Flash Advertise
| Have Android phones already failed at the starting post? |
| 摘自: www.itwire.com 被阅读次数: 1106 |
由 yangyi 于 2009-07-03 22:53:01 提供 |
Android smartphones are sending waves of excitement through the mobile community that they are a serious contender to knock iPhone off its smartphone perch. But, are they really a threat or have they already missed the boat? The first Android touchscreen smartphone, the HTC Dream, arrived in Australia in February 2009. The highly anticipated phone failed to make an impression in the market and was a disappointment to many. Reviewers complained of its clunky look, an awkward keyboard with no screen auto-rotate. Adding to its unpopularity was an expensive locked-in plan of 24 months with Optus and no other options from other carriers at the time The further announcement that an updated version, HTC Magic (also known as G2), was ready to be released in Europe around the same time only served to put Australian consumers off investing in an already outdated phone. However, Australians did not have to wait too long for the launch of the HTC Magic in June. It was equipped the latest version of Android OS Cupcake 1.5, ironing out the problems of its predecessor. Its glossy and sleek design impressed the fashion savvy and stylish with a virtual keyboard and an effective predictive text system. The HTC Magic seems more than able to hold its own against the iPhone and they also have quite a few similarities too. The HTC Magic at 116g is a little smaller and lighter than the iPhone‘s 133g and is very pocket friendly. Their screen resolutions are equal to each other at 320 x 480 pixels. Boasting a talk-time of 400 minutes and the convenience of being able to carry a spare battery puts the HTC Magic ahead of the iPhones’ fixed battery with only 300 minutes of talk-time. The HTC Magic’s camera at 3.2 megapixels is much the same as iPhone and both suffer compared to Nokia’s N97, with its 5 megapixel quality with dual-LED flash and Carl Zeiss optics. The HTC Magic has a MicroSD slot for extra storage up to 16GB; however, the new iPhone 3GS offers a 32GB version, while the N97 offers up to 48GB. The iPhone Apps store beats the Android Market Place hands down with its sheer numbers and range of applications. Apple has more than 30,000 applications to choose from compared to Android’s 3500. However, the Android Market Place apps have been praised by users for their edginess and good display. Most applications are free or incur a low cost. It is probable that once the use of Android smartphones becomes more widespread, the growth of applications in the Android Market will explode. Android phones operate on an open source platform with the notable advantage of allowing anyone to write applications for the OS. The developer can simply download their SDK (software development kit) and off they go. The HTC Magic is available in both Vodafone and 3 mobile stores but they offer slightly different versions. Vodafone offers built-in geotagging, over-the-air firm updates and an 8GB MicroSD internal memory card. 3 Mobile provides pre-installed support for Microsoft’s exchange email server and a 2GB MicroSD internal memory card. With 3’s offer in the $99 plan over 24 months, you get the phone for free including $1000 worth of call credit but you need to sign up the X-Series Ultimate pack of an additional $20 a month for one gigabyte worth of data downloads and 400 minutes of Skype. The handset is only available with 3 in black. At $30 less, Vodafone offers a free HTC Magic under the $69 plan over 24 months including $400 worth of call credit and one gigabyte of data download. The phone is exclusively available in its white handset with Vodafone. Similarly, Vodafone is offering Apple’s latest release iPhone 3GS (16GB) in a $69 plan over 24 months including the handset for free, $400 of talk time and one gigabyte in data allowance. This offer is almost identical to that of the HTC Magic. Both Google Android OS phones released in Australia to date have been with HTC but this is set to change. Already Samsung has announced the launch of its icon range next September which includes an open source Android powered touchphone called Galaxy. With reports that around 20 Android powered phones are to be available by the end of 2009, it seems the invasion has just begun. There are a host of handset manufacturers signed up with Open Handset Alliance such as Sony Ericsson, LG Electronics and Motorola that could all possibly offer Android phones. Although, Android phones have yet to make a much of an impact in the smartphone market, things look set to get very interesting. Original link: http://www.itwire.com/index.php?... |
