By After buzz about Android’s possible delay spread like a virus, Google staff put out the wildfare be re-asserting their “2nd Half of this year” position. HTC CEO, Peter Chou, confirmed that the company is, “still shooting for the end of this year,” according to an interview with APCMag.
The fact that this comes from an OHA member other than Google is pretty significant. HTC has long been rumored as the company that will release the first ever Android enabled handset, called the HTC Dream. But if the company that seemingly has the largest headstart is only “shooting” for the end of the year and isn’t “definitely” launching the phone, that should raise some questions about what other manufacturers are “shooting” for.
This is all that we’re hearing from the manufacturer side of things… HTC seems to be the only company making solid, public assertions about their Android timelines. The carrier situation is another whole story.
If HTC has the Dream ready for launch before the end of 2008 but either no carrier is ready to support Android and/or no carrier comes to an agreement with HTC, will they still consider their 2nd Half of 2008 timeline accomplished?
From the sound of things, HTC may be the only top-tier manufacturer who will have an Android phone ready to roll before the end of the year. T-Mobile may be the only Carrier ready, willing and able to support Android before the year’s end. So if HTC and T-Mobile don’t plan on working together for the Dream, will our Christmas Dream come trues?
Apologies… will our HOLIDAY Dream’s come true. We’re trying to be all-inclusive here. Which of these manufacturers and/or carriers WOULDN’T want to put an Android Handset out before the end of the Calendar year?
Every 4th quarter, the retail boom makes and/or breaks many businesses. Whoever is able to deliver Android before the year closes out stands to gain an awful lot by being one of the first to market.
It’s very disappointing that only T-Mobile will be launching this year (or so it seems).
That means my Android wish is officially over until 2009, and so I’ll probably pick up either an Xperia or HTC Touch Pro when they launch in the next few months.
It’s no surprise that AT&T and Verizon will only join the Android party kicking and screaming, as they stand to lose the most “phony” revenue from their PictureMail and other nonsense services that Android would render obsolete (i.e. free).
Again, very disappointing.
I hope that T-Mobile would be the first to get an andriod handset…seeing as they are the first at a lot of things. As a long time customer of T-Mobile I can not wait to get my hands on one of the first andriod handsets.
I hope that Vodafone would be the first that have a android phone.
Here in the Netherlands many people have connection problems with T-mobile