Android

Android

Operating System (OS) made by:
Google, Open Handset Alliance (mostly cellphone manufacturers), and the Open Source community. Android is still being released by Google. It is open source but it is still under strong guidance from Google. It is not the wild wild west like open source Linux that has no central control. Android has the advantage of BOTH open source and central control of a powerful and innovative company.
Phone carrier / network:
Depending on phone manufacturer: You can now choose Android phones from ALL 4 major U.S. networks: T-Mobile (GSM), Sprint (CDMA), Verizon (CDMA), AT&T (GSM) or by a prepaid carrier such as Criket by Leap Wireless (coming in 2010). By February 2010, Android was supported by 60 phone carriers worldwide.

4G data network.

4th generation cellular standard for digital data that is much faster than current 3G network. This give your 4G device a full broadband speed similar to home’s Cable-Modem or DSL connection.

Yes.

If you are with Sprint 4G “Wi-Max” network. Verizon will have its 4G “LTE” network by summer 2011. No word about AT&T. T-Mobile uses a high speed HSPA+ (4G equivalent) network and it is available now.

First cellphone to utilized the 4G capability . (4.3” screen, 1GHz).

Second phone 4G phone will be the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S Pro (4” screen with slideout keyboard) for Sprint.

Hardware design:

HTC, Sony, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Garmin, Dell, Archos, Acer, Asus, Kyocera, and the list is growing.

This is one significant advantage over the iPhone: CHOICES.

Number of phones make and models to choose from (cumulative total):

2007: Number of Android phones = 0

2008: Number of Android phones = 1

2009: Number of Android phones = 8

2010: Number of Android phones = 25

Above total does not include those models that come in different colors or any different models sold outside the U.S. 4 largest network.

Where can I run my apps?

Everywhere.

Manufacturers are making many devices not limited only to cellphones. Android OS is now running in cellphones, tablets, Android cars, HDTV, desktop phones, microwave oven, washing machine, set-top boxes for satellite and cable TV. Hopefully in the near future, we will see this in specialized field such as medical equipment, manufacturing, scientific, aviation, etc.

Text Entry: (Touch-screen or keyboard?)

Both: Touch-screen or slide-out keyboard.

All of them have touchscreen virtual on-screen keyboard but several phones also have a slideout physical keyboard as well.

Some people love the physical keyboard while others don’t. With Android, you have the choice and that choice is yours.

Processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit):

Depending on manufacturer, from 500 MHz ARM Cortex A8 to 528 MHz Qualcomm processor to 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 512 MB of processor’s RAM. This is almost twice the power and speed of the iPhone’s processor.

New upcoming HTC Scorpion is rumored to have either a Qualcomm 1.5GHz, or perhaps the new dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor.

GPU (Graphic Processing Unit):

samsung i9000 running Android can compute 90 million triangles per second.

Adobe Flash:

Yes.

Full support for latest Adobe Flash 10.1 on Android 2.2 (Froyo).

Syncing (synchronizing):

Android devices can sync wirelessly, continuously, and to multiple services. It could also sync by plugging in should you choose to do so.

Example, Apps are available to allow user to sync their Android phone to an older Palm Desktop software or Microsoft Exchange server.

Camera resolution:

Most older Android phones support a 3.2 Megapixel camera. It varies from 2 Megapixel (LG Etna) to 5 Megapixel (Motorola DROID) to 8 Megapixel (HTC EVO 4G, HTC Incredible, Motorola DROID X)

Take picture in the dark:

Many phones now come with a built-in LED flash. Some with 2 built-in LED flash like the HTC Incredible.

The new Motorola Milestone XT720 (coming) will have a more powerful Xenon flash found on real cameras.

GPS

Yes, since the first Android phone.

There is a free Android app that allows you to do voice recognition turn-by-turn GPS navigation using Satellite and Street View. You can simply use voice command and say “Navigate to the museum with the King Tut exhibit in San Francisco” and this app will figure it out for you. Don’t need specific address or go through Point-of-Interest list.

Multitasking (ability to run multiple apps at the same time):

Yes from day one (since 2008), on all applications and background services. See below for specific example.

Google Voice:

Allows user to make a Voice over IP (VoIP) phone call over the network connection. This means you can make free long distance and extremely low International calls using local cellular or simply using a Wi-Fi connection. If you rely solely on Wi-Fi, you don't even have to pay for cellular phone bill to make phone calls. In addition to VoIP, Google Voice allows you managed your voice mail and the routing of your phone number.