| At the moment various tech-sites around Europe are | | | | Samsung i8700 Cetus seems to be generating the |
| abuzz with rumours that a new generation of smart | | | | most interest, much of which is even more |
| phones based upon Google's ever more ubiquitous | | | | speculative than that surrounding the HTC Ace. So |
| mobile operating system, Android, are to be launched | | | | far predictions are centring on a mobile phone with |
| in Europe in time for the fourth quarter rush | | | | features similar to the popular Galaxy S models. |
| (September/October onwards). The source of the | | | | Another possible Android candidate to hit European |
| speculation is in large part down to a leak featured | | | | shores, though it is not featured on the list leaked to |
| on the techsite, Omio, which claims to have got its | | | | Omio, is Motorola's portentously named Android X, |
| hands on a release schedule for new phones by one | | | | which was recently unveiled in the United States, and |
| of the big networks in Britain for the final year | | | | which may possibly turn up over here in some |
| quarter of 2010. | | | | version before the end of the year (in the US it has |
| Among the big name manufacturers are Samsung, | | | | been released in four network-specific versions, all |
| Nokia, Sony, HTC, etc. However the greatest | | | | variations of the same base model). Another |
| interest has been in the (as yet still alleged) HTC | | | | power-house-in-a-brick, its specs broadly match those |
| releases. Around the names 'HTC Gold' and 'HTC Ace' | | | | of the HTC Evo and so far US reviews have been |
| feverish speculation has mounted with various claims | | | | very favourable, though quibbles about camera |
| from those in the know that the Gold is a Windows | | | | quality have concerned some. |
| Mobile 7 based phone while the Ace is an Android | | | | At the moment most Irish and European consumers |
| device (possibly based upon HTC's iPhone challenger | | | | find themselves with a raft of older model Android |
| in the United States, the HTC Evo 4G). | | | | and Windows based phones from various |
| Since no official comment has been offered by either | | | | manufacturers with less than impressive specs |
| the Korean-based manufacturer or the British phone | | | | compared to the new crop available elsewhere but |
| network it is impossible to state with any certainty | | | | with the tantalising promise of a wave of new |
| whether the leak is factual or not (despite the claims | | | | Android based sets launching here in the coming |
| found on some sites). However, if true, and if the | | | | months complaints about a lack of real choice may |
| Ace is based upon the Evo, then it would certainly | | | | well disappear. |
| meet the demands of European consumers that | | | | Finally what of Nokia I hear you ask you ask? Several |
| have grown in the last year and more as they have | | | | phones based on the Finnish company's once hugely |
| seen the quality and performance of mobile phones in | | | | popular Symbian operating system also feature on |
| the United States slowly creep ahead of their | | | | the leaked list, with most interest zeroed in on the |
| European counterparts (in no small measure due to | | | | upcoming Nokia N8. Though still popular around the |
| the launch in the US of Google's own HTC-made | | | | world much of Nokia's can-do-no-wrong sheen as |
| Nexus, and a stark contrast with the situation that | | | | been knocked off its once prominent halo. A series |
| existed just a few years ago when US phones | | | | of mediocre phones (reaching its zenith - or nadir - |
| invariably lagged behind those available in Europe and | | | | with the Nokia N97) has left consumers with a bad |
| elsewhere). The HTC Evo is by all accounts a | | | | taste in the mouth. While there is no denying Nokia's |
| powerhouse phone coming with a 4.3 inch AMOLED | | | | abilities as a maker of mobile phones, its status as an |
| touchscreen display, 8mp camera (and front camera), | | | | iconic innovator has fallen way in recent times and |
| 1Ghz Snapdragon CPU (the Ace has been predicted | | | | reaction to the slow leak of information about the |
| to sport one of the new 1.5Ghz chips due out at the | | | | upcoming new flagship model, the N8, have been |
| end of the year from Qualcomm), Android 2.1 (the | | | | distinctly cool. While most mobile manufacturers have |
| Ace is alleged to run on the as yet unreleased new | | | | embraced Android or Windows Mobile as their |
| version of Google's operating system, Android 3.0 - | | | | preferred operating system Nokia continues with the |
| most Android-based phones are now running some | | | | increasingly tired looking Symbian which,despite a |
| variant of 2.0), and all the usual gizmos: WiFi, GPS, | | | | promised midlife facelift, looks distinctly old hat |
| etc. | | | | against the younger kids on the block. |
| If the specs of the speculative Ace match (or | | | | All in all it may be time to start saving your money |
| exceed) those of the Evo then expect the HTC | | | | now for none of these devices are going to come |
| Android phone to be the must-have device this | | | | cheap but with mobile phones increasingly becoming |
| Christmas, and with Apple going through its | | | | multi-task machines, beyond mere talking and texting, |
| crash-and-burn reception problems, exacerbated by | | | | these Android based smartphones will probably be |
| Steve Jobs alleged email reaction, perhaps as much | | | | the must-have buys for the savvy consumer in the |
| of an iPhone rival as its American cousin. | | | | latter half of 2010. |
| As for the other phones featuring in the leak the | | | | |