Android Phones Delayed

CommanderData writes "PC World reports that Google's Android phone rollout is facing delays. Originally expected to have handsets on the market and in consumers' hands this summer, it appears that Q4 2008 or even sometime in 2009 is more likely. Software developers are also complaining that programming is difficult on the Android platform due to regular changes being made by Google." Update 21:14 GMT by SM: Google has (via Google Watch) refuted widespread claims that Android will be late, so I guess only time will tell.

Not really

[Kamokazi]

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10419263/1/google-android-phones-coming-this-year.html [thestreet.com]

PC World is reporting old news. Q4 08 has been the target for a while now.

Google denies rumors...

[ivan256]

Google says Android delay is a rumor, launch on target for 2008 [google.com]

Didn't stop the usual attention grabbers from writing knee-jerk I Told You So articles [google.com] though...

This report is inacurate!

[Anonymous Coward]

This report at PCWorld and WSJ today are *inaccurate*. Google always said that the "second part of 2008" will be the time that the first Android phone will get released, and now these guys are writing article saying that "Q4 2008" is late??? It's right up with the schedule if you ask me! Engadget also wrote about how these articles are either mischievous or simply wrong.

Original Wall Street Journal Article

[xmas2003]

Here's the WSJ article [wsj.com] that is the source for the PC world writeup ...

Re:This report is inacurate!

[0100010001010011]

July 1 also counts as "Second Half" of 2008. I'm not shocked, maybe some people were hoping for more from Google.

And only for one carrier

[Anonymous Coward]

Only one carrier is currently planning on supporting Android phones, anyway: T-Mobile. (Otherwise known as the most open cell carrier in the US market anyway.)

Sprint deserves a dishonorable mention at this point, because while Sprint is a MEMBER of the "Android Alliance" they currently have NO plans to allow Android phones on their network, 2008 or 2009. Plus they're Sprint and they'll "fire" customers over attempting to use the features they were sold, so even if they did offer Android phones, don't expect to be allowed to actually use them.

Incidentally, the original post is mis-credited

[ivan256]

The Wall Street Journal reported the delay. PC World merely parroted the report with Slashdotian flourish.

spin being spun

[trybywrench]

FTA "Google has said since it unveiled Android Nov. 1 that there would be phones based on the OS in the second half of 2008. The Wall Street Journal, citing Google as a source, is reporting that the Android handsets "won't arrive until the fourth quarter."

Confused, I asked Google for clarification. Will the Android phones be delayed as the WSJ reported? The answer was a resounding, "no."

"We remain on schedule to deliver the first Android-based handset in the second half of 2008 and we're very excited to see the momentum continuing to build behind the Android platform among carriers, handset manufacturers, developers and consumers," a Google spokesperson told me today."

um 4th qtr '08 is still "second half of '08" *head asplodes*

Re:Google Andriod is about to be hit by a steamrol

[Anonymous Coward]

Have you ever worked with Qtopia Phone Edtition? I bet some of your attitudes would change. While QT is a fairly nice set of APIs everything in the phone edition seems like it's been designed with only one platform in mind (The Greenphone) and porting it to a different set of hardware is horrible without breaking APIs.

Re:New Paradigm For Them

[iznogud]

The FOSS guys say "release early release often"

Well, it's good to "release early release often" when you're writing code for existing device (read: PC or some other common hardware). It's totally different game when you're trying to lure hardware developers to make hardware for your platform, while changing that platform on weekly basis.

I don't have doubt that Google is full of very smart people that wants to build the best platform possible, but they need to put their act together and understand simple fact - they can't put everything in release 1.0, and that "beta" tag can't linger in the same way like on gmail or gnews. Different market, different rules.

BTW, I have high hopes for Android. I very don't like the way Apple made the app store for iPhone, I found almost offending the fact that Apple can simply ban any software that they don't like or considers competitive. Windows Mobile and Symbian simply aren't in the same league as iPhone, so for me it's iPhone or... Android.