Android Smart phones

[Klaus]

Apple Goes After HTC In Lawsuit Over 20 iPhone Patents

by Erick Schonfeld on Mar 2, 2010


Apple is using its strong patent portfolio to fight iPhone competitors in court. Its latest target is HTC. Apple has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against the cell phone manufacturer. The suit involves “20 Apple patents related to the iPhone’s user interface, underlying architecture and hardware.”

Steve Jobs is quoted in a press release saying: “We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it. We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”

The lawsuit could be a way to go after Android, although Android is not mentioned in the press release. HTC manufactures some of the most successful Android handsets, from the first G1 up to the latest Nexus One. HTC’s touchscreen Android phones are the most similar to the iPhone. If that is the case, the lawsuit is a shot across Android’s bow and a warning to all Android manufacturers.

This is not the first time Apple has gone after a mobile phone competitor. It is involved in similar patent litigation with Nokia. That lawsuit is more about Apple trying to get Nokia to license its patents. And the HTC suit may have the same motivation.

Apple thinks it owns the concept of the touchscreen Web phone and it wants other cell phone makers to pay for copying the iPhone. Who will Apple sue next? Motorola? Palm? Research in Motion?

HTC probably makes the best phones currently. It's interesting that Apple didn't go after Google directly. HTC puts a upgraded UI onto it's android smart phones called "sense" that includes some pretty cool features (clock/contacts/home screen widgets) but nothing that I would see as a iPhone copy. The decision to finally release multi touch on Android was where I thought Apple was gonna freak.

[Klaus]

Interesting info on the Dell "Streak". I guess it would be a decent "couch" browser if it's under $199.

The Dell Streak has a massive 5 inch display, a front facing VGA camera, as well as a 5 megapixel camera on the back. It also comes with three capacitive Menu, Home, and Back buttons on the side, and a 30-pin dock connector. The dock will probably come later, after the release, but it would be nice if it came right in the box. That might be me asking for too much, though.

What seems to be the best news of the ad is that it looks like there will be a partnership with Amazon for the upcoming device. This means that the Kindle E-book reader, Amazon Mp3, Video Streams, and Store applications will all be available on the Streak. That’s good news, as AT&T can try to push this thing as a tablet, and not just a big phone, which is pretty much what it is.

[Klaus]

Actually, here is a tablet for under $100....

When we first spied Huawei's SmaKit S7 Android tablet, we were at CeBit and it was... well, non-functioning. Well Huawei's officially announced the tablet now, and we have to say that it looks just like every other Android tablet being hoisted upon the world these days, but it's got some nice features that make it worth a second gander. The 7-incher boasts an 800 x 480 pixel resolution, 720p playback, 3G connectivity, plus a dock with HDMI out, two USB 2.0 ports, and two microSDHC slots. The tablet, which runs the 1.6 version of the OS, will supposedly be available this summer, though we don't yet have any information about where it will be available or how much it will cost. We'll let you know as soon as we do -- but in the meantime, there's a video demo after the break.

[Ender]

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=6289

Since I have AT&T already, no need to switch to Tmobile for this phone anymore. I am going to an AT&T store within the next week to look at one and possibly pick it up. It depends on the cost of a plan.

[Klaus]

Wow I didn't know ATT was getting the N1 too. Thats pretty cool. I assume the plan will be the same as the chart I put above (same as iPhone) but I don't know anything about ATT. You might have to order one off the Google website I am not sure they are stocking the N1. It's Google experiment in selling directly to the consumer.

http://www.google.com/phone

[Ender]

Well, if I can get a lower plan for around $70/mo, I will probably do it. I will have to see what kind of plan they can do. I am not a crazy texter, so I don't need unlimited texts. And I really only need about 500 minutes per month.

But yeah, It looks like Google is selling them unlocked with a chip that is compatible to AT&T 3G network, so I am guessing that allows you to add service to it through AT&T somehow. I will have to ask them how that works.

[Klaus]

You should do a pooling plan with Naya (I will always call her that) save some cash.

Also, with Android you can tether your phone to a laptop for free using apps in the Marketplace - so you kinda get cheap internet tether (unlike the $30 or whatever ATT/Verizon wants to add it to a smartphone plan)

They will always try to fuck you on texting. Even with my "unlimited" data plan I pay for texting separately. However, if you can get a Google Voice invite (I am all out of invites) with GV on your phone you can text for free, which is pretty cool.

[Klaus]

Ok, I forgot Luke ATT did announce they will carry the HTC Desire in store. It is a Nexus 1 but with some improvements - I would see when it will be in stock.

Video:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertwebbe/4426732591/

[Klaus]

Anyone have Sprint? This is a bad ass and first 4G phone by HTC.

For those of you wondering where the Android-running HTC HD2 was, wonder no more. The HTC Supersonic on Sprint is real, and calling it a "megaphone" wouldn't be an overstatement. To start, it's rocking the Snapdragon QSD8650 1GHz CPU, which is a model above what you'll get on the Nexus One or HD2 (meaning that it probably has advances in speed and power consumption). The screen, like the HD2, is 4.3" and WVGA resolution. The device can take pictures at an amazing 8MP, and has a fill light for dark areas. And guess what...it has a FRONT-facing camera (yes, this is the first US handset to have a front-facing camera, presumably for video chat). Also very cool is that with a special adapter, the HTC EVO 4G will do HDMI out! Amazing.

[Klaus]

Also interesting to note is the Top 5 Android devices worldwide, by traffic:
Motorola Droid
HTC Dream
HTC Hero
HTC Magic
Motorola CLIQ
You also can’t ignore the consistent dominance of Apple and the iPhone. Android doesn’t seem to have bitten into the iPhone’s market share, but instead, has begun to join it in dominance. This is what I’ve suggested would happen all along, and its one of the main reasons I’m excited to see what the next version of the iPhone will bring us this year. After all, the innovations of one company lead to the innovations of all companies. Which lead to patent lawsuits.

http://phandroid.com/2010/03/25/andr...er-year-admob/