So we’ve got eight phones total, three of which are known to physically exist (at least in prototype form) and one of which can be bought internationally and had in January (the Agora).
“Several Chinese handset distributors, including Shenzhen Qunphone Technology, have received trial versions of Android phone “Sciphone Dream G2,” reports 21st Century Business Herald. The dressed-down G1 is soliciting sales channels and may be released for RMB 1,200 (USD $174.59) or less within 10-15 days, said a Shenzhen Qunphone Technology employee surnamed is Li.”
So the G2 hasn’t made its November 28th release date, but we’re looking at a release this month. The Sciphone Dream G2 will be the first Chinese Android-powered phone to market, but early reports and reviews of the phone are less than favorable.
What most reviewers have neglected, but what was pointed out on the modmygphone.com’s forums, is that nothing stands between any given manufacturer adding a virtual keyboard to Android. So, if and when we see G2s emerging, we can guess that they’ll have some kind of software keyboard.
The new i6 smartphone will be coming in two versions, one that runs Google’s Android and the other that runs Windows Mobile 6.1. Both versions will be sporting a 2.8-inch 65k color LCD touchscreen and Marvell Monohans 624MHz processor. Other specifications include a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, microSD card slot integrated GPS and Wi-Fi.
With an Australian Android handset and several Chinese Android phones set for release towards the end of this year and into 2009, I think it’s safe to say we’re looking at an incredible increase in global Android market penetration, particularly in Asian markets.
The concurrent announcement from China Mobile that they will be opening a Chinese “app store” means that not only are Asian and other global markets likely to be flooded with homegrown handsets, but, at least in China, there will also be a telco support system and application distribution mechanism ready to roll when these devices hit the market.
For those of us waiting for an affordable, unlocked Android handset it’s looking like early 2009 will be the time to buy, pending CECT and other gray-market Chinese manufacturers coming up with something sooner.
If anyone has any information about Android running on the current breed of clone phones, please shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment.
“Bill Hughes, from the market research firm In-Stat, predicts in 2009 Google Android phones will have 17.1 million units sold which is almost twice the predicted amount of iPhones at 9.5 million - with the help of China.”
Frequent comparison of the iPhone and Android is a media favorite. Does the scale of Android’s impact make the iPhone a footnote?
“U.S.-ordered G1 handsets have been pouring into China illegally since October 26, and are currently selling for about RMB 3,999 (USD$585.04) in Beijing’s Zhongguancun”
Perhaps this kind of demand in China itself will kickstart third party manufacture of alternative Android platform handsets for the rest of us elsewhere?
“The development of a prototype Android phone has basically been completed. However, the launch of commercial products is unlikely to happen before the end of this year,” Ji Changxi, a senior vice president of TechFaith, told Interfax.
TechFaith manufactures a wide variety of GSM and CDMA “dual-sim” and smartphones. Per the Wikipedia entry, TechFaith posted over USD$140 million in revenues in 2007.
Here’s a list of manufacturers reportedly developing Android-powered handsets along with name of the phone, if known, and release dates:
From 
