The slow but steady march of Android devices across the planet continued with news Tuesday that HTC will offer a version of its Magic smartphone next month in China. According to an interview in The Wall Street Journal, HTC CEO Peter Chou said his company will be working with China Mobile, the largest mobile-phone operator in the world.
Open Mobile System
As the only major vendor that has so far released Android-based phones, the move by Taiwan-based HTC into the world’s largest market could have a substantial impact on the growth of the Google-backed open-source platform. It might also alter the vector of Android’s evolution, since China Mobile has indicated it will brand the Magic model as an OPhone and utilize a version of Android called the Open Mobile System that will run the carrier’s applications.
Some observers have suggested that China Mobile will attempt to position the OPhone against an eventual release of Apple’s iPhone into that market. There have been reports that earlier negotiations between Apple and China Mobile were discontinued, and that the iPhone will be sold in China through China Unicorn.
The Journal estimated that the adapted Magic smartphone will sell for about 5,000 yuan (US$731.26), although no final price has been announced. Earlier this month there were reports that HTC plans to release the Magic in Singapore as well, with a rollout to other Asian countries by the end of the second quarter.
Meanwhile, other news of Android’s step-by-step growth are popping up. For instance, there are reports on the Web that, according to company internal documents, AT&T is getting ready to release another HTC Android device, called Lancaster. It’s reportedly similar to the Magic in its use of a slide-out keyboard.
Many Androids?
Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret, said HTC’s plans in the world’s largest mobile-device market are…