Google Announces 18 New Android Mobile Phones
At the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco on May 27, Google's senior director for mobile platforms Andy Rubin made it public that many new Google phones are expected to appear by end of 2009.
According to an article in the New York Times, Google has a direct scoop on 18 new Android-based mobile phones hitting the market by end of this year, with the number perhaps as high as 20. Four or five of these devices should be real Google phones, that is, they'll have the logo and work with Gmail and other services, such as the G1 from T-Mobile.
A majority of the anticipated phones (12 to 14, according to Rubin) subscribe to Google's "small strings" option whereby manufacturers can load Android for free into their devices, but also agree to include Google applications on them. Another five or six vendors subscribe to the "bigger strings" option where devices need to carry the Google logo, but which includes a "no censorship" clause to protect other Android applications developed on them (no matter the risk involved). The third option is "obligation-free," where the devices have no preloaded Google applications, an environment in which Google has less control and where it is harder to predict how many devices of this type will hit the market.
Altogether eight to nine manufacturers will be producing these devices. Most of the devices should appear in Europe, according to Rubin. It seems carriers and makers in the U.S. want to produce relatively fewer but more highly distinctive Android mobile phones to give themselves a competitive edge.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.