LG Electronics has announced the Korean release of their Android smartphone, the LG Optimus Z (LG-SU950/KU9500).  The device runs on Android 2.1 and features a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the device is being made available through SK Telecom and KT.  Other details include a 3.5 inch WVGA “Hyper” HD LCD (800 x 480 pixels), Korea-specific T-DMB mobile TV, a 5-megapixel camera, Dolby Mobile and DivX support.  The Optimus Z also features a matte-finish metal and comes with two 1350mAh batteries.

The device boasts a number of unique options designed to give users a well-rounded user experience. The On Screen Phone function allows users to display their phone interface on PC using Bluetooth or a data cable. Once connected, it provides the ability to manage applications, e-mail, documents, images or music files.  There is also another option, Drag & Shake, which allows two users to share files between smartphones by shaking the phones.

Sources:

http://www.androidguys.com/2010/07/29/lg-optimus-announced-korea-tablet/

http://www.androidcentral.com/lg-optimus-z-now-available-korea

HTC has announced that they will now sell their devices under their own branding, specifically the HTC Desire, HTC Wildfire and HTC Tiany. These three Android phones will be heading to China with HTC branding instead of the previous “Dopod” name.

Also, these Android devices will be updated with Froyo 2.2 with Sense. HTC has reiterated that a 2.2 update for its phones already on the market will be delivered “very soon”. If all goes well, we should be looking at a Froyo-dominated August in the China.

Sources:

http://androidspin.com/2010/07/29/htc-devices-heading-to-china-will-ship-with-android-2-2/

http://androidheadlines.com/2010/07/htc-to-ship-all-androids-in-china-with-froyo-while-usa-waits.html

For some time, Google has been talking about a new and more secure system for protecting applications from pirates and dishonest re-funders. They have announced that the system goes live. The new system looks seamless. It requires a bit of modification to each application, so apps already on the market won’t be protected until their developers choose to update them.

Developers include a set of code libraries provided by Google, and then use those libraries to send a message to the Android Market app requesting the user’s licensing status. The Market then checks through its own database to see if a user really did buy the app, and then sends a message back to the app with all the details.

The system is free for developers to implement, It works on any Android handset running Android OS 1.5 or later.

Sources:

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/07/28/google-rolls-out-androids-new-anti-piracy-mechanism/

http://www.androidguys.com/2010/07/27/google-announces-licensing-service-combat-piracy/

Cricket Wireless has just announced the pre-sale of their first Android phone, the Kyocera Zio. Sources claim that the device will be on sale August 15.

The Kyocera Zio is an entry-level Android phone and key features include: A 3.5-inch WVGA display, 600 MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 processor, 3.2 MP camera, and Android 1.6.

Other features can be seen in the image below:

No price point has been announced so far. Kyocera plans to offer an upgrade to the Android 2.x OS sometime in the future, but there is no guarantee the Cricket version will see this software update.

Cricket has been opening retail stores in new markets and their month-to-month plans will attract those on a budget and looking for plans with no credit checks or long-term service contracts. The carrier recently announced coverage in all 50 states after signing new roaming agreements with MetroPCS and Sprint Nextel.

Source:

http://androidheadlines.com/2010/07/cricket-launching-first-android-phone-next-month-kyocera-zio.html

Apple has announced that the iOS 4.1 beta 2 is now available for developers. It’s just been two weeks since the iOS beta 1 hit the scene. There isn’t a chance to see any major differences though.

Sources:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/27/apple-ios-4-1-beta-2-now-available-for-developers/

http://gizmodo.com/5598018/ios-41-beta-2-now-available-to-iphone-developers

http://www.cultofmac.com/apple-releases-new-ios-4-1-beta-2-to-devs/52709

Seems like Android 2.2 (Froyo) will be making its way to devices very soon. There is a claim that the Motorola Droid X, the HTC Droid Incredible, and the Motorola Droid will be receiving the Android 2.2 update at the same time next week. It is expected that both HTC and Motorola will release the Android 2.2 update at the same time and will start pushing out the update from August 6th.  It’s expected to hit all of these devices by August 15th.

Source:

http://androidspin.com/2010/07/26/froyo-to-roll-out-on-3-devices-next-week/

The Galaxy Q is coming on the heels of Samsung’s Galaxy S series of devices. Differences from the Galaxy S include a Qwerty keyboard, 3″ Super AMOLED screen and a size a bit smaller than the Galaxy S.

Here are the specifications of the Galaxy Q:

• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 3G/HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity
• Android 2.2 (Froyo at launch)
• 1Ghz Hummingbird (Same processor used in the Galaxy S)
• 3″ Super AMOLED screen with 720×480 resolution
• 8.0 mega-pixel rear camera with LED flash, HD video capable
• 1.3 mega-pixel front facing camera for video chat
• 1500mAh battery (Same rating as the Galaxy S)
• Multi-Touchscreen, Qwerty keypad and optical touchpad inputs
• 16Gb internal storage, External storage supports up to 32Gb MicroSDHC
• Physical dimensions: H 4.8″(120mm) x W 2.72″(68mm) x D .37″(9.25mm) weighing in at 3.8 ounces

The Galaxy Q has also been touted as a BlackBerry competitor. There is no indication from Samsung about the release date of the Galaxy Q though.

Sources:

http://androidheadlines.com/2010/07/galaxy-q-specs-leaked.html

http://www.androidcentral.com/galaxy-q-specs-leaked

http://www.androidguys.com/2010/07/26/samsung-galaxy-specs-leaked/

The Guardian has announced in a report that Android smartphone sales in the United Kingdom have tripled since the beginning of the year. Now, one in every ten handsets sold in the UK is running on the Android OS, and contract market share has grown just over 10% from Q1 2010 (3%)  to Q2 2010 (13.2%). In addition, while contract market sales are up under 1%, Android sales are up a whopping 350%.

Of all the smartphones, the HTC Desire and the HTC Legend remain the most popular handsets in the UK, but the Samsung Galaxy S will present another attractive option for the users. The HTC Wildfire also presents an attractive smartphone at a lower price, which will bring consumers who can’t afford the high-end phones into the market.

Apple has done a fantastic job in marketing the iPhone to be synonymous with a smartphone. However, Android has done a remarkable job in such a short time branding itself and it will only continue to grow stealthily.

Sources:

http://www.androidcentral.com/android-phone-sales-300-year

http://androidheadlines.com/2010/07/android-sales-turbo-boost-in-uk.html

Google’s Tim Bray mentioned in a short post on the Android Developers Blog that the Android team is working on “introducing new payment options” for the Android Market. Based on the portions of the Developer Agreement that are changing, the change will most likely involve a wider roll out of carrier billing as an option when we purchase apps.

T-Mobile is the only carrier that allows its customers to put app charges on their monthly phone bill. Given that the Developer Agreement changes usually take effect in 30 days, the guess is that the changes are at least a month out.

Sources:

http://androidspin.com/2010/07/24/android-market-adding-new-payment-options/

http://www.androidguys.com/2010/07/24/payment-options-android-market/