Hasta La Gadget!

How well is Google’s Android OS holding up in the smartphone battles? According to recent numbers from research group NPD, the operating system topped the iPhone in sales for the first quarter of the year, coming in second only to BlackBerry in the US.

If you need some more concrete numbers, how about this one: According to Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, more than 65,000 Android handsets are shipped every day. Schmidt revealed the number during a shareholder meeting in Mountain View yesterday. “It looks like Android is going to be either the number one or number two player,” the executive told the crowd.

Schmidt also suggested that his estimate “might be quite low,” according to “the blogosphere.” At present, there are 34 different smartphones running the OS in 49 countries.

In a bid to increase the reach of its 4G network, Verizon Wireless is in talks with rural phone companies to lease access to its wireless spectrum, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal said that move is somewhat odd since wireless companies typically guard access to pricey and scarce spectrum, but CEO Lowell McAdam reportedly said that the move will help the company’s 4G deployment.

The Federal Communications Commission applauded the move.

“Bringing the benefits of mobile broadband to rural America is one the Commissions top priorities. The news of Verizon Wireles plan to partner with rural providers to accelerate investment in 4G networks is very encouraging,” Chairman Julius Genachowski and Commissioner Meredith A. Baker said in a joint statement. “Seamless universal connectivity is essential to economic growth and world-class technology leadership. We look forward to learning more about Verizon Wireless initiative, its successful implementation, and other examples of industry-led innovation.”

Verizon spent $9.4 billion on 109 licenses in the 2008 700 MHz spectrum auction. It has been working on the build-out of its 4G LTE network, and announced this week that 4G trials in Boston and Seattle indicate the network is capable of average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.

Sprint on Wednesday announced pricing and availability for the hotly anticipated HTC Evo 4G. The phone will be available June 4 for $199.99 with a 2-year contract. Much is already known about the Evo 4G, the first 4G-capable phone released in the U.S., but these two details indicate the phone will go head-to-head with the next Apple iPhone.

A new iPhone is expected sometime in June; if history is any guide, the base model will likely sell for $199.99. PCMag mobile analyst Sascha Segan predicts it will be called the iPhone HD and will place an emphasis on recording and sharing HD video. Because the phone won’t be on a 4G network, it is unlikely Apple will call the device the iPhone 4G, a name that has been widely circulated because it will be the fourth generation.

The HTC Evo 4G is a monster when it comes to hardware specs and a giant when it comes to software. The device will include a 4.3-inch LCD screen, a 1-GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8-megapixel camera on the back, and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front. The phone will run Android 2.1 software with HTC’s Sense UI, a similar setup that we saw (and liked) with the HTC Droid Incredible. A full hands-on with the phone can be found here.

Sprint also announced that the Evo 4G will be the first device that will be able to stream YouTube videos in high quality mode. During an event in New York, Sprint showed off the Evo next to a Motorola Droid, which can only stream YouTube videos in standard quality, and the difference was stark–the Evo’s high quality stream looked bigger, brighter, and bolder.

Look out for a full review of the HTC Evo 4G on PCMag.com closer to the phone’s release date.