The world’s second Android phone comes from… Kogan?
Australian online-only electronics endeavor Kogan will actually make good on its claim to bring the world’s second Android-powered handset to market. Who? Exactly. Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of the company headed by Ruslan Kogan; if you live outside of Australia there was hardly a reason to. We’ll bring you up to speed in three sentences: Kogan is a small Australian startup. Last month it gained a bit of notoriety when Ruslan Kogan claimed he would develop, manufacture and begin selling the world’s second Android-powered smartphone for less than US$200 before year-end. Pretty much no one believed him. Now that you’re up to speed, the Kogan Agora and Agora Pro are indeed about to become a reality and Kogan will very nearly make good on his claim. The handsets won’t be out by year-end unfortunately, but that doesn’t make this feat by a relatively small firm any less impressive. Both models feature a 2.5″ touchscreen, 3G and some pretty respectable specs. In fact, these puppies match up pretty well against the G1, though we obviously won’t see them gaining much ground here in the US any time soon. Both handsets are now available for pre-order and will begin shipping in just over a month on January 29th, with the Agora coming in at AU$299 (US$192) and the Agora Pro coming in at AU$399 (US$256). Those prices by the way, are without carrier subsidies.
[Via Engadget]
Now that’s what I’m talkin about!
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i’m so getting this.
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That is so cool! Kudos and best wishes.
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Def prefer this form factor over the G1.
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now all i need is jivetalk for this and i’m all set.
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Looks like MotoQ with some ugly hasty-put-together interface. I am not sure why would anyone choose it over the original Q9, which has far more bells and whistles.
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Am I the only one who hates the look of the clock on the home screen? Google needs to do something about that.
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I failed to see where this excitement about the Android platform comes from.
WM, Apple, BlackBerry and even Symbian currently pack more features than Android may have in the very distant future, if all stars align properly. I just don’t see any reason for picking it.
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I like the android platform, but to be honest this phone looks really ugly. Like a squished together Moto Q, the keypad does not look practical and the form of it doesn’t seem like it will work well for people who want a device that is used for e-mail or browsing.
Back to the drawing board IMO
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why wouldnt this work well for people who would use it for email or browsing? The size is of the screen is similar to the blackberry curve and many other devices out there.IMO
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the size of the screen*
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@ MiniMe
Can you elaborate? Minus the custom apps, What features do they have over Android?
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its all about choices. Its cheap unlocked. Some folks dig that. I’m a Kogan Electronics fan, so I’m glad to see he’s showing anyone can do it with open source.
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Guy has a nice web site, good prices too. Just ordered the blu-ray player, slick.
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Konklifer, some missing features include push email support. File structure is horrible, comparing to WM. Customization - WM is far more capable in terms how it runs. Overall, it is all the same, but little tiny things make it lagging behind. It’s like comparing Audi A8 and Dodge Avenger - both have 5 seats, 4 wheels and an engine. It’s just Audi a little better built, has more convince features, roomier, sportier, drives a little better (and the list goes on). If the both cars were in the same price range, I doubt there will be reasons to get Avenger. Same goes for Android and WM or Apple. It is similar, but not quite there, little quirks put it in Dodge Avenger league.
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Much respect to the guy for getting this put together and out so quickly.
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there is a disclaimer that the finished product may differ… and i believe it the key board seems to be at least missing caps and shift/ function.. This is real deal he went straight to china and gets what appears to be almost brand name quality products custom made for him.. they have everything from lcd tvs to hd video cams i was amazed.. if he does a world wide launch of half of that crap he will be insanely rich.. id be calling wal mart now lol
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Pretty svelte looking, but the keyboard looks unusable (buttons too small/close together) like the Q.
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@ MiniMe
I can see your point, but IMO Android is much more intuitive out of the box than WinMo or Symbian, and I’m a big Nokia fan. I was really impressed with how well I was able to navigate the G1 in only a few minutes. I’m in IT so WinMo wouldn’t be too bad for me if I had never used it, but it takes considerable effort for a newbie. This is where I think Android has the advantage. I think developers and Google will quickly bring its features up to snuff.
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That said, the best keyboard of any device around is the Moto Q. Which of course runs WinMo.
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Uhhhh….people are already using Android on their iPhones, so wouldn’t that technically make the iPhone the 2nd Android phone????
and yes, its running in a limited fashion, but its still using the iPhone to run it!
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You sound like an idiot
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@ celz.
Ruslan Kogan IS flipping rich already, well before this phone. He’s the next Michael Dell, and well known and respected internationally. Look him up. He got rich off of an Ebay store. He’s a maverick like me, just he has…money. Crap!
(Stepping up my hustle…)
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Android should have no problem beating Windows Mobile in a pretty short time if they keep bringing out new devices with it. BYE Windows Mobile, I would not want to be you! HAHA
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@Uhhhh
and just how do I sound like an idiot, idiot?
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