Samsung might be building a Gingerbread phone, but a new Nexus is a different matter.
Yeah yeah yeah, Schmidt said they're not building a new Nexus, but that's not really true. Google must always have one Android Developers Phone, and the ADPs must reflect the progress of mobile technology.
The first ADP or ADP1 is the G1 Dream.
The second ADP or ADP2 is the Google Ion. It is better known as the HTC Magic and MyTouch 3G.
The third ADP or ADP3 is the Nexus One.
Its time for a fourth ADP.
The ADPs are meant for developers for testing and debugging Android apps on the field. Its not meant as a phone to rack up sales. So prettiness, body build and other consumer qualities are not important. It must instead be referential, a prototype or reference to all other new Android phones.
One requirement of an ADP is that all the components must be standard and obtained freely in the market so anyone can make a phone.
The Galaxy S has one problem with that---the Hummingbird is proprietary. Running Android apps written in Java is no problem with it, but what about native extensions or apps that were written natively (Firefox Mobile, Opera Mobile, Angry Birds are some examples). Native apps have to be tested against the hardware and its GPU. I don't have problems with Angry Birds and Firefox against the Galaxy S Hummingbird but you cannot be lucky the next time. If you code around a processor sets of bugs (called errata), you don't know if that will trip on another processor.
So to make it simple, a new generation ADP has either to use a Qualcomm (first choice) or Texas Instruments OMAP (second choice). HTC usually champions Qualcomm and Motorola with OMAP.
If Samsung makes the next ADP for Google, one of which must happen. The phone must use either a Qualcomm or TI chip. Or, the Hummingbird stops being proprietary and sold to the open market.
Based on historical patterns and my common sense, I believe the next Nexus or ADP has to use the Qualcomm 8255 which is the new generation of Snapdragon. I am likely to believe the next Nexus or ADP4 would spring out of the loins of the MyTouch 4G which has this chip.
Its also possible that the G2 may get an unlocked version with more 3G bands to so it can sold/given globally to Android developers. This uses the new generation Qualcomm 7230 Snapdragon which can bear reference to a new series of mid to high end Androids.
A little piece of interesting information. The Huawei Ideos is yet another one of those Androids that Google had some intervention and assistance with its design. The last time we had such an effort it was the Motorola Droid. It seems to reflect Google's vision of a low end Android (note design similarities to the Magic and the Nexus One like location of the return and home buttons). But that's not all. Huawei appears to have high end Androids with the Qualcomm 8255 and sporting stock Froyo interfaces, still using the Ideos branding. A Chinese Nexus perhaps? Or a dark horse contender for a new ADP?
Yeah yeah yeah, Schmidt said they're not building a new Nexus, but that's not really true. Google must always have one Android Developers Phone, and the ADPs must reflect the progress of mobile technology.
The first ADP or ADP1 is the G1 Dream.
The second ADP or ADP2 is the Google Ion. It is better known as the HTC Magic and MyTouch 3G.
The third ADP or ADP3 is the Nexus One.
Its time for a fourth ADP.
The ADPs are meant for developers for testing and debugging Android apps on the field. Its not meant as a phone to rack up sales. So prettiness, body build and other consumer qualities are not important. It must instead be referential, a prototype or reference to all other new Android phones.
One requirement of an ADP is that all the components must be standard and obtained freely in the market so anyone can make a phone.
The Galaxy S has one problem with that---the Hummingbird is proprietary. Running Android apps written in Java is no problem with it, but what about native extensions or apps that were written natively (Firefox Mobile, Opera Mobile, Angry Birds are some examples). Native apps have to be tested against the hardware and its GPU. I don't have problems with Angry Birds and Firefox against the Galaxy S Hummingbird but you cannot be lucky the next time. If you code around a processor sets of bugs (called errata), you don't know if that will trip on another processor.
So to make it simple, a new generation ADP has either to use a Qualcomm (first choice) or Texas Instruments OMAP (second choice). HTC usually champions Qualcomm and Motorola with OMAP.
If Samsung makes the next ADP for Google, one of which must happen. The phone must use either a Qualcomm or TI chip. Or, the Hummingbird stops being proprietary and sold to the open market.
Based on historical patterns and my common sense, I believe the next Nexus or ADP has to use the Qualcomm 8255 which is the new generation of Snapdragon. I am likely to believe the next Nexus or ADP4 would spring out of the loins of the MyTouch 4G which has this chip.
Its also possible that the G2 may get an unlocked version with more 3G bands to so it can sold/given globally to Android developers. This uses the new generation Qualcomm 7230 Snapdragon which can bear reference to a new series of mid to high end Androids.
A little piece of interesting information. The Huawei Ideos is yet another one of those Androids that Google had some intervention and assistance with its design. The last time we had such an effort it was the Motorola Droid. It seems to reflect Google's vision of a low end Android (note design similarities to the Magic and the Nexus One like location of the return and home buttons). But that's not all. Huawei appears to have high end Androids with the Qualcomm 8255 and sporting stock Froyo interfaces, still using the Ideos branding. A Chinese Nexus perhaps? Or a dark horse contender for a new ADP?
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