OpenDevelopment Archive

  • Saygus VPhone to bring video calls and a bit of chub to Android and Verizon

    Saygus VPhone to bring video calls and a bit of chub to Android and Verizon

    Posted on November 10, 2009 | No Comments

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    If you know that your personal happiness lies somewhere in the Verizon / Android abyss but neither the Droid nor the Droid Eris are hitting the spot, you might consider trying something completely out of left field. How "left field" are we talking here? Well, for starters, odds are good that you've never heard of a company called Saygus, and its shiny new QWERTY slider, the VPhone, won't be offered directly from Verizon -- it's a product of the carrier's Open Development initiative. Sure enough, that handset we spied a few days back is real, and the specs are all panning out: 624MHz PXA310 XScale core, 512MB of Flash on board coupled with 256MB of RAM, 3.5-inch capacitive WVGA touchscreen, WiFi, a 5 megapixel autofocus camera, front-facing VGA camera and -- of course -- EV-DO Rev. A support. The current incarnation is running Android 1.6, but it should be running 2.0 by the time of its launch next year, along with getting some Google-certification to let it run the Google apps. Saygus' real thrust here is apparently two-way video calling (good thing they picked Verizon, huh?), though they aren't showing it off just yet. The hardware itself is rather chubby, but it leaves room for an oversized QWERTY keyboard that could very well solve your Droid woes. No word on price or a firm release date.

    Saygus VPhone to bring video calls and a bit of chub to Android and Verizon originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Saygus VPhone V1 hits the FCC, headed for Verizon next?

    Saygus VPhone V1 hits the FCC, headed for Verizon next?

    Posted on November 5, 2009 | No Comments

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    We had some indication that Verizon would have a third Android device ready by early 2010 in addition to the DROID and ERIS -- one that may be boosted by the carrier's Open Development program -- and it looks like the FCC may have now given us our first real look at it. While it's obviously still unconfirmed as of yet, this Saygus VPhone V1 phone that recently sailed through the agency certainly seems to fit the bill, and the company has even gone so far as to not so subtly feature an article about a Verizon's mysterious third Android device on its own website. As you can see, however, the phone itself doesn't exactly do too much to stand out from the current crop of Android sliders, but it should hold its own when it comes to specs. That includes a 3.5-inch 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, a 624MHz Marvell PXA310 processor, a 5-megapixel camera, a second, front-facing camera for video calls, built-in GPS, WiFi, a microSD card slot and even an FM radio, among other standard fare. Still no indication of that rumored WiFi tethering out of the box, unfortunately, but we're guessing this one could win quite a few fans if that pans out -- and, of course, if it's actually the real thing.

    [Via SlashGear]

    Saygus VPhone V1 hits the FCC, headed for Verizon next? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Verizon getting an Android phone (with WiFi tethering!) via Open Development program?

    Verizon getting an Android phone (with WiFi tethering!) via Open Development program?

    Posted on October 13, 2009 | No Comments

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    Verizon mentioned that it'd pick up "several Android-based devices" as part of its sweeping tie-up with Google last week, and we know two of them -- a tweaked version of the HTC Hero and the unannounced Motorola Sholes / Tao / Droid -- but what else is in the pipe? Turns out that Verizon's historically boring Open Development program -- designed to let anyone with a good attitude and some elbow grease gain the know-how to connect a device to Verizon's network -- is about to heat things up by spitting out an Android handset of its own in early 2010, according to Unstrung. Oh, and the best part? It'll apparently feature WiFi tethering out of the box, a feature carriers are typically loath to support; of course, the whole point of "open development" is that Verizon theoretically shouldn't care what's being developed, so it'll be interesting to see whether the company throws any marketing weight and retail support behind the device or if it'll be left to fight for attention on its own.

    [Via PhoneArena]

    Verizon getting an Android phone (with WiFi tethering!) via Open Development program? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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