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While chances are good that someone will beat them to the punch, it looks like T-Mobile intends to come out swinging in the Android race. The company has just announced that it plans to ship its first Android-based handsets by the end of 2008. T-Mobile revealed precious few details about the actual device, but did say that the initial launch will be used as a way to gauge consumer product needs, and that they are committed to responding to user feedback. They also emphasized the need for carriers to focus on keeping Android handsets safe and secure. Following the initial launch, the company expects to implement the Linux-based OS across their product line, offering multiple Android handsets, each with a specific target audience.

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Thought Google’s upcoming Android mobile operating system was all about productivity and Google integration? Think again, Batman. We’ve just got wind of 6 new Android games that are currently under development. To be fair, none of them are going to give Bioshock a run for its money, but as far as mobile gaming applications go these do look very promising. The devs might, however, want to put some thought into their application names, though there is something endearing about Wi-Fi Army, SpaceBugs, Parallel Kingdom, and Monolith Android. Of the bunch, Wi-Fi Army certainly looks the most polished, but all of the developers have plenty of time to spice things up before deploying their wares to a mass market.

[Thanks, Chris!]

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Thanks to a crafty developer over at the XDA-Dev community, we’ve got a real live HTC TyTN II running a real live version of Google’s Android OS. The video is woefully short, but does show the user loading and running a working version of Android onto their HTC handset. The interesting thing here is that Android appears to run as an .EXE on top of the Windows Mobile shell, opening up the possibility to have Android running on a wide variety of Windows Mobile devices. Again, we’re not sure how functional this is just yet, but it’s a promising and exciting step forward for anyone looking to get a taste of Android before the first official devices launch. Hit the link for the full video!

[Via WMExperts]

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Rich Miner, Google’s VP of Mobile, used eComm yesterday to rekindle buzz surrounding Google’s upcoming mobile OS Android. How did he attempt to accomplish this? The same way most others do these days; he talked about the iPhone. Some might say that a truly innovative product speaks for itself. Creators can discuss its capabilities, as opposed to launching attacks on competitive products, and that will be enough set the internet ablaze with interest and coverage. When you get down to the nuts and bolts of Android, Google is building another new Linux mobile OS. Its intentions according to Miner, are to create a Linux OS that eliminates the need for all others and gives developers and users alike, a single mobile platform - for both development and consumption. Call us crazy, but that sounds hauntingly familiar; much like the intentions of every Linux mobile OS that has been built to date. So what will make Android a success?

Yes, the "Google" name will likely carry it relatively far. A number of well-respected developers have also given the upcoming mobile OS high praise on a technical level which bodes well. The problem? Google partners don’t need to sell Android-equipped handsets to developers, they need to sell to consumers. Will the release version of Android be innovative enough to attract mass consumer adoption? Apple took a solid approach when developing OS X mobile. Rather than create "another mobile OS" to combat Symbian and Windows Mobile, Apple chose to attack one of the areas where the two big boys were (and are) seriously lacking; the UI. Yes, the mobile version of OS X is very elegantly coded as any non-biased programmer who has dug through the OS will tell you. On a consumer level however, people like ‘pretty things’ and OS X mobile is gorgeous. The iPhone’s UI is one of a few massive selling points that consumers have become infatuated with.

So what exactly will Android’s selling points be? Open? Wow, an open mobile OS… Revolutionary! Of course Android will be open on an OS level with no documented restrictions to date, but existing smartphone OSes allow deep integration. The differences here will likely be more apparent to developers as opposed to consumers. The UI? Just like Pam, Android is looking like a bit of a butterface according to available previews but the final product remains to be seen of course. Linux? The masses could care less about the platform itself. The Google name? Yes, that will work to a certain extent in terms of landing manufacturer partners and if Google can flood the market then its OS will sell well by default. Google will not however, land the biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world (Nokia) as a partner and that leaves them picking away at Windows Mobile business. 2008 is going to wrap up in a ball of jet fuel-propelled fire; Android, S60 Touch, 3G iPhone and so on. Simmer down Google, this will hardly be a cakewalk.

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Alright, so this is probably a bit too little, too late, but T-Mobile has just let slip their plans for the oft-rumored American 3G data network. According to comments made by CEO Hamid Akhavan, the company plans to roll out their 3G network in the States by sometime this Summer. There have been a significant number of delays, as the network was originally supposed to deploy in 2007, but Akhavan seems confident that the network will be quite "robust" when it launches in major metropolitan areas. The CEO also claimed that it will be "the best 3G network in the country," though we’ll certainly reserve judgement on that front until it actually arrives. It’s good news, but we can’t help but think the impending 4G network launches from certain other carriers might render this deployment DOA. In other news, T-Mobile has also confirmed that they will be offering an Android-based handset by the end of 2008. There’s no word on what the actual hardware will look like, but we suppose vaguely good news is better than no news, right?

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Resistance is futile, or so it seems, as everyone looks to be jumping on Google’s new Android mobile handset operating platform. The newest convert to the ways of Google is Verizon. The company has just announced that they will plan on using Android in one form or another. We’re guessing that this means they’ll be allowing Android-equipped devices to operate on their wireless spectrum. The statement, which came directly from Verizon’s CEO Lowell McAdam, doesn’t provide a lot of specifics, and more importantly doesn’t indicate whether Verizon will be joining the Open Handset Alliance. Chances are good that Verizon will simply allow Android devices to function on their new "a la Carte" spectrum service, though it looks as if they might be leaving the door open for future renegotiation and support. Way to beat around the bush, Verizon.

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A month ago uttering the phrase "Android SDK" would have elicited little more than "whaat?" Thankfully Google has infused the term with a sense of meaning and urgency. As promised, the company released it’s software developers kit for the upcoming Android mobile phone platform. The SDK itself is cross-platform compatible, running on XP, Vista, OS X 10.4.8 or higher, and various flavors of Linux. While the actual Android platform has yet to see the light of day, it’s nice to know that developers will have a sizable head start, theoretically allowing them to get their applications ready to launch concurrently with the first Android-based devices sometime in the first half of 2008. As an added incentive, the "Open Handset Alliance" has started a contest that will furnish a total of $10 million to various applications deemed worthy of fanfare. Let the games begin!

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