HTC's Second Android Model Might Come in Q1 2009

The first smartphone running Google's Android OS, the T-Mobile G1, was actually designed and manufactured by HTC. This company is reportedly hard at work on a second model running this operating system.

HTC's second Android-based device may debut in the first quarter of 2009, according to a report in the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, which cites unnamed sources at Taiwan-based securities houses as its source. Other sources say this product will launch in April.

The details of this model are unknown at this time.

HTC's Commitment to Android

It comes as no surprise that HTC is working on additional smartphones running Android. Company executives and representatives has repeatedly said HTC is committed to this new platform.

It had originally hoped to have multiple Android-based models on the market this year, but the operating system ran into delays in development, which pushed back the release of all models based on it to the point that only the G1 made it out this year.

Still, HTC seems pleased with this first model. CEO Peter Chou told the Economic Daily News that it expects to sell over a million G1 units by the end of 2008. This device is available from T-Mobile in only two countries (the U.S. and U.K.), and has been on the market about two months.

This doesn't mean HTC plans to drop Windows Mobile, the operating system that has been its bread-and-butter for many years, though. It will continue to release devices for both platforms.

Via DigiTimes