Google mobile head says Nexus One too ambitious

NEW WAVE: Rubin says that the Nexus S, the follow-up to the Nexus One, keeps alive that vision of selling an unlocked phone. - Samsung Electronics

SAN FRANCISCO: The head of Google's Android mobile operating software says the search company "bit off a little more than we could chew" with the sale of the Nexus One, a smartphone Google began selling online early this year but then stopped offering after similar devices powered by Android hit the market.

Speaking at the D: Dive Into Mobile technology conference run by the tech blog AllThingsD, Andy Rubin said that Google Inc figured that it could sell the phone over the Web and people would buy it as they already do electronics like digital cameras.

Google unveiled the Nexus One with much fanfare in January as a challenger to Apple Inc's iPhone. It is made by HTC Corp.

Consumers didn't flock to the phone, though. Google closed its online store that was selling the phone in May, saying it would rely on traditional retailers instead.

Rubin said Google's big problem with the Nexus One was one of scale. For each wireless operator it worked with, it had to do things like set people up with phone numbers, perform credit checks and more, he said.

The process was time consuming, and given that there are more than 150 carriers worldwide, it seemed like a better idea to focus on things like building newer versions of Android, he said.

Rubin said that the Nexus S, the follow-up to the Nexus One that Google and Samsung Electronics Co just unveiled keeps alive that vision of selling an unlocked phone. But it will be sold in the United States through Best Buy Co stores, which already have systems in place to set customers up with wireless carriers. The phone will cost US$529 unlocked, or US$199 when bought with a two-year contract.

The Nexus S uses Mountain View-based Google's newest operating software, Gingerbread, and includes features like Near Field Communication, which lets users wave the phone near a barcode or sensor to make payments similar to swiping a security card to get into a building.

Like the iPhone, it also includes a gyroscope, which allows you to do things like zoom in and out in applications by moving the phone closer or farther away from you.

Rubin, who founded Android (which was subsequently bought by Google), also said that the mobile software is profitable, making money through online ads on Android devices.

He added that since Google first released the free, open-source mobile software two years ago on a handset - HTC's G1 smartphone - it has expanded to 172 different phones.

"I think we're doing pretty well," he said.

Rubin showed off a prototype of an upcoming Tablet from Motorola Inc running an early version of what will be the next Android operating software, Honeycomb. The black Tablet had a large, glossy screen and appeared to have a camera integrated on its face.

Rubin said that Honeycomb, which will be more optimised for Tablet computers, will enable applications to have multiple views, depending on if they're running on a phone or a Tablet.

For example, he showed off a version of Gmail on the Tablet that showed a list of e-mail messages in one column and the body of the one you're reading in a second column. One an Android phone, you'd only see one column at a time, as you do now. - AP

Google mobile head says Nexus One too ambitious

NEW WAVE: Rubin says that the Nexus S, the follow-up to the Nexus One, keeps alive that vision of selling an unlocked phone. - Samsung Electronics

SAN FRANCISCO: The head of Google's Android mobile operating software says the search company "bit off a little more than we could chew" with the sale of the Nexus One, a smartphone Google began selling online early this year but then stopped offering after similar devices powered by Android hit the market.

Speaking at the D: Dive Into Mobile technology conference run by the tech blog AllThingsD, Andy Rubin said that Google Inc figured that it could sell the phone over the Web and people would buy it as they already do electronics like digital cameras.

Google unveiled the Nexus One with much fanfare in January as a challenger to Apple Inc's iPhone. It is made by HTC Corp.

Consumers didn't flock to the phone, though. Google closed its online store that was selling the phone in May, saying it would rely on traditional retailers instead.

Rubin said Google's big problem with the Nexus One was one of scale. For each wireless operator it worked with, it had to do things like set people up with phone numbers, perform credit checks and more, he said.

The process was time consuming, and given that there are more than 150 carriers worldwide, it seemed like a better idea to focus on things like building newer versions of Android, he said.

Rubin said that the Nexus S, the follow-up to the Nexus One that Google and Samsung Electronics Co just unveiled keeps alive that vision of selling an unlocked phone. But it will be sold in the United States through Best Buy Co stores, which already have systems in place to set customers up with wireless carriers. The phone will cost US$529 unlocked, or US$199 when bought with a two-year contract.

The Nexus S uses Mountain View-based Google's newest operating software, Gingerbread, and includes features like Near Field Communication, which lets users wave the phone near a barcode or sensor to make payments similar to swiping a security card to get into a building.

Like the iPhone, it also includes a gyroscope, which allows you to do things like zoom in and out in applications by moving the phone closer or farther away from you.

Rubin, who founded Android (which was subsequently bought by Google), also said that the mobile software is profitable, making money through online ads on Android devices.

He added that since Google first released the free, open-source mobile software two years ago on a handset - HTC's G1 smartphone - it has expanded to 172 different phones.

"I think we're doing pretty well," he said.

Rubin showed off a prototype of an upcoming Tablet from Motorola Inc running an early version of what will be the next Android operating software, Honeycomb. The black Tablet had a large, glossy screen and appeared to have a camera integrated on its face.

Rubin said that Honeycomb, which will be more optimised for Tablet computers, will enable applications to have multiple views, depending on if they're running on a phone or a Tablet.

For example, he showed off a version of Gmail on the Tablet that showed a list of e-mail messages in one column and the body of the one you're reading in a second column. One an Android phone, you'd only see one column at a time, as you do now. - AP

Google mobile head says Nexus One too ambitious

NEW WAVE: Rubin says that the Nexus S, the follow-up to the Nexus One, keeps alive that vision of selling an unlocked phone. - Samsung Electronics

SAN FRANCISCO: The head of Google's Android mobile operating software says the search company "bit off a little more than we could chew" with the sale of the Nexus One, a smartphone Google began selling online early this year but then stopped offering after similar devices powered by Android hit the market.

Speaking at the D: Dive Into Mobile technology conference run by the tech blog AllThingsD, Andy Rubin said that Google Inc figured that it could sell the phone over the Web and people would buy it as they already do electronics like digital cameras.

Google unveiled the Nexus One with much fanfare in January as a challenger to Apple Inc's iPhone. It is made by HTC Corp.

Consumers didn't flock to the phone, though. Google closed its online store that was selling the phone in May, saying it would rely on traditional retailers instead.

Rubin said Google's big problem with the Nexus One was one of scale. For each wireless operator it worked with, it had to do things like set people up with phone numbers, perform credit checks and more, he said.

The process was time consuming, and given that there are more than 150 carriers worldwide, it seemed like a better idea to focus on things like building newer versions of Android, he said.

Rubin said that the Nexus S, the follow-up to the Nexus One that Google and Samsung Electronics Co just unveiled keeps alive that vision of selling an unlocked phone. But it will be sold in the United States through Best Buy Co stores, which already have systems in place to set customers up with wireless carriers. The phone will cost US$529 unlocked, or US$199 when bought with a two-year contract.

The Nexus S uses Mountain View-based Google's newest operating software, Gingerbread, and includes features like Near Field Communication, which lets users wave the phone near a barcode or sensor to make payments similar to swiping a security card to get into a building.

Like the iPhone, it also includes a gyroscope, which allows you to do things like zoom in and out in applications by moving the phone closer or farther away from you.

Rubin, who founded Android (which was subsequently bought by Google), also said that the mobile software is profitable, making money through online ads on Android devices.

He added that since Google first released the free, open-source mobile software two years ago on a handset - HTC's G1 smartphone - it has expanded to 172 different phones.

"I think we're doing pretty well," he said.

Rubin showed off a prototype of an upcoming Tablet from Motorola Inc running an early version of what will be the next Android operating software, Honeycomb. The black Tablet had a large, glossy screen and appeared to have a camera integrated on its face.

Rubin said that Honeycomb, which will be more optimised for Tablet computers, will enable applications to have multiple views, depending on if they're running on a phone or a Tablet.

For example, he showed off a version of Gmail on the Tablet that showed a list of e-mail messages in one column and the body of the one you're reading in a second column. One an Android phone, you'd only see one column at a time, as you do now. - AP

Quick Review : Motorola Milestone XT Running on Google's Android OS

Milestone XT

Motorola has launched a couple of new smartphones that run on Google's Android operating system.

Backflip

The first is the Motorola Milestone XT, a 3.5G phone featuring a Cortex A8 ARM-based processor, a 3.7in (854 x 480-pixels) display, microSD slot, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and an 8-megapixel digital camera that is also capable of shooting 720p videos.

The Motorola Milestone XT has a recommended retail price of RM1,799.

The other model is the Motorola Backflip, a smartphone that comes with a flip-around keypad and a touchpad.

The Backflip's Qwerty keypad not only rotates around the back of the screen, but can also be used as a stand to angle the screen towards you when it is set down on a table.

The 3.1in screen has a resolution of 640 x 240-pixels and while it supports touch input, the Backflip has a unique touchpad located behind the screen.

The logic for the unusual location of the touchpad is that it allows the user to scroll around in webpages and photos without obscuring the screen as you normally would when touching directly on the screen.

Other than the keyboard and the touchpad, the Backflip features a microSD slot, a 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and WiFi.

UNIQUE: The Backflip comes with a flip-around keypad and a touchpad.

The Motorola Backflip has a recommended retail price of RM1,699.

Since both phones are Android-based, they come pre-installed with a suite of Google applications, including Google Maps, Google Talk, Gmail and YouTube.

Quick Review : Motorola Milestone XT Running on Google's Android OS

Milestone XT

Motorola has launched a couple of new smartphones that run on Google's Android operating system.

Backflip

The first is the Motorola Milestone XT, a 3.5G phone featuring a Cortex A8 ARM-based processor, a 3.7in (854 x 480-pixels) display, microSD slot, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and an 8-megapixel digital camera that is also capable of shooting 720p videos.

The Motorola Milestone XT has a recommended retail price of RM1,799.

The other model is the Motorola Backflip, a smartphone that comes with a flip-around keypad and a touchpad.

The Backflip's Qwerty keypad not only rotates around the back of the screen, but can also be used as a stand to angle the screen towards you when it is set down on a table.

The 3.1in screen has a resolution of 640 x 240-pixels and while it supports touch input, the Backflip has a unique touchpad located behind the screen.

The logic for the unusual location of the touchpad is that it allows the user to scroll around in webpages and photos without obscuring the screen as you normally would when touching directly on the screen.

Other than the keyboard and the touchpad, the Backflip features a microSD slot, a 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and WiFi.

UNIQUE: The Backflip comes with a flip-around keypad and a touchpad.

The Motorola Backflip has a recommended retail price of RM1,699.

Since both phones are Android-based, they come pre-installed with a suite of Google applications, including Google Maps, Google Talk, Gmail and YouTube.

Quick Review : Motorola Milestone XT Running on Google's Android OS

Milestone XT

Motorola has launched a couple of new smartphones that run on Google's Android operating system.

Backflip

The first is the Motorola Milestone XT, a 3.5G phone featuring a Cortex A8 ARM-based processor, a 3.7in (854 x 480-pixels) display, microSD slot, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and an 8-megapixel digital camera that is also capable of shooting 720p videos.

The Motorola Milestone XT has a recommended retail price of RM1,799.

The other model is the Motorola Backflip, a smartphone that comes with a flip-around keypad and a touchpad.

The Backflip's Qwerty keypad not only rotates around the back of the screen, but can also be used as a stand to angle the screen towards you when it is set down on a table.

The 3.1in screen has a resolution of 640 x 240-pixels and while it supports touch input, the Backflip has a unique touchpad located behind the screen.

The logic for the unusual location of the touchpad is that it allows the user to scroll around in webpages and photos without obscuring the screen as you normally would when touching directly on the screen.

Other than the keyboard and the touchpad, the Backflip features a microSD slot, a 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and WiFi.

UNIQUE: The Backflip comes with a flip-around keypad and a touchpad.

The Motorola Backflip has a recommended retail price of RM1,699.

Since both phones are Android-based, they come pre-installed with a suite of Google applications, including Google Maps, Google Talk, Gmail and YouTube.

Cheap mobile phones to gain high-powered operating systems

MOVING UP: Smartphone operating systems such as Google's Android are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones. - Relaxnews

Mobile operating systems such as Google's Android, Nokia's Symbian and Microsoft's Windows Mobile are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones.

Chinese-based consumer electronics seller Chinavasion predicts that the shift from proprietary mobile phone operating systems to open-sourced operating systems will completely change China's mobile phone market, creating new opportunities for China's mobile manufacturers.

"We are looking at what is potentially the most exciting development in the cheap mobile phone sector in years," said Rose Li, PR manager, Chinavasion in a statement.

Chinese-made devices priced at less than US$130 (RM416) have typically been powered by the Nucleus real-time operating system (RTOS), but with the advent of open-source operating systems, manufacturers are now starting to make the shift.

"While the Nucleus RTOS is a very capable OS it doesn't have nearly the same potential that Windows, or Android or Symbian has," explained Rose Li.

For consumers the change means they may soon see smartphone-like features such as PC syncing, productivity tools, online browsing, email, and customisable phone applications on low-end mobile phones.

An August study by market research ABI suggests that by 2015 more than 60% (about 3.8 billion handsets) of mobile phones worldwide will be capable of surfing the Internet via a mobile web browser.

Cheap mobile phones to gain high-powered operating systems

MOVING UP: Smartphone operating systems such as Google's Android are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones. - Relaxnews

Mobile operating systems such as Google's Android, Nokia's Symbian and Microsoft's Windows Mobile are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones.

Chinese-based consumer electronics seller Chinavasion predicts that the shift from proprietary mobile phone operating systems to open-sourced operating systems will completely change China's mobile phone market, creating new opportunities for China's mobile manufacturers.

"We are looking at what is potentially the most exciting development in the cheap mobile phone sector in years," said Rose Li, PR manager, Chinavasion in a statement.

Chinese-made devices priced at less than US$130 (RM416) have typically been powered by the Nucleus real-time operating system (RTOS), but with the advent of open-source operating systems, manufacturers are now starting to make the shift.

"While the Nucleus RTOS is a very capable OS it doesn't have nearly the same potential that Windows, or Android or Symbian has," explained Rose Li.

For consumers the change means they may soon see smartphone-like features such as PC syncing, productivity tools, online browsing, email, and customisable phone applications on low-end mobile phones.

An August study by market research ABI suggests that by 2015 more than 60% (about 3.8 billion handsets) of mobile phones worldwide will be capable of surfing the Internet via a mobile web browser.

Cheap mobile phones to gain high-powered operating systems

MOVING UP: Smartphone operating systems such as Google's Android are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones. - Relaxnews

Mobile operating systems such as Google's Android, Nokia's Symbian and Microsoft's Windows Mobile are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones.

Chinese-based consumer electronics seller Chinavasion predicts that the shift from proprietary mobile phone operating systems to open-sourced operating systems will completely change China's mobile phone market, creating new opportunities for China's mobile manufacturers.

"We are looking at what is potentially the most exciting development in the cheap mobile phone sector in years," said Rose Li, PR manager, Chinavasion in a statement.

Chinese-made devices priced at less than US$130 (RM416) have typically been powered by the Nucleus real-time operating system (RTOS), but with the advent of open-source operating systems, manufacturers are now starting to make the shift.

"While the Nucleus RTOS is a very capable OS it doesn't have nearly the same potential that Windows, or Android or Symbian has," explained Rose Li.

For consumers the change means they may soon see smartphone-like features such as PC syncing, productivity tools, online browsing, email, and customisable phone applications on low-end mobile phones.

An August study by market research ABI suggests that by 2015 more than 60% (about 3.8 billion handsets) of mobile phones worldwide will be capable of surfing the Internet via a mobile web browser.