The world’s first Android-based smartphone, the T-Mobile G1, may soon have a sibling.
On Wednesday, the gadget-focused Web site Gizmodo displayed two photos that it said were of the G2 — a soon-to-be-released device based on the open-source mobile platform. Like the G1, it is said to be made by HTC, but, unlike the G1, it has no physical keyboard. The blog also said the new device is thinner.
The pictures have caused a great deal of Android-based commentary on Web sites that are hungry for the next steps in this platform’s evolution.
A 3.2-Megapixel Camera
Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, noted that Google has been “pretty upfront” about having the platform work with a variety of input methods, including either a physical or a virtual keyboard.
Greengart, who has a G1, said he “wasn’t crazy” about the keyboard in that model. He said it doesn’t “have enough travel,” in that keys are not raised enough and don’t press down well, among other things. It’s not, he said, “what I could call a ‘best of breed’ keyboard.”
Only a few other details on the G2 were given. According to Gizmodo, the G2 has a 3.2-megapixel camera, an interface similar to the current one, and a target release date of mid-May. If it otherwise follows its older family member, the G2 will also be released by T-Mobile.
Third Android
This would be the third Android device on the planet. A small manufacturer has also released an Android model for the Australian market only. But the extended family of such devices is expected to grow now that T-Mobile and HTC have had considerable success with the first one.
The Android mobile platform was launched in late 2007 by Google, along with a consortium of other companies who endorsed the open-source platform. The momentum for Android…