The big announcement in the Android world this week was the official release of Motorola’s Droid on the Verizon network. The Droid is the first Android phone for Verizon, and the carrier is throwing a lot of advertising weight behind the launch. GigaOM has a Droid for review, so look for continued coverage of it here. The handset is almost as thin as the iPhone, but it brings a physical keyboard into the mix, something Apple’s handset lacks. The next version of Android, 2.0, is standard on the Droid, making it the first phone with the new OS. Continue »

The Android world is getting bigger all the time. After much speculation, Verizon this week confirmed the introduction of its first Android phone with a slick advertising campaign. The Verizon Droid, which is expected to be announced next week, will be made by Motorola. (The handset was previously dubbed the Sholes.) The ad campaign includes TV spots in the U.S. listing the various ways that the Droid is better than the iPhone. Based on press kits sent to the media, the Droid is expected to start shipping Nov. 9. Continue »

Android news is getting hotter every week, as the platform becomes poised to take off. This is due to new handsets being released now through the end of the year. And the ability to search across a phone’s content and the web for that desired nugget of information is a highly desirable feature for consumers. The latest version of Android addresses that craving by adding a universal Quick Search Box widget that facilitates searching across Apps, Contacts, Browser and Music. The widget can be put on the home screen, making universal search just a tap away. Continue »

There’s no question that Android is the hottest smartphone platform right now. Handsets running Android are being announced almost every day, and industry analyst Gartner projects phenomenal growth for the OS. Android, which currently claims a mere 2 percent of the smartphone market, will grab a smooth 14 percent of the market by 2012, Gartner predicts. This will see the operating system pass the BlackBerry and the hip iPhone in market share. Most of this share will be taken from Symbian, as Nokia continues to slide. Continue »

There was a lot of activity in the Android world this week. We got our hands on the latest Android phone, the HTC Hero, and it’s looking pretty darn nice. The Hero is coming soon to the Sprint network in the United States, and while it’s been available outside the U.S. for a while, the hardware has been changed for this version, most noticeably the removal of the “chin” found on the G1. A video of the Hero that demonstrates the HTC Sense interface as it runs on top of Android is available at jkOnTheRun. Continue »

It’s been quiet on the Android front this week, as the industry took a much-needed rest following the frenzy surrounding the unveiling of the Motorola Cliq phone earlier this month. The biggest news this week was a leak of some internal T-Mobile promotional materials that pegged the Cliq pre-orders to begin Oct. 19. T-Mobile is the U.S. carrier that will offer the Cliq to customers, apparently starting on that date. There is no official word on when the Cliq will actually start shipping, but Motorola has repeatedly said it will happen before the holidays.

Plus, a Chinese PMP maker has a teaser for what appears to be an Android mobile Internet device to be announced this week. The Ramos Digital MID looks to be the same MID that had previously appeared as a concept by chipmaker Rockchip, and it’s expected to support HD video playing. This would be the first non-phone device running Android — and likely the first of many.

The Android train keeps slowly picking up steam, and Verizon could be getting onboard soon, if rumors are to be believed. While T-Mobile is the primary Android carrier in the U.S., industry observers have been speculating for some time that Verizon would pick up at least one Android-based handset for its network. A rumor popped up this week that “Big Red” is set to release an Android phone in just a few weeks.  The mystery phone is supposedly from Motorola, which just recently launched its own first Android smartphone. Continue »