11/18, 9:15am
Google's own Android phone custom-made
Google's rumored self-developed Android phone is real but has been pushed back, a scoop claimed on late Tuesday. The handset would be built by a third party, most likely LG or Samsung rather than the previously preferred HTC, but would carry only Google's branding and is said by TechCrunch to be designed almost exclusively according to Google's design. It would launch in early 2010 after a delay but would receive heavy marketing as soon as January.
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11/17, 2:30pm
Analysts see Palm at Verizon next year
Palm may prove to be Verizon's best hope if the Droid line doesn't bear fruit, Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu said in a note today. He points to contacts within the cell industry and supply chain that suggest Verizon will carry one or more of Palm's webOS phones, such as the Pre or Pixi, sometime in 2010. Sales of both the Motorola Droid and HTC's Droid Eris have purportedly been "somewhat disappointing" and may lead to Verizon using Palm to bolster its smartphone catalog.
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11/16, 7:35am
Samsung Galaxy Spica runs at 800MHz
Samsung started the week by launching its second Android phone on a world level. The Galaxy Spica, or i5700, sits closer to the mid-range but is one of the fastest Android phones ever with an 800MHz proecssor. Its main sacrifices versus the original Galaxy are the use of a less expensive LCD in place of an OLED and a 3.2-megapixel camera instead of the 5-megapixel example on the higher-end phone.
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11/13, 3:25pm
HTC fall to suffer from iPhone, others
HTC this week warned that it should see a significant drop in its fall sales. The company expects its fall sales to sink 15 percent compared to the same season a year ago. It portrays the results as mixed due to strong US sales of Android phones, such as the Hero, being offset by a lack of presence in Europe.
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11/12, 2:50pm
Only RIM, Nokia top smartphone share
Apple has extended its influence on the smartphone market even further, Gartner says in its data for the summer. The combined iPhone platform leapt from 12.9 percent to 17.1 percent of worldwide share in the summer, or third place, where the next-best competitor, HTC, topped out at 6.5 percent after increasing from 4.5 percent a year earlier. Samsung was near-flat and moved up just slightly to 3.2 percent.
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11/11, 11:20am
WM7 to get special test program
Microsoft has sped up the release schedule for Windows Mobile 7 to less than a year after 6.5, a leak hinted today. The company is reportedly set to launch a test program in early 2010, codenamed "Maldives," that will let smartphone makers check the mobile OS against their hardware relatively early. Timing would be such that the OS would reach shipping phones by summer where 6.5 was unveiled this past winter but didn't ship until the fall.
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11/09, 3:00pm
Samsung may deal Microsoft severe blow
Samsung is about deal Microsoft one of its most severe blows yet by dropping Windows Mobile from most of its phones, an investment note issued today says. HMC Investment Securities analyst Greg Noh understands that the Korean company's use of Windows Mobile will crash from 80 percent this year to just 50 percent in 2010 and will lower further still in future years. Just 20 percent of Samsung's phones should use the platform by 2012.
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11/06, 12:45pm
IDC Q3 2009 phone share results live
Apple gained market share in the summer but slipped in the face of tougher competition, according to new IDC data. The iPhone's share of smartphones grew from 16.6 percent to 17.1 percent during the quarter but was overtaken by Research in Motion's record BlackBerry sales, which pushed it above Apple from 14.6 percent to 19 percent. The reversal is credited to the BlackBerry's wider distribution and the launch of a pair of key phones, the Tour and the Curve 8520.
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11/06, 9:40am
Rogers may be first NA carrier with Touch2
Canadian carrier Rogers could be the first in North America to pick up a version of the HTC Touch2, according to sources familiar with its plans. The Windows Mobile 6.5 phone is reportedly coming onboard in one or more colors that aren't normally picked for the phone; blue and red are both being considered as choices. While not confirmed at this stage, it's also implied that the phone will have North America-native 3G where the stock version goes without.
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11/06, 12:00am
Droid launches at 34th St store
As promised, Verizon tonight launched the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris at its primary retail store on 34th Street in New York City. The midnight opening is the first official launch in the country but follows numerous reports from those who have visited Best Buy and Walmart stores and successfully obtained the phone ahead of its official street date. Walmart Super Center stores are also typically opening sales at midnight, though the next earliest opportunity will involve the 7AM and 8AM openings at some non-mall Verizon stores.
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11/05, 9:45am
HTC Droid Eris and Curve 8530 hit VZW
Verizon this morning preceded the launch of the Motorola Droid two expected new smartphones, including its second Android phone. The HTC Droid Eris, also known as the Desire, is Verizon's interpretation of the Hero and comes in an all-black design with touch-sensitive buttons below the 3.2-inch screen as well as a trackball for one-handed use. It still carries the 5-megapixel camera, GPS and Wi-Fi, and still uses HTC's original Sense UI layer and built-in web browser Flash.
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11/05, 8:55am
Telus HSPA launches with new phones
Telus this morning took its turn at launching its own HSPA+ network and new devices, including the iPhone. It sells the iPhone 3G and both the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS units at the same $100, $200 and $300 prices as at Bell and Rogers on a three-year contract. The plans are slightly different than Bell's and start with a $50 Clear Choice iPhone plan that provides 150 minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends after 9PM and 500MB of data with tethering but supplies the perk of either unlimited local calls and MMS/SMS messaging to five numbers, double the minutes, or 1,000 outbound (unlimited inbound) messages.
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11/04, 9:55am
HTC HD2 likely for T-Mobile USA
HTC today began shipping the HD2 to Europe and Taiwan but also confirmed plans to bring the phone to the US. The Windows Mobile 6.5 handset is due to ship to America through a "major carrier" in early 2010. While unnamed by HTC, it's expected the phone will be available through T-Mobile USA and will support the provider's 1,700MHz 3G network.
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11/02, 5:15pm
Verizon adding 15 smartphones in 2 mths
A slip of new data today suggests Verizon may be planning a full assault on AT&T's command of the US smartphone market. One historically accurate contact for BGR says Verizon is watching its launch of the Motorola Droid very closely and, if successful, will accelerate smartphone launches it would have put off until early 2010. These would include particularly advanced devices like the Android-based HTC Dragon and Motorola Calgary, the former of which could launch on November 27th in place of the BlackBerry Curve2.
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11/02, 4:45pm
Acer's Liquid Android smartphone specs confirmed
The specifications for Acer's upcoming Liquid smarpthone have been revealed at a conference in France, Revioo reported on Monday. Despite an earlier report, the phone's Qualcomm SnapDragon processor will not be rated at its full, 1GHz clock speed but instead be limited to 768MHz.
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11/02, 4:10pm
WM 6.5 HD2 with multi-touch screen coming to T-Mo
T-Mobile UK has put up a product page for the HTC Touch HD2 handset, revealing it will be out sometime this month. The device is the first Windows Mobile (6.5) smartphone to use a capacitive multi-input touchscreen. T-Mobile UK site visitors get the option to register and receive updates regarding the device.
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10/31, 12:45am
Google insists Android 3rd-party only
Google tonight moved to quash rumors that it would make its own smartphone. The company's Android project president, Andy Rubin, says it would be unfair for Google to "compete with its customers" and that it remains dedicated to Android only as an operating system for outside hardware manufacturers. He adds that Google isn't particularly experienced at hardware design and that its influence on the T-Mobile G1's hardware design is more a negative than a positive.
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10/30, 3:50pm
HTC patent shows concept of next TouchFLO UI
HTC is updating its own user interface for its touchscreen smartphones, as evidenced by the company's recent patent filing. The handset maker's design appears to be a spiritual successor to TouchFLO and Sense UI. While still unnamed, it would mimic the layout and organization of a virtual book, according to images and the description in the patent application.
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10/30, 9:55am
Sprint talks about future smartphones, changes
A Sprint executive revealed the carrier's plans to release software updates for its smartphones and other news via a web chat on Thursday. David Owens revealed the Android-powered HTC Hero and Samsung Moment will get an update to the OS, though hasn't specified whether it will be version 1.6 or 2.0. Android phones are expected to also go down in price thanks to higher volumes, and Sprint is considering adding an Android handset with an integrated MiFi-style router.
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10/29, 5:30pm
HTC Droid Eris images leak, specs confirmed
Press images of the upcoming HTC Droid Eris handset have been leaked on Thursday, revealing the final look of the device as well as confirming some of its specs. Also confirmed is the date of when it should hit store shelves, scheduled for November 6th, or around the same time as Motorola's Droid.
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10/29, 2:40pm
HTC chief says HD2 Win Mobile only for now
HTC chief Peter Chou in an interview late yesterday dashed hopes of an HD2 with Android by positioning it as a Windows Mobile phone. Following rumors that have included photos, Chou tells Forbes that the very aim of the HD2 is to "take care" of Windows Mobile and restore the tarnished Microsoft brand. He admits to Forbes that the platform, which still makes up the bulk of HTC's phones, has proven a problem in recent months.
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10/29, 11:35am
Best Buy undercuts Verizon Droid pricing
Best Buy this morning scored a minor win by revealing that it will sell the Motorola Droid for $200 on contract, but without the $100 mail-in rebate that Verizon demands at its own stores. The retail chain adds that it will start taking pre-orders later today, just over a week before Verizon opens sales itself.
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10/29, 8:30am
Sprint loses $478m cash, 135K customers
Sprint today reportedsignificant losses for its summer quarter. The carrier's net losses widened from $326 million a year ago to $478 million but were softened by losing a relatively modest 135,000 cellphone customers; the number is Sprint's smallest loss in customers in the past two years. It now has a total of 48.3 million subscribers and remains the third-largest provider, above T-Mobile but well below AT&T's 81.6 million.
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10/28, 5:10pm
European HTC Hero handsets to get Android 2.0
A letter sent back to a curious HTC Hero owner from HTC Customer Support reveals the European version of the smartphone will skip the Android 1.6 update in favor of the latest update do the OS, 2.0. While no dates for the update were given, the HTC letter urges the customer to visit HTC's website regularly for the release. What is also unknown, but very likely, is that HTC Heros in other markets, the US included, will get a similar update and forego 1.6 altogether.
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10/28, 2:40pm
Droid Eris may undercut Sprint's Hero
The Droid Eris could cost almost half as much as the Hero at Sprint when it goes on sale, a source says today. The "very trustworthy" insider tells gdgt that the HTC Android phone should cost $99 (likely $100) on a Verizon contract when it ships November 6th. The price compares roughly to the Hero at Cellular South but is much lower than Sprint's $180 asking cost for the same phone.
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10/27, 6:00pm
Verizon's Droid Eris to use old CPU
When it's unveiled, the HTC Droid Eris will be significantly less powerful than the Motorola Droid when it ships November 6th, a brief Tuesday leak says. Although cosmetically different, it should use the same 528MHz Qualcomm chip and Android 1.5 build as many of HTC's earlier Android phones, such as the Hero or T-Mobile myTouch 3G. A second HTC phone due later should address the speed gap, BGR adds.
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10/26, 10:20am
HTC You campaign inverts iPhone tactic
HTC today began its first ever large-scale marketing campaign aimed at boosting its market share. The "You" promos will include TV ads (viewable below), billboards and other spots and is ultimately expected to reach 95 percent of US cellphone users as many as 36 times before the end of the year. The 10 largest markets, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City and Seattle, will receive particularly heavy advertising.
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10/26, 9:05am
Telus HSPA and iPhone due same day
Telus on Monday revealed that both its HSPA+ network and its iPhone launch will kick off on November 5th and has provided device pricing for its version of the Apple handset. Its pricing will match the Rogers version and see 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS units cost $200 and $300 respectively on three-year contracts. Contract-free versions will sell for $700 and $800. The 8GB iPhone 3G will sell for $100 on contract or $600 contract-free.
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10/24, 12:30am
HTC Desire may show Nov. 6 as Droid Eris
The upcoming HTC Desire may become part of what Verizon considers an entire series of devices, multiple leaks tonight appear to confirm. Following a source speaking to Phone Scoop that says all Android-based phones at Verizon will carry the "Droid" name as a brand, gdgt has posted a page for the phone that suggests it will be called the Droid Eris based on the Greek goddess of discord and get an all-black color scheme not unlike the Motorola Droid. The phone is already known to be a touch-only model with a trackball as a backup control and should bring a 5-megapixel camera.
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10/22, 10:15pm
Smartphone said to be similar to the Hero
An image has surfaced that allegedly shows the upcoming HTC Desire handset that will be heading for Verizon. Although the latest image, posted on the Boy Genius Report, appears to have been captured in poor lighting conditions, the overall form matches an earlier photo showing the Android-based handset fondled by Google head Eric Schmidt.
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10/21, 10:20am
HTC's main Android phone in tight supply
HTC's Android-based Hero is selling well enough that it's causing supply issues, the company's Asia Pacific VP Jack Tong revealed on Wednesday. Sales in the phone's initial Asia and European launch areas are described as "brisk" enough that demand has put a strain on HTC's production lines and won't see manufacturing catch up until November. The pace is expected to continue at least until early 2010.
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10/20, 6:10pm
Moto Calgary Verizon's third Android phone
Motorola's frequently rumored Calgary has been confirmed today through a leak of both images and details. Once thought to be the codename for what became the Droid, the Calgary is now known by BGR to be a second Motorola Android phone for Verizon and will use the MOTOBLUR social networking-centric interface from the Cliq instead of the stock Android 2.0 release on the Droid. The slip further reveals that the newly uncovered smartphone will have an optical trackpad as a backup to the touchscreen.
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10/20, 4:30pm
HTC Hero coming to AT&T with Flash support?
A Tuesday PhoneArena report maintains wireless provider AT&T will begin offering the HTC Hero early in 2010. This information reportedly comes from a tipster's friend who is developing firmware for the device. It remains to be seen whether the AT&T version will be styled differently from the reference GSM version.
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10/20, 3:30pm
Google may build own smartphone
Intending to take control of its phone experience, Google may be readying its own Android phone and a computer to go with it, multiple sources said on Tuesday. Analyst Ashok Kumar of Northeast Securities claims in a research note that it's expected Google will launch a self-branded phone before the end of the year and could follow that up with a netbook in early 2010. Both would use Android 2.0, but the smartphone would use a regular Qualcomm cellular chipset while the netbook would use Qualcomm's high-speed Snapdragon processor.
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10/20, 9:15am
Win Mobile update revamps controls
Although Microsoft has only just released Windows Mobile 6.5 on shipping phones, the company is already readying a noticeable fix to add many major touch elements to the platform, unofficial previews of interim builds show. A 6.5.1 update appearing in test versions has completely dropped the top-mounted Start menu and instead has one at the bottom with a button much easier to hit with a finger than before. Many of the other context-sensitive buttons, checkboxes and radio buttons have also been made larger.
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10/19, 12:55pm
HTC Hero comes to 3 with free Spotify, Skype
UK wireless provider 3 said it will soon offer its first Android-powered phone, the HTC Hero with the unique addition of unlimited music. The Android smartphone will include a free Spotify Premium account, allowing users to access the online music service both on the phone and on a computer. While Spotify is available for iPhones and Android devices thanks to an app, and a monthly subscription, this is the first time it is bundled into an existing device, with the equivalent $16 monthly subscription fee waived as well. Also included with the 3 Hero is Skype access to VoIP calls.
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10/17, 2:50pm
Verizon ad campaign to attack Apple
Verizon today sent signals that it's about to launch an aggressive campaign against Apple through a combination of marketing and devices. A leaked note regarding an upcoming ad series, nicknamed "iDoesn't," specifically targets the "iDevice" and will allegedly focus on all the features the iPhone doesn't have. The details Engadget sees are vague regarding the ads themselves but do mention that Verizon will keep branding to a minimum.
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10/14, 10:20pm
Developer has yet to receive response from Apple
HTC's upcoming HD2 smartphone has been spotted on T-Mobile internal documents, according to TmoNews. The recently announced handset, marking HTC's latest flagship, will ship with Windows Mobile 6.5 and a capacitive 800x480 touchscreen. Internally, the device sports a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 448MB of RAM, and 7.2Mb/s HSPA connectivity.
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10/12, 2:10pm
T-Mobile lets Sidekick user drop contract
(Update #2 with T-Mobile plans) T-Mobile may let Sidekick owners affected by the permanent data loss drop their contracts and move to other phones, one subscriber says today. At least one customer reports to Gizmodo that he has been offered an early exit from his contract as well as having the option of buying a T-Mobile G1 for the same $130 price new or eligible customers would pay. BlackBerries and other smartphone-class devices have also been made options.
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10/12, 11:25am
Four touchscreen phones hit Vodafone UK
Vodafone UK today added three touchscreen smartphones to its roster that in most cases represent world premieres. The Sony Ericsson Satio is now finally shipping after having been detailed in May and is the handset designer's first Symbian S60 smartphone; besides full third-party app support, it's considered a high-end media phone with a 12-megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, GPS and Wi-Fi. For Sony Ericsson, the phone is a symbolic first as one of its first major devices to use microSDHC cards instead of Memory Stick Micro for storage.
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10/09, 2:20pm
O2 UK to carry HD2 in under two weeks
O2 UK has reportedly begun telling customers to expect the HTC HD2 in just over a week. The carrier expects the phone to be available on October 19th, or significantly ahead of HTC's official end-of-month target for the phone. Other carriers have yet to describe their own plans, though T-Mobile is also believed to be picking up the Windows Mobile 6.5 phone in the near future.
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10/09, 12:55pm
Telus' HSPA date, phone lineup leaked
Telus' imminent HSPA 3G network has received what should be a more definitive launch date as well as its initial phone lineup. Multiple reports from insiders in HowardForums have staffers training to be ready on or before November 3rd for the new network. The preparation window would have the HSPA deploy at its earliest opportunity and may give a specific timeframe for the announced November iPhone launch on the Canadian network.
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10/08, 11:00am
JD Power says iPhone tops, hurts normal phones
The iPhone today claimed an even larger edge in satisfaction versus its rivals in JD Power's second phone satisfaction study of 2009. Apple's smartphone climbed ten points from an earlier score to 811 out of 1,000 while its closest rival, LG, managed just a four-point increase to 776. The two were the only smartphone designers to score above the industry average.
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10/08, 5:30am
HTC's latest multimedia-focused smartphone
Electronista at CTIA had a chance to handle HTC's Imagio, the company's upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone. The device is focused on multimedia features, while retaining the business capabilities of Microsoft's mobile software. The system also integrates HTC's own TouchFLO 3D interface, which utilizes the touch-based features available in the latest Windows Mobile OS.
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10/07, 3:25pm
HTC barely meets financial guidance
Smartphone maker HTC late Tuesday reported unexpectedly poor fiscal performance for its summer quarter. The company's profit dropped nearly 18 percent compared to a year ago and reached the equivalent of $179 million Its total revenue also fell more than 10 percent to about $1.06 billion and hit the exact minimum of HTC's already lowered guidance for the period.
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10/06, 4:20pm
HTC confirms HD2 for US in early 2010
HTC's CEO Peter Chou today said that his company's just-revealed HD2 should ultimately reach the US. He declined to say with which carrier, but the executive told SlashGear that it would first show in early 2010, or a few months after the European release. Most other details are also likely to wait until next year.
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10/06, 2:00pm
HTC Desire and Moto Droid seen in shot
Verizon today inadvertently confirmed two of its planned Android phones in an image attached to its news of the event. The photo shows Google chief Eric Schmidt holding a previously unseen phone that represents the largely mysterious HTC Desire. It moreover reveals that the phone is likely a cosmetic redesign of the touchscreen-only Hero and that it will have the same Sense UI as the version found on other carriers.
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10/06, 12:10pm
HTC HD2 launches with Win Mobile 6.5
HTC on Tuesday used the kick-off for Windows Mobile 6.5 to launch its widely publicized new flagship smartphone. The HD2 is the first Windows Mobile phone ever to have a capacitive, multi-touch screen and can respond much more quickly and accurately to finger input than the resistive screens most Microsoft-based phones are forced to use. It additionally supports pinching, flicks and other gestures in many apps, making it the first Windows Mobile phone to support iPhone-like commands.
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10/06, 10:30am
Verizon and Google in Android pact
Google and Verizon this morning struck a deal to bring Android phones to the cell carirer's network. The two say they will "co-develop" multiple phones designed by third-party hardware makers and expect to start launching Android-based phones within the next several weeks. They also plan to include both Google- and Verizon-made apps on the phones in question.
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10/05, 4:50pm
Cell South lowers Hero price and adds plan
Cellular South began taking pre-orders for the HTC Hero along with a pair of moves to draw attention to its launch. The phone itself will cost just over half of Sprint's price at $100 versus the larger carrier's $180. Both Android device versions have the same features, including HTC's Sense UI, a 5-megapixel camera, 3G, GPS and Wi-Fi.
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