Google and Android

Pre-Order The HTC Wildfire For June Release

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For all of you getting excited over the HTC Wildfire Android device, you can no pre-order it for a release in June. Some expecting it as late as June 30th however. The pre-order cost is £229.95, £195.70 ex. 17.5% VAT or about $330.00 USD for the folks on this side of the pond. If you are wondering, you can get the HTC Wildfire unlocked from MobileFun.com.uk. Here is more on the Wildfire to wet your appetite:

HTC Wildfire Features:

  • 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
  • TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colours
  • Display Size: 240 x 320 pixels, 3.2 inches
  • Music Format:MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA/OGG/AMR player
  • Customization Download
  • H.264/H.263/MPEG4 player
  • Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3
  • 3G HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
  • GPRS: Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 – 48 kbps
  • EDGE: Class 10
  • Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
  • Bluetooth: v2.1 with A2DP
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5 mm Jack
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
  • Android OS, v2.1
  • Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
  • Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
  • Call records 30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls
  • Card slot microSD (TransFlash) up to 32GB
  • Qualcomm MSM 7225 528 MHz processor
  • Micro SD Slot
  • Java MIDP 2.0
  • Organiser
  • Document Viewer

HTC Wildfire Specifications:
System: Quad Band GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Size: 106.8 x 60.4 x 12 mm
Weight: TBC
Camera: 5 Megapixel, 2592 x 1944 pixels
Display:240 x 320 pixels, 3.2 inches

Jump after the break for more on the HTC Wildfire

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I’m on the fence, and Simmons… that’s a squirrel. Part I

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I’m currently eligable for an upgrade on AT&T and have no clue what I’m going to be getting (but if anyone says iPhone you are immediately disqualified from conversation.)  I tend to do a lot of research in deciding my phone of choice and realized that not everyone does or even knows how.  Over the next few months I plan on posting up all my research for two reasons.  One, because I’ll learn quite a bit about some newer handsets coming to AT&T’s market and two, because I want to know what you guys think.  Fact is that without people to read this stuff then I wouldn’t be here, which kind of means I work for you.  We’ve got a good Windows Mobile base of writers here with a few oddballs.  Simmons is on the Android train drinking all the Google kool-aid he can get his hands on, and Ramon is rocking the Blackberry.  If you readers feel like some area of mobile news is not getting addressed properly by our articles then now is the time to say so.  Whatever phone I get will obviously effect the apps, UI’s, articles, etc, that get posted here.  Now I’m not leaving this completely up to the masses but I intend to do a good bit of listening as well.  Read more for the ground rules.

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Froyo Time Baby!

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Pic related: the middle squirrel represents Google’s Android developers, the flower is the greatly anticipated release of Android 2.2 aka Froyo, the flower’s stem represents a download link and the bottom squirrel is the Nexus One owners of the world who didn’t get the OWA ping yet. I don’t know what the top squirrel is … Read more

HTC Releases The Wildfire Sense Based Android Phone

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It’s always good to wake up to some HTC Press release goodness, but not so good when it took me all day to post it. In any case, for those of you that didn’t catch this on any of the other blogs, HTC released the Wildfire, which is a Sense Based Android device with some cool specs. I know Android has been read hot lately and things are not slowing down with the device releases either. The Wildfire will sport the Android 2.1 OS behind the HTC Sense User Interface we all have come to know and love. Also interesting is the 3.2” QVGA Capacitive Touch Screen along with a healthy 1300 mAh battery. Pictures will show up in 5 mega pixel flavor and will pack a Qualcomm 528 MHz (MSM7225) Processor Punch. Click below to enlarge the rest of the specs:

 

The HTC Wildfire Android device will be released in it’s full CDMA glory in Asia first sometime around the third Quarter 2010. No word on pricing or if it will make it to this side of the world yet but stay tuned.

For your HTC Wildfire reading pleasure we have the full press release queued up for you after the break.

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Verizon’s Android LG Ally Coming May 20th

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Verizon Wireless and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones), announced the LG Ally(TM) will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores beginning May 20. The first Android device from LG, the Ally is the perfect assembly of futuristic, stylish design and 3G Android power for customers looking to tackle life’s most challenging feats and everyday ventures. Verizon Wireless customers can pre-order the phone at www.verizonwireless.com beginning May 13.

Key features:

  • Ergonomic silver-and-black outer case
  • Large 3.2" tempered glass touch screen featuring touch vibration for tactile feedback
  • Full slide-out QWERTY keyboard with simultaneous touch screen capabilities
  • microSD(TM) slot for up to 16 GB of memory
  • Wi-Fi Enabled®  (802.11 b/g/n)
  • Bluetooth® 2.1 capabilities with unlimited pairing and support for the following profiles: headset, hands-free, object push, stereo, audio/visual remote control, file transfer, phonebook access, basic  printing and instant sharing of photos and videos
  • Built-in MP3 and WMA music player with music library, repeat and shuffle features, as well as stereo sound via headset or Bluetooth
  • One-touch speaker phone and speaker-independent voice commands

The LG Ally will be available for pre-order online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning May 13.  It will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on May 20.  Pricing will be $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

Read more about the Verizon Android LG Ally after the break.

 

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Road Trip With Google Maps Navigation

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Last week Dr. Jim Taylor had an underwhelming experience with Bing’s turn-by-turn garbage for WinMo (double garbage), talking trash about all navigation systems that use wireless service.

I think a considerable drawback of these smartphone navigation apps is that they rely on cellular signals rather than direct GPS signals to get the guidance information. This technical difference presents two problems: 1) it won’t work if there isn’t a cell signal and 2) it will work inconsistently if there is spotty cell service.

Bad diagnosis, Doctor. While that and the rest of your list of complaints you built from a short field test of Microsoft’s slipshod copycat of Google Maps Navigation may be true of Bing, I drove over six hundred miles this weekend relying on Android’s navigation system from New York through Vermont and New Hampshire, encountering extended edge connections and sporadic zone deaths and have nothing but praise to report.

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Tegra Going Droid

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Nvidia’s Tegra chips have been in Zune devices and are featured in Kins as well. But we’ve seen teaser images of Tegra in action and we’ve all been waiting to be blown away by Tegra and to date we haven’t seen that. Well Nvidia’s CEO recently spoke about the future of Tegra. He stated that … Read more

Merchants on the go, it’s time to get an Android phone.

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Anyone hucking merchandise on the go with Android in their pants just got one more reason to love their phone.  MerchantAnywhere.com just let loose an app that can pair via bluetooth with the same companies two-in-one card swiper and thermal printer.  This is going to save you loads of time and money.  Being able to move through lines … Read more

Verizon doesn’t seem to know anything about Android (or likely any of its phones.)

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Is anyone else bothered by carriers (specifically Verizon) calling every Android OS powered phone a “Droid”?  I was hesitant to declare them outright stupid, but then I realized anyone who can read a manual can often tell you more about the phone than the staff at either the retail or phone support routes of customer … Read more