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Broadband & Mobile Featured Article
November 07, 2007
HTC Working on Google Phone
By Anshu Shrivastava TMCnet Contributing Editor
The Taiwan based mobile phone manufacturer High Tech Computer (HTC) has reportedly started working on a Google (News - Alert) phone, and is all set to become the first company to introduce a mobile phone, which uses Android, Google’s Linux-based software stack.
The company said in a statement that it is planning to launch its first Android powered handset in the second half of 2008. According to company’s executives, after the scheduled launch in 2008, the company has plans to produce more such handsets, both under its own brand and under the brands of its operator partners.
John Wang (News - Alert), chief marketing officer at HTC, pointed out that Android, an open source software platform that includes an OS, is designed to take advantage of Internet services for mobility, exactly the target for HTC's (News - Alert) new handset.
Florian Seiche, vice president for Europe at HTC, stated that Android devices would fall squarely into the relatively new consumer side of HTC's business, targeted this year with the Touch phone. He told the press, “The core nature of Android is the fact that the internet should be put right at the centre of your mobile experience. It is fair to say that it will be very much focused on the growing part of the consumer market that is using mobile devices for much more than voice calls and text messages.”
However, HTC might land in trouble with Microsoft (News - Alert), as it has been using Microsoft Windows Mobile software, a rival to Android, in its handsets. Wang remarked that, at present, many mobile phone OSes are competing in the market, he stressed, “Our commitment to the Windows Mobile platform is unwavering.”
According to Forbes, HTC has dubbed its Android-powered handset, Dream, and it is said to be one of a few prototype that Google has used to demonstrate the Open Handset Alliance (News - Alert) software.
The handset reportedly measures around 3 x 5 inches, features a touchscreen, a full swivel out keyboard and an automatic swivel screen.
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Anshu Shrivastava is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
The company said in a statement that it is planning to launch its first Android powered handset in the second half of 2008. According to company’s executives, after the scheduled launch in 2008, the company has plans to produce more such handsets, both under its own brand and under the brands of its operator partners.
John Wang (News - Alert), chief marketing officer at HTC, pointed out that Android, an open source software platform that includes an OS, is designed to take advantage of Internet services for mobility, exactly the target for HTC's (News - Alert) new handset.
Florian Seiche, vice president for Europe at HTC, stated that Android devices would fall squarely into the relatively new consumer side of HTC's business, targeted this year with the Touch phone. He told the press, “The core nature of Android is the fact that the internet should be put right at the centre of your mobile experience. It is fair to say that it will be very much focused on the growing part of the consumer market that is using mobile devices for much more than voice calls and text messages.”
However, HTC might land in trouble with Microsoft (News - Alert), as it has been using Microsoft Windows Mobile software, a rival to Android, in its handsets. Wang remarked that, at present, many mobile phone OSes are competing in the market, he stressed, “Our commitment to the Windows Mobile platform is unwavering.”
According to Forbes, HTC has dubbed its Android-powered handset, Dream, and it is said to be one of a few prototype that Google has used to demonstrate the Open Handset Alliance (News - Alert) software.
The handset reportedly measures around 3 x 5 inches, features a touchscreen, a full swivel out keyboard and an automatic swivel screen.
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Anshu Shrivastava is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
