Android 3.0
File this in your WTF category until further notice but according to Eldar Murtazin of Mobile-Review (via UnwiredView) Google already has partners working on Android 3.0 with closed demos of the OS on real handsets shown at MWC 2009. Right now we’re on Version 1, Version 2 was labeled “pretty sad” and Version 3 was called “fantastic”. They say Version 3 will launch in mid 2010 and Version 4 will come in 2011.
From UnwiredView:
Android is pretty well stuck right now, because of Google, which does not really want to strongly promote Android devices yet. They have a key partner – HTC – which already released phones (Dream, Magic) based on Android 1.0. The first release of Android OS – it’s Google making a claim for the future position in mobile OS market. It is more like a marketing tool to train the public on Android and also to give the developers a live device to make the apps for.
No, the HTC Magic has not yet been released so that one error makes me cautious of the rest of the article. However, the source of these rumors – Eldar Murtazin – is indeed a heavily connected expert in the mobile world. Unfortunately his blog is written in Russian as is the Podcast which was listed as an article source. Google translate was unhelpful in tracking the info back to Murtazin on his personal blog OR Mobile-Review.
UPDATE: Stasys from UnwiredView contacted me and let me know that the Android related information from their post was in the podcast. The podcast is in Russian so I’ll have to trust him on it – which I don’t mind doing as UnwiredView has proved to be a reliable info source. Russian speaking readers feel free to listen and chime in below!
The whole comment that Version 2 is “pretty sad” is quite irritating. We’re on Version 1 right now and I would already consider Android “pretty good”. How you can knock Android for what it has quickly become is beyond me? Look at the cruddy proprietary junk that mobile carriers have been launching for years and years. Compare Android to those devices, which still dominate the market, and I would love to know how Android anything can be considered “pretty sad”.
Perhaps I’m just a patriot being a little too defensive. Note that while Android 3.0 and 4.0 got a timeline of mid-2010 and 2011 respectively (based on the rumor), nothing was said about the release date for Android 2.0.
If these rumors are true, I’m thinking that these various version have a big part to play in why all of these different manufacturers are experiencing delays with Android. If they had a Version 1 device planned and know that Version 2 is coming out very soon, wouldn’t it be worth reworking their plans a little bit? And perhaps some don’t mind waiting until 2010 for their biggest offerings – it DOES take time to fully plan, develop and manufacture a phone.
All this is very, very interesting to me and I’m eager to read some reactions from other industry sources. Oh yeah, and I would consider Phandroid Readers an industry source so get your comment thang on below! And if there are any Russian speaking Phandroids out there… your assistance would be appreciated!