Android Atlas

Sony Ericsson says thanks but no thanks to Google Nexus One

Who says no to Google? Apparently, Sony Ericsson.

In an interview with Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan, Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg revealed that Google first approached his company to build the Nexus One smartphone but it turned the opportunity down, making way for HTC to produce it.

Berg said Sony Ericsson wants to release phones under its own brand only and prefers to rely on its own efforts to make it in the U.S. market. Now, we can certainly admire the company's determination, but come on, Sony Ericsson, there's a time when you have to put your pride … Read more

Motorola Backflip to land at AT&T March 7

We can't say this was a complete surprise, but AT&T made it official and revealed that its first Google Android smartphone, the Motorola Backflip, will be available starting March 7 for a rather attractive price of $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

First making its debut at CES 2010 and also our Best of CES winner in the cell phones and smartphones category, the Backflip features Motoblur software and a rather unique design.

The flip phone opens up like a book. Behind the 3.1-inch touch screen you'll find something … Read more

NPR News now streaming shows on Android

If you follow National Public Radio News on your Android phone, head into the Market to update the latest version. Why? Two words: live streaming.

Starting Tuesday, NPR News 1.2 became available in the Android Market, and it opens the app up to a feature that had been sorely missing--the capability to stream a show live. You can also stream shows on-demand. That means no more waiting for the show to finish before playing it on-demand, or trying to access the show from NPR.com.

The number of live streams available at a given moment shows up as a … Read more

LG shows GT540 Android phone in Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain--You might say that LG had a quiet Mobile World Congress--it didn't announce new handsets and it didn't have a presence on the show floor--but the manufacturer didn't skip Barcelona entirely. In the modern setting of Barcelona's Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, the company showed two handsets, the Mini GD880 and the Google-Android powered GT540.

The Mini GD880 takes minimalism to an extreme. Sharp and angles and straight lines predominate and the bright 3.2-inch display takes almost the whole phone. Features include a 5-megapixel camera, e-mail, integration with social networking services, a full … Read more

Motorola reveals Android update schedule

Finally, Motorola has told us when exactly it'll be releasing software upgrades to its Android phones. Well, sort of. We would appreciate a more specific date than just "Q1" and "Q2," and three of the phone upgrades are still "under evaluation." But at least it's something. Here's the breakdown:

Phone Model Timeline DROID by Motorola (USA) The DROID by Motorola over-the-air software upgrade is expected to roll out soon MILESTONE (Europe) Upgrade to Android 2.1 planned for Q1 2010 MILESTONE (Latin America) Upgrade under evaluation MILESTONE (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade under evaluation … Read more

A closer look at the Cliq XT

BARCELONA, Spain--Motorola made just one handset announcement at Mobile World Congress, but the new Cliq XT is holding its own. Also called the Quench in Europe--we don't know where Moto came up with that one--the Cliq XT offers a functional feature set and an intuitive design. The handset runs Google Android 1.5 (couldn't Moto at least given us 1.6?) and MotoBlur.

Though it's related to the existing Cliq, the Cliq XT is hardly an identical twin. As it lacks a physical keyboard, the XT is much thinner and it sports a relatively drab gray skin. … Read more

HTC: Hero, Droid Eris getting Android 2.1 update

BARCELONA, Spain--In addition to introducing two new Android phones, HTC revealed on Tuesday that it will release an Android 2.1 update for the HTC Droid Eris as well as the Sprint and GSM versions of the HTC Hero.

The company said the devices should be getting most of the features of Android 2.1 as well as the enhanced HTC Sense user experience that was announced today. However, it will ultimately be up to the carriers to determine which features make it onto the device. Unfortunately, HTC did not give any time frame for when the update might be … Read more

Samsung Wave, T-Mobile Pulse Mini headed for Europe

BARCELONA, Spain--The ink is barely dry on the Samsung Wave announcement, but T-Mobile already is stepping in to distribute the device in several European markets. In addition to the Wave at Mobile World Congress the carrier also introduced the T-Mobile Pulse Mini.

Remember that the Wave is the first handset to feature Sammy's new Bada OS. CNET's Bonnie Cha handled the phone shortly after the announcement two days ago. Though she liked the brilliant display and features of the Windows Mobile handset, she's not so sure about Bada. Yet, customers across Europe will have the opportunity to … Read more

T-Mobile exec talks Nexus One issues, Android OS updates

BARCELONA, Spain--During a press conference at Mobile World Congress, T-Mobile CTO said that the Google-only sales model for the Nexus One was a challenge. In response to a CNET question on whether the carrier would expand the model, T-Mobile USA Cole Brodman said that the experience was a "test case" and that "we could have done things better."

Unlike most cell phones, Google is the sole retailer for HTC's Nexus One, even if a customer buys it with a T-Mobile contract. Though notable because it took so much power away from the carrier, the sales … Read more