Hasta La Gadget!

There’s not really a heck of a lot to back this one up–Gizmodo got a tip from “someone who (quite convincingly!) claims to work for B&N developing mobile apps.” According to the source, the forthcoming Barns and Noble-branded e-book reader will be running Google’s Android OS.

Real or not, it definitely seems like a sound idea–and a step in the right direction given the sub-par operating systems employed by readers like the Amazon Kindle. Of course, even with Android employed, the manufacturer could ultimately strip some features from the device. Still, even with some features crippled, this could be a step in the right direction toward next generation devices.

Sure, Android is a brand new operating system at a seemingly huge disadvantage to other, more entrenched household names like Windows Mobile or Symbian. Well, all that could change — at least according to research just released by Gartner, Inc. The company’s report claims that Android could claim upwards of 14 percent of the global mobile operating system share by 2012 (it now has less than 2 percent). This would make it the number two (behind Symbian OS) phone OS in the world. The main factors behind this surge, according to Gartner’s report, are the fact that Android is a Google-backed proposition, a company which will continue to offer more cloud-computing services and apps which will increasingly draw users into its web. They also note Android’s “blend” of app heaviness (making it like the iPhone) combined with the task-mastering of Windows Mobile and BlackBerry smartphones. We’ll let you know when Grandma Elly has a Sholes — that’s the real test of success and popularity in our world.

Filed under: Cellphones

Android could nab second place in mobile operating systems by 2012, says research originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint and Samsung on Wednesday announced the Android-powered Moment, Samsung’s second U.S. Android phone after the Behold II. The Moment is a QWERTY slider and features an 800-MHz processor and an AMOLED 3.2-inch touch screen with 320-by-480-pixel resolution. The device also has Wi-Fi, a 3.2-megapixel camera with video capture, GPS, and stereo Bluetooth. For memory, a 2GB microSD card will be included with the unit, and it supports up to a 32GB card.

The device will be available Nov. 1 for $179.99 with a two-year contract after $50 instant savings and a $100 mail-in rebate. Customers can pre-order the device on Sprint’s Web site.

The unit is the second Android phone to appear on Sprint, after the HTC Hero, which we consider the best Android phone available at the moment. With their respective specs, it’s entirely possible the Behold II or the Moment could take over that crown later this year.

We really don’t need any more convincing that the Sholes is real, but what about the Torch? Oh, you don’t remember that one? Yeah, we had to look it up to refresh our memory — turns out this was the rumored market name for the Inferno, a touchscreen featurephone Moto apparently had in the works to replace the Krave on Verizon. The company has just published press shots of the battery covers of both the Sholes and the Torch — those are the names Motorola is using, though it’s not uncommon for them to refer to press shots by codename, so we wouldn’t make much of it — so if we had to guess, the Torch is still alive. Also notable is the fact that they’re showing two versions of the Sholes’ cover, one with a Verizon logo and one without, so this is a strong indicator that there’ll be a second model — most likely for overseas GSM markets. Or, you know, an unlocked US 3G version. Dare to dream, right?

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Motorola Sholes and Torch battery covers unearthed (hey, it’s something) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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