This is quite an interesting news indeed. It looks like the second android phone will not be coming from China but in the land down under instead. That's right folks, straight from Australia we have the second Android-powered phone dubbed the Kogan Agora Pro. Although, we might think that Australia is a most unlikely place for a highly-regarded mobile phone series to come from, fortunately, the Kogan Agora Android phone would not be failing those who are anticipating the next Android phone to be available in the market.

 

The Agora Android phone is by all means a feature-rich and power-packed mobile device boasting of a full QWERTY keyboard, central navigation key, a 2.5-inch touchscreen, microSD slot and 3G connectivity.

 

Since it will be powered by Google's Android mobile OS, the Agora phone will have some nifty preloaded Google applications including, Search, Calendar, Maps, Gtalk and YouTube.

 

For its key features the Agora Android phone will have a 2.5-inch TFT LCD flat touch-sensitive screen, integrated QWERTY keyboard, high-speed 3G network connection, one-touch Google search, easy web browsing, email attachment support for images, videos, music, and documents, customizable home screen with instant email, text message and IM notifications, instant access to mobile internet services, music player, Wi-Fi, GPS navigation, and 2.0 megapixel camera.

 

Other specs include, keyboard backlighting, built-in microphone and speaker, headphone jack, MIDI, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, PCM ring tone formats, MPEG2 H263, H264, MPEG4 and AVI video support. This mobile phone gives out up to 400 minutes of talk time and 300 hours of standby time.

 

Kogan will be releasing two versions of the Agora phone, the lower end model will retail for AU$299 and the Agora Pro will retail for AU$399. Pre-orders are being accepted right now at the Kogan site. And the good news is, the company will be shipping internationally as soon as the Agora phone becomes available by January 29, 2009.

 

 

 https://www.G1-Forum.com

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fourteen of the world's largest mobile phone and chip makers, including Sony Ericsson, Vodafone Group Plc and ARM Holdings Plc, joined the Open Handset Alliance on Tuesday to support the Android mobile device platform developed by Google Inc .

 

The new members' pledge to back the Android software is a significant feat for Google in the mobile phone industry, as its T-Mobile G1 phone takes on rival Apple Inc popular iPhone 3G.

 

But despite the big-name additions to the Open Handset Alliance, analysts say what matters is whether the new members introduce more Android-supported smartphones in 2009 and 2010 to compete with rivals such as Symbian, used by Nokia.

 

"It's great to get these folks on board...now (the Open Handset Alliance) has to make sure these licenses actually ship products," said research firm Jupitermedia's vice president of mobile strategy, Michael Gartenberg.

 

The first company of the fourteen new members set to introduce a mobile device that uses the Android operating system is Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Japan's Sony Corp and Sweden's Ericsson. Ericsson said on Tuesday it plans to introduce the Android-supported platforms in mid-2009.

 

"Android is set to become a significant application framework for mobile phones," Ericsson's head of mobile platforms, Robert Puskaric, said in a statement.

 

The Open Handset Alliance said on Tuesday that each of its members commits to developing applications and services for mobile phones and handsets using the Android platform or designing Android-compatible mobile devices.

 

Taiwan's Asustek Computer Inc, Toshiba Corp and Garmin Ltd also pledged their support, bringing the total number of companies in the Open Handset Alliance to 47, the Alliance said. These companies join earlier members of the Alliance, such as the world's biggest chip maker Intel Corp and mobile phone makers Motorola Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.

 

Both Google and Apple have wooed developers to create applications for their mobile devices, but Apple keeps a tight grip on the iPhone's hardware and operating software. Google's Android is open to being changed by outside developers.

 

The addition of new members to the Open Handset Alliance gives Google-developed Android more heft in the battle over who will dominate the mobile phone software market in coming years. Android's biggest competitor is Symbian, which controls half of the market and was acquired by Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, earlier this month.

 

Nokia contributes Symbian's assets to a not-for-profit organization similar to the Open Handset Alliance, the Symbian Foundation. Members of the Symbian Foundation have royalty-free access to Symbian's software.

 

So far, 64 companies have said they plan to join the Symbian Foundation, including Japan's third-largest wireless carrier, Softbank .

 

Android also competes with Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, which has been gaining ground.

 

With a range of companies jumping into the Alliance, such as portable navigation device maker Garmin Ltd, Android has the potential to be featured on devices other than mobile phones. Each mobile phone maker also can modify the Android open source software, which leaves the opportunity open for many future mobile phones.

 

"What's fascinating about Android is it's this malleable thing. As these phones come out from other carriers it looks and operates differently," said Greg Sterling, a Web analyst with Sterling Market Intelligence. He added, "It seems more people will jump on the bandwagon."

 

San Francisco-based company said Android users will be able to receive near real-time alerts about transactions via their mobile devices. Customers will also be able to use location-based mapping technology to find ATM machines and nearby stores.

 

The announcement came two days after T-Mobile unveiled its G1 phone, the first handset to feature Google's technology. The T-Mobile G1 is schedule to arrive in U.S. stores Oct. 22.

 

"By developing these mobile services for the Android platform, Visa has taken a major step toward achieving our goal of combining two of the world's most powerful and ubiquitous consumer innovations, electronic payments and mobile technology," said Elizabeth Buse, Global Head of Product at Visa. "U.S. consumers will, for the first time, be able to download Visa mobile service applications directly to their handsets."

 

The software will be available to U.S. consumers by the end of the year, starting with Chase Visa cardholders. Visa is also developing payment software to let consumers make mobile payments in stores.

 

 

 

Enjoy music videos, films and streaming like you never thought possible on a mobile device. Experience internet browsing so exhilarating... it feels like you never left your laptop at home. It's all delivered to you on a pixel-packed 3.8" WVGA screen and seamlessly tied together with touch-responsive TouchFLOTM 3D.

The ultrafast 3.5G technology lets you surf and download at true broadband speeds. On HSDPA networks, the Touch HDTM delivers downlink speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps - there is no need to slow down while you work or play.

The newly added Stock tab keeps you informed of the latest stock quotes, while the connected Home screen puts e-mail, messages and calendar only a finger-stroke away.

Get directions, view satellite maps and find your location using Google Maps. The maps are bigger and crisper thanks to the expansive screen. Tap the onscreen controls to zoom in and view more detail. This is navigation taken to a whole new level.

Highlights

3.8-inch wide, WVGA (480 X 800 pixel) display offering a cinema experience on the go

Vibrant TouchFLOTM 3D user interface, responding perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web, and launching media

Surf and download at broadband speed with HSDPA internet connectivity

Google Maps enhanced by the wide screen viewing platform

5 megapixel camera for quality stills and video

3.5 mm audio jack makes the Touch HDTM compatible with the majority of audio equipment available

 

As expected, HTC officially took the wraps off the HTC Touch Diamond at a press conference in London Tuesday and great googly moogly, does this thing look hot! Not only does it look sexy from the outside with its sleek, black casing, but the Touch Diamond also features a revamped TouchFlo 3D interface that gives you a more animated and easier way to access your contacts, messages, and other content. You can do all this via the Diamond's gorgeous 2.8-inch, 680x480 VGA (yes, that's right, VGA) touch screen; plus, there's a new touch-sensitive control below the display to help you out.

 

The Touch Diamond is a lot more than just looks, though. The quad-band smartphone runs Windows Mobile 6.1 and has integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, and HSDPA support. HTC also noted that it will ship the Touch Diamond with a customized mobile Web browser that provides an optimized view of pages and lets you zoom and pan sites with one hand. In addition, the page orientation will automatically go from portrait to landscape mode when you turn the device sideways (hmm, sounds familiar. *cough, iPhone, cough, cough*) Other goodies include a 3.2-megapixel camera, 4GB internal storage, 256MB flash memory, and 192MB RAM.

 

The HTC Touch Diamond will start shipping in European markets this June, and then later in the quarter for Asia and the Middle East. As for us, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that we're actually getting our own version but unfortunately, we, as well as Latin American markets, will have to wait till the second half of 2008. Now, while the Touch Diamond certainly looks like a gem (sorry, had to do it), we're hoping it's more than just flash. And we couldn't help but be reminded of a similar-looking smartphone from Velocity Mobile. Mmm hmm, things just got interesting. Check out CNET UK's hands-on examination and our photo gallery of the HTC Touch Diamond.