Otaku Gadgets

Mobile phones are sleek, they are in and they are coming at you in huge numbers every other day. To cut through all the confusion, I take you on this journey through the latest phones every Thursday.

This week, we have the big Droid being launched, previewed and generally liked and talked about. Plus, Google has this killer navigation app that completely owns every other such app and device.

Get to the other side to know more.

Big This Week: The Droid Is Out Baby (On Pre-Order Now), Android 2.0/Éclair FTW!

We have been talking about and posting Droid leaks for quite some time now and finally Motorola and Verizon decide that it is about time they go to making the thing official.

So Droid is now official. Yay! What are the first impressions like? Well, everyone is pretty impressed with the phone. The touchscreen response it great, the keypad is great to type on and the build quality I reported to be quite good. [read]

Another good thing about the Droid is the pristine Android 2.0 OS that is being loved by everyone. The Droid comes with an unadulterated, stock build of the 2.0 OS and hence there is nothing to spoil the Android experience. Verizon apps will be available through a special channel on the Marketplace but that will come later. [read]

The Android is on preorder now at Best-Buy and the current lot will arrive on the Nov 6. [read]

HTC: No Android HD2, Touch Diamond2 Gets WinMo 6.5, Droid Eris Coming

HTC is a company who phones are becoming really likeable with every new launch. They are the ones who really put Windows Mobile on the touchscreen map. Their phones have been getting better and better lately, which is more than what can be said for certain other companies.

But their CEO has just saddened our Android-loving hearts. He said that while technically they could make an Android version of the HD2, they are going to continue with Windows Mobile for now.

Well, he never says HTC will not make a Snapdragon powered Android phone. So basically, it won’t be called HD2. I will be called HTC Dragon [read]

In other news, HTC’s rumored cheap Android Phone – Droid Eris AKA HTC Desire is said to be coming on Verizon. The carrier plans to have a lot of Android phones and this would be joining up right next to the newly unveiled Motorola Droid. [read]

If you own a Touch Diamond2, we have good news for you. The originally Windows Mobile 6.1 device has now been promoted to Windows Mobile 6.5. Whether that makes it part of the Windows Mobile device ranks, we are not too sure about.

The ROM upgrade is now live on HTC’s website and is said to take about 30 minutes to happen. [read]

Google: Killer Navigation App Kills PND’s (Eventually), gPhone Rumored Again And More

Watch out TomTom and Garmin, here comes Google. The Google juggernaut has done it again. They have released an app that completely renders obsolete all other navigation apps and devices.

Combining multiple Google services with real-time crowd-sourced data, this is one navigation app that will completely rule on Android phones. And it will kill Personal Navigation Devices (PND’s) because of several reasons.

The Google Navigation app has something behind it that no one else can offer – Google’s search engine. When you combine those data mining capabilities with route planning, you get possibilities that are quite limitless. Plus, the comprehensive nature of Google Maps and the powerful database behind that is unmatched by anything else on the planet.

But the ultimate thing that ensures the death of all stand-alone devices is something even better. While standalone devices and even iPhone Apps cost a pretty penny, Google offers this feature for free. Beat that! [read]

And after so many Android phones, we come to Google’s own little gPhone project. More speculation ensues as a Northeast Securities Analyst leaks word about Google working with a smartphone manufacturer to make a Google branded phone. This phone will be sold directly to customers and not through carriers. [read]

In its response to FCC’s enquiry, Google has stated that it only blocks certain high-cost numbers. They have also mentioned that the Google Voice service only blocks about 100 numbers now. [read]

LG GW620 Eve Android Phone Get Its Own Mini-Site, Full Of Information, Videos

LG’s GW620, the company’s first ever Android phone, has its own minisite now where you can find full specs and manuals for the device. You can also watch videos and generally ogle. [visit]

MID Phone Coming (Needs A New Device Category Name)

In Technology Groups is bringing out an MID with phone capabilities, further blurring the already hard-to-see line between phones and MIDs. This MID-phone will have a swappable wireless communications module that can be upgraded individually as newer technology comes in. A demo of the new Windows XP based xPhone UI is now available on the group’s website. There’s no date on this project, so don’t get too excited. [read]

iPhone Chomping Down To Overtake Blackberry’s Market Share

According to market data posted by analysts, iPhone is closing in on Blackberry’s market share after leaving Palm far behind. The Pre wasn’t that big a hit after all. And Blackberry has been hemorrhaging users to the iPhone for a long time now. Their latest phones (Storm, Storm2, etc.) have completely failed to make an impression and the market is currently divided between Android phones and the iPhone.

Blackberry Storm 2 Arrives, Underwhelming, Expected

Just so that you know, the Blackbery Storm 2 is here and few are silly enough to buy it. It’s UI and features are not nearly attractive enough to justify choosing it over Android phones or the iPhone. Although, if you really feel like causing yourself or someone else some amount of pain – go for it by all means. You have been warned.

Analysts predict the iPhone will come to Verizon in 2010

Verizon’s CEO almost openly decalred that they are getting the iPhone. And now we have the iPhone hating Droid ads and a slew of Androids heading for Verizon. What gives? Has Verizon fallen out that badly with Apple? Whatever the case may be, some analysts are still putting their neck out to declare that VZW will get the iPhone in 2010. And may be they will because all this may be an elaborate façade to get us to look the other way. [read]

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That’s it for this week. If you want to add to this list or have a new phone you simply can’t get enough of, do drop us a comment below.