Which good Android device to get, available in the USA?

[harisund]

Hello guys

First off, let me be clear. I am NOT looking for a phone. I am looking for an iPod Touch equivalent. And while there seem to be a plethora of "Android tablets" all of them are either not polished enough, not available in the US or some cheap toy with Android 1.6 or something like that.

So .. here are my requirements -
-> A tablet, atleast the iPod Touch size. That would make it nicely pocketable.
-> Wifi connectivity, obviously, with also the ability to tether to my Nokia phone over bluetooth (my jailbroken Touch does this by the way)
-> A hardware keyboard would be nice. But entirely touchscreen is also ok.
-> Something that runs 2.2 / Froyo. Or atleast has the capability to be installed.
-> Should run Google's Android, not some custom modified Android.
-> I should be able to order one in the US, or atleast, worst case, ship it to the States.

Any suggestions? I know a lot of suggestions are going to be along the lines of "buy a unlocked phone and use it as a tablet", but then I will be paying a LOT more. I don't want to be paying for a GSM chip capability when I know I won't be using it.

 

[jon2jon]

i think your best bet will be the new samsung galaxy player 50 its basically an android version of ipod touch. i haven't found a whole lot of information (just read about it recently) but i think its being released in korea soon. unsure of us release date
Samsung Galaxy Player 50 - Samsung Galaxy Player 50 portable media player
http://liliputing.com/tag/samsung-yp-mb2

 

[SoFLO]

Hm I'm not sure of anything available now but this is suppose to be available in the US by October: Philips GoGear Connect is a legitimate Android-based iPod touch competitor (updated) -- Engadget

 

[harisund]

Just as I expected, both are not available yet

Oh well. Got to keep waiting I guess.

 

[Thefoodman52]

You can GET an Android phone and just leave it deactivated... they all have WiFi and Bluetooth.

 

[MonmouthDroid]

Android media players and tablets are still in their infancy. there is no product available to purchase today that meets all your requirements. Honestly, IMO, Android is not the best choice for a media player, as it has very limitted support for DRM music and video formats. While I don't like DRM it is a fact of life that older music and many modern videos use it. IMO an iPod Touch or Zune HD is a better choice as a media player. If you want it more as a PDA with limited music and video playback, Android is the better choice though.

Android=Productivity
iPod Touch=Entertainment

 

[substring]

@harisund, if you are looking for an iPod Touch equivalent, the Samsung Fascinate on Verizon might be the closest. It has the same look-n-feel of the iPhone, with a lot more.

 

[harisund]

Is it possible to get the device unlocked? As in, without having to pay Verizon ?

 

[mrspeedmaster]

Get a Galaxy S Captivate. Don't get any CDMA phone because it will just be a brick overseas. With a Captivate, you can at least re-coup some of your cost if you try to sell it abroad. You can unlock them easy or just use it as a PMP. It has the best media player on Android and supports a wide range of codecs.

 

[Eugene]

Android media players and tablets are still in their infancy. there is no product available to purchase today that meets all your requirements. Honestly, IMO, Android is not the best choice for a media player, as it has very limitted support for DRM music and video formats. While I don't like DRM it is a fact of life that older music and many modern videos use it. IMO an iPod Touch or Zune HD is a better choice as a media player. If you want it more as a PDA with limited music and video playback, Android is the better choice though.

Android=Productivity
iPod Touch=Entertainment

old music has DRM? mp3's have been around for over 10 years and no drm, no older music had drm.
an ipod touch or zune are not good choices either, both lock you into their crappy drm based software.
There are several android choices coming due to be out this Christmas season.

 

[captivateuser21]

samsung captivate!