Samsung Will Be HTC's Next Big Competitor in the Android Market

Several well-known mobile phone makers are working on their first Android devices, but Samsung will be the next to release one, according to a new report.

HTC created the first smartphone running this new operating system -- the T-Mobile G1 -- and will also be the developer of the second, the HTC Magic.

Other top-tier companies are also working on Android-based devices, but Samsung will be the next to release one, according to DigiTimes' sources.

This model will supposedly have a great deal in common with the HTC Magic, including sharing the same general design -- a tablet with touchscreen. Earlier this week, Samsung gave the world a small, blurry glimpse of its incoming Android-based device (see image at left), showing that it will indeed resemble the Magic.

Coming to Sprint and T-Mobile
Samsung has promised that its first Android-based model will be released by Sprint and T-Mobile in the second half of this year.

DigiTimes' sources said that this device could debut in the third quarter of this year, while information that recently leaked out of Sprint indicated that this carrier is scheduled to release it in the fourth quarter. This could be a sign that T-Mobile will be the first to offer this Samsung phone.

More about Android
Android is a new consumer-oriented mobile operating system. It was created by Google with input from a variety of companies who have joined the Open Handset Alliance. Not surprisingly, Android is strongly tied to Google's online services, like Gmail and Google maps.

There is a growing collection of third-party software for this platform, and support for it among carriers and device makers is also growing. For example, Sprint is going to release later this year an Android-based model created by Samsung, while Motorola, Acer, and others are also prepping phones running this platform

Source: DigiTimes