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Google Mobile Phones Debut in Feb?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the sure-why-not dept.

SpinelessJelly writes "It appears that Google's Android, criticised by Microsoft as vaporware, has sprung to life. Prototype devices are circulating, software developers are experimenting with the SDK and PC-based Android emulator, and there are rumours of a show-stopping debut at February's Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona. Numerous examples of the Android GUI are also starting to leak out."

3 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Screenshot != not vapor by babbling · · Score: 4, Informative

    Try the development kit.

    It comes with an Android emulator, and a few of the Google applications. Included is an address book, a dummy dialling application, a working Google Maps application, a working browser... and any other applications that Android developers decide to write for it.

    The only thing that is missing is the phone hardware, but we've seen pictures and videos of phone hardware running this. I'm surprised the release is so far away considering the resources available and how complete everything seems to be.

  2. Easy to develop ... by lakshmanok · · Score: 5, Informative

    I tried Android out -- we banged out a personalized weather application (even without a GPS chip, Android is capable of triangulating satellites to get within 300m of the user's position, which is sufficient for weather applications). The whole process took under an hour and was easy as pie.. So, no it's not vaporware. The hardware may be still be a few months away, but the software is enough to create real-world, practical applications.

  3. Re:Designs - RTFA by slashbaby · · Score: 4, Informative
    The FA has pictures of hardware that is cobbled together so the engineers have something to work on. It is by no means what it will look like in the end. From the FA:


    And yes, this big drab-looking device is dog ugly - but this isn't a slick made-for-media concept phone, it's merely a functional prototype on which the developers and engineers can tinker (and we all know that as rule, they're not big on elegant design).

    RTFA!!