Sony Ericsson to make Android phone
Summer 2009 launch looks possible
Sony Ericsson’s recent membership to the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) has finally prompted it to come clean over rumours that it’s planning to launch a handset based on Google’s Android platform.
Rikko Sakaguchi, Corporate VP at Sony Ericsson, said it’s the company’s aim to “develop a handset based on the Android platform”, according to his OHA membership statement.
He added that SE’s a strong supporter of open operating systems, of which Android is one.
Speculation that SE was building up to such an announcement has been doing the rounds since the Android-based T-Mobile G1 was launched back in September. Following the unveiling, SE’s President, Dick Komiyama, said the firm was “certainly interested” in the Google phone platform.
SE’s still keeping mum about any specific Android phone details, though. But following an interview with one of SE’s PR executives, website Computer Sweden reports that the company will launch its first Android phone in summer 2009.
HTC would be an obvious route into the Android market for SE. The Taiwanese company developed the G1 and is also behind SE’s Windows Mobile-based Xperia smartphone.
T-Mobile G1
Google Android phone review
COMMENTS
Only techies will care...
about this. Everyone else just wants to get on with it. And, besides, Symbian and Win Mobile have such a hold on the market already that I don't think Android really stands much chance. Hey, I could be wrong though.
Paris, because she just doesn't give a damn. Baby!
Brand loyalty
My first phone was a Nokia, so was my second, these were the days of green backlights.
I switched from there to the SE T610 and never looked back, since then I've used the K700, K800 and now the G900 which has both touchscreen and keypad, perfect for not looking like a smart phone when texting on Dalston High Street late at night.
HTC is the choice of my workplace, they weigh a ton, they have a brick like feel in the hand, the battery life can't really be called a life, they crash (Phones should not crash), and you look like a knob using one in the street, you know like the blackberry/pull-trolley people.
I think it's a great move to use Android as it promises to be a popular platform, and as we all know it's the popular platforms that get applications. It is however a bad move to have HTC build it, SE are great at designing phones that feel nice to hold, HTC are not.
Paris... Talking of nice to hold...
My current ideal phone
An SE Xperian X1 running Android would be close to my ideal phone at the moment. I like the 800x480 screen, the querty keyboard and the relatively small size, plus GPS etc, but I'm reluctant to buy it with Windows Mobile. Hopefully the hardware will have come on a bit more by next summer, too.
open memory cards
"a strong supporter of open operating systems?
Anonymous Coward • Wednesday 10th December 2008 17:04 GMT
But not a strong supporter of open memory cards."
Perhaps not the strongest, but the k850i took both M2 and microSD, and not the X1 takes microSD too.
Android Killers?
Given the awful quality of Sony Ericsson's development of Symbian this could be just the thing that confirms Android's reputation of a quality OS on an awful phone. Apple must be overjoyed.
On another note, does anyone produce a 3G phone that does nothing except make calls and act as a modem...I'd buy it!
Mine's the one with a T39 in the pocket.
