to self-censor its Web-based search results in China.
“We are open to mobile phone operating systems, and we recognise that Android is a mainstream system,” Unicom Chairman Chang Xiaobing said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the opening of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing. “We will definitely use Google’s Android in our mobile handsets,” he said.
China’s top mobile carrier, China Mobile, is also selling cellphones in China running the open-source Android operating system.
The future of Android in China was briefly called into question in January after Google said it was postponing the launch of two mobile phones in the country using the open source platform, which Google is using to challenge similar products from Microsoft and Nokia.
The manufacturers of the telephone, which was scheduled for launch in China in late January, are Motorola and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
Several days after the postponement announcement, Lenovo, China’s largest PC seller which also recently re-entered the cellphone space, said its mobile phone based on Android would not be affected by the ongoing dispute between Google and China.
China gives thumbs up to Android
THE PEOPLE’s REPUBLIC of China has endorsed Android. There had been fears that the morals of the Chinese workers would be gravely affected by the software. The Chinese leadership even launched an investigation into the dangers of long term exposure to Android. For some time many thought that Android would be banned in China, just as the country has banned the use of Microsoft Windows by its government workers.
This was particularly true after Google just lately revealed itself as an enemy of the glorious revolution by its imperialist posturing over a small hacking problem it recently had.
However China’s government has extended the hand of goodwill to Google and said it would not prohibit use of the Android operating system for mobile devices by Chinese telecommunications operators.
Dopod to release TD-SCDMA version of "NexusOne" in March or April
Dopod plans to introduce its “T8188″ model of Android-based Google Nexus One in China in March or April, 163.com reported on January 18 quoting Dopod Vice President Wu Zhengguang. The model will be the first genuine Android-based TD-SCDMA handset in the market, said the report.
Dopod has not yet settled on the handset’s price, which will involve China Mobile’s subsidy plan, said the report.
via JLM
Chinese Motorola Android users can search on Baidu instead of Google
Motorola is letting consumers in China use Baidu Inc or other rivals as default Web search services instead of Google on phones using Android.
The announcement on Thursday of a partnership with Google’s arch-rival Baidu, China’s No. 1 search engine, and Motorola’s promise of more search deals, follows Google’s threat to exit China due to a cyber attack and censorship dispute.
Motorola also said it is providing an Android app store in China, that it will offer on its own phones and to rival handset makers who can obtain licenses to offer the store.
Chinese firm Hisense launches E90 Android Phone
Just a note: According to Clone in China, Chinese manufacturer Hisense announced a new Android handset E90. The phone supports CDMA radio, and targets at the International market. Hisense E90 is based on a Qualcomm qsc6085 chipset, bringing a 3.5-inch HVGA TFT touch screen display, 5-megapixel camera with auto focus, Bluetooth connectivity, FM radio, and a 1500mAh battery.
Full Specifications below:
| Platform | QSC6085 |
| Network | CDMA 2000 1X/EVDO Rev.A |
| Band | 800MHz |
| Size_Weight | 115*63.1*13.95/105g |
| LCD | 3.5 “ HVGA TFT, Touch screen |
| Camera | 5.0M, auto focus and micro |
| FM radio/Stereo earphone/Ring tone | Yes/Yes/72 Poly |
| Bluetooth/WAP/BREW/PC sync | Yes/Yes/Yes |
| Multi-media | MP3/MP4 |
| Removable memory | Micro-SD |
| Language | English/others as requested |
| IO/Mini-USB | Mini-USB |
| Battery | 1500mAh |
| Talk time/Standby time | 240 mins/180 hours |
| Availability | Jan., 2010 |
Google's exit from China could hurt Android adoption
Google Inc.’s mobile aspirations in China, including the adoption of its Android mobile operating system, could hit a snag if the Internet giant decides to pull out of the country.
Google’s push to get into the smartphone business was driven by its desire to take the lion’s share of future mobile advertising revenue. But if the company pulls out of China, it could dampen interest in Android and hurt its position in the nascent but rapidly growing market just as other smartphone players step up their game.
The problem could “potentially be huge,” said Kevin Burden, analyst at ABI Research. For example, the largest wireless carrier in China, China Mobile Ltd. (CHL), has roughly 500 million subscribers.
Some–but not all–of the Android phones could be affected. Google has pushed forward two lines of smartphones: devices that feature the latest Google software and programs; and phones that run on customized software developed by the handset partner.
The Nexus One, for instance, has Google’s fingerprints all over it. As does Motorola Inc.’s (MOT) Droid. Both devices carry a “with Google” tagline printed on the back.
These devices may get the cold treatment in China if Google decides to pull out. The devices put their ties into services such as Gmail and Google Voice at the forefront of their features, so the loss of Google’s support would be even more glaring.
Other Android devices, though, may not be affected. Devices like Motorola’s Cliq or HTC Corp.’s (2498.TW) Hero or Droid Eris have a second layer of software running on top of Android that changes the way the phones look and feel. The devices aren’t as reliant on Google programs, and they could still sell well in China.
“I think they will be treated totally different,” said Ken Dulaney, analyst at research firm Gartner Inc. “The operating system is more of an ingredient than a finished product.” Dulaney noted that the Android software is managed by the Open Handset Alliance, and not Google, despite the company’s overarching influence.
While Google may be able to pull out of China, other companies don’t have that luxury. Motorola, which has struggled to regain its footing after a long gap between hit phones, sees China as one of the strongest sources of future growth.
“China is a critical market for Motorola, and we are committed to providing the most innovative products and services, as we have in China for the last 22 years,” said Motorola spokeswoman Jennifer Erickson.
An HTC spokesman said the company wasn’t in a position to comment.
China-based Lenovo Group Ltd. (LNVGY), meanwhile, unveiled a number of Android-powered devices, including a smartphone, at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show. And Dell Inc. (DELL) launched its Mini 3 smartphone in China in November.
It remains unclear, however, whether Chinese consumers will be willing to buy a device that lacks critical Google features, even if the handset maker adds other bells and whistles. In addition, there is heightened competition with the Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone now available in the country, and Research in Motion Ltd.’s (RIMM) Blackberry, slated to hit China in the third quarter.
Many Chinese consumers are willing to pay the extra money for a device with all its features. They may not be so willing to buy a device that’s crippled in one way or the other, Burden said.
Android also has made an appearance on netbooks and smartbooks, devices that fall in between laptops and smartphones. Manufacturers can take more liberties with the hardware to distance the product from Google, and analysts feel there is less of a threat to those devices. But if there is a backlash against Google products, the companies will opt to use Microsoft Corp.’s (MSFT) Windows software, or an alternative Linux platform.
“It’s too important for the manufacturers to ignore the Chinese market,” Burden said.
via Dow Jones Newswires
Copyright (c) 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
