Kogan's Android-Based Smartphone Delayed, Pending Redesign

The Kogan Agora was to have debuted later this month, making it the second Android-based smartphone on the market, but the company behind it has decided to delay the launch for an as yet undetermined amount of time.

The company's founder, Ruslan Kogan, has released a statement that explains why the launch has been moved back:

This delay comes due to potential future interoperability issues.

The Agora did reach a very late stage of development. Manufacturing had commenced and it was a matter of days from being shipped to you. However, it now seems certain the Agora in it's current form will limit its compatibility and interoperability in the near future.

One of the potential issues is the screen size and resolution. It seems developers will be creating applications that are a higher resolution than the Agora is currently capable of handling.

In order to fully appreciate the feature-rich applications Android developers will be creating in coming months and years, the Agora must be redesigned.

A Big Jump in Screen Resolution?

Kogan met with Google earlier this month, and clearly emerged with an inside look at the direction this platform is going.

The Agora would have had QVGA touchscreen, and Kogan's comments make it clear that devices with higher resolution displays are coming soon. Exactly how high-resolution is not yet known.

Kogan Not Quitting

Ruslan Kogan made it clear in his statement that his company remains committed to the Android market. He promises that a new version of the Agora will be released "as soon as possible".

In the mean time, those who pre-ordered the original device should receive a  full refund in the next week.

via FairfaxDigital