How dominant was Android last week at CTIA? As you can see in the picture above, it drove our pal CrackBerry Kevin to violence. Indeed, our favorite operating system was front and center in Las Vegas last week, with a few major device announcements, and more great software on tap. After the break, we recap what we saw, and what’s still ahead.
Samsung Galaxy S
Let’s start with the first major device announcement. Samsung Mobile president J.K. Shin teased it at the end of the Day 1 keynote address, then sent us all scrambling to Samsung’s scheduled press event. So we knew something was coming, we just didn’t know what until he pulled the Galaxy S from his pocket. To recap: A 4-inch Super AMOLED screen (which promises better batter life and 80 percent less reflectivity in sunlight) with a 1GHz processor, 5MP camera and is a svelte 9.9mm thick. Samsung’s new “S Life” (stands for Smart Life) plays a big part here, and some major content deals — books, magazines and the like — are front and center.
- Samsung announces Android Galaxy S, with 4-inch Super AMOLED screen
- Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S
- Hands-on with Samsung Galaxy S software
- Samsung’s official Galaxy S presentation highlights
- Samsung’s Galaxy S presentation at CTIA
Sprint Evo 4G
Formerly known as the HTC Supersonic, the Evo 4G is a beast of a smartphone. 4.3-inch screen. WiMax. Hotspot for up to EV-DO. 8MP camera. Android 2.1 with HTC Sense. Indeed, it’s the first U.S. smartphone to feature 4G speeds. What that does to battery life (and your Sprint bill) remains to be seen. But this easily has become the phone to beat, at it likely will keep sales of the recently announced Sprint version of the Nexus One at a minimum.
- Full hands-on with Sprint Evo 4G, now at the top of the Android mountain
- Quick Hands On with the EVO 4G from HTC and Sprint
- Sprint and HTC Announce the HTC EVO 4G
Motorola i1
If you’ve been on Sprint’s Nextel service thanks to a need for push-to-talk, Android has finally come your way in the Motorola i1. With a 3.1-inch screen and Android 1.5, t’s not the sexiest of phones, but that’s not why you’re getting it, is it?
- Hands-on with the Motorola i1 iDEN Android phone on Sprint
- Motorola announces i1, the first Android push-to-talk device on Sprint
Other odds and ends
- CTIA Special Podcast
- Zagg Leather Skin for the Motorola Droid
- Hands-on with BlueAnt’s Bluetooth headset Android app
- Hands-on at CTIA with the Kyocera Zio M6000
- Hands-on (mostly) with the new AT&T Android-powered Dell Aero
- Finger-on with the 32GB Sandisk microSD card
- Interview with Swype keyboard for Android smartphones at CTIA
- Blockbuster’s Android app at CTIA
- Fandango Android app at CTIA
- Rhapsody Android app at CTIA
- Oregon Trail Android app at CTIA
What didn’t we see?
As you’ve undoubtedly heard us say, we still don’t know when your phone — whatever it may be — will get an update to Android 2.1. No sign of the HTC Incredible. And we don’t know when the Nexus One will be released for Verizon. Or Sprint.
But as soon as we know, you’ll know. Promise.