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It's your move, Android

Acer promises an Android handset in 2009, but CNET is tired of waiting.

Kent German Former senior managing editor / features
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
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Kent German
2 min read
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2009 was supposed to be the "year of Android." But we are now five months into 2009 and not a single new Android device has landed in the United States. And outside our borders, only the HTC Magic has arrived at carriers.

It all started at CES, when rumors abounded that a gallery of new Android devices would debut at the show. Yet, CES passed without a single Android announcement. So the focus shifted to the GSMA World Congress, but only the HTC Magic landed in Barcelona. Like a skipping record, the buzz then repeated itself for CTIA. But that show passed--you guessed it!--without any new Android models.

It's not that new handsets aren't coming; it's that they're taking so much time to get here. The FCC has certified the HTC Magic for T-Mobile USA, and Samsung and Motorola have models on their way. T-Mobile has promised more models this year, and other phone manufacturer companies are joining the chorus. The latest is Acer, which only joined the smartphone game in February. Reuters reported yesterday that an Acer exec promised an Android device by the end of the year.

Well, I've got news for you, Acer and others. I want less talk and more action. Promises are great, but as we pass into summer (or winter, depending on your hemisphere) I want to see a real handset actually go on sale. It's been seven months since the release of the G1, so the time has passed for something new and better. I'm concerned that Sprint is a member of the Open Handset Alliance, but also hedges on if it will ever offer an Android device.

I love Android's potential, but I'm impatient and I fear that if we have to wait much longer the gadget world will move on. We're getting the Palm Pre next month and a new iPhone should be on the way. It's now Android's turn to deliver the goods