Upcoming Android 2.0 phones in 2010 from HTC, Sony and more

The first ever Google Android 2.0 phone was launched recently by Motorola. The Motorola Droid runs Android 2.0 OS, codenamed Eclair, and so fas has been a major hit in the US for Verizon, despite some digs by piqued Palm. A quarter million people have already bought the Motorola Droid, and the consensus so far is that it is at least as good – if not  better – than the latest iPhone 3GS. Take that, Apple!

Apple of course has been curiously silent post-Droid (Read our comparison of the iPhone 3GS and the Motorola Droid). Steve Jobs never likes to be number 2 in the coolness stakes, so we can be sure Apple is working on something that will blow the socks of the Android 2.0-running Motorola Droid. Not that it is going to be easy.

Anyway, back to the topic of this story. Which are the expected Android 2.0 phone launches in 2010? Android 2.0 is currently available only on the Motorola Droid – and Android 1.6 phones are still coming out. Why not just jump directly to Android 2.0 Eclair instead of sticking to the 1.6 version? Who would want to buy a 1.5 or 1.6 version phone when the cooler, smarter 2.0 phones are already here?

Motorola Droid runs Android 2.0, may be the first Android 2.0 phone to launch in India in 2010

Mostly you can blame this on processor speeds. Most Android phones coming out now do not have powerful enough processors or sometimes, sufficient memory, to run the latest version of the mobile operating system. And plans for new smartphone models are made months in advance – so don’t be surprised if we continue seeing Android 1.6 phone model launches well into 2010 first quarter.

In theory, it would be possible to optimise the OS or remove some unneeded tools or apps and make Android 2.0 fit on even older phones, but this is more a hacker job – not for the companies. They could do it, but user experience cannot usually be guaranteed. You can sort of compare it to overclocking a PC’s processor. You get something cool but all warranties are void, and reliability drops.

So towards the end of 2010, we are stuck with a single Android 2.0 phone – the Droid – and nothing else.

Does the HTC Droid Eris run Android 2.0?

Nope. The Droid Eris smartphone will run Android 1.6. HTC may update it to Android 2.0. Carriers may also choose to update it over the air (OTA). But if you buy a Droid Eris the moment it is launched, you get Android 1.6. Sorry.

What about HTC G1?

Nope. The phone is too weak, processor-wise. Memory problems too bother it. However, many other HTC moble phones are beefier, and may be capable of running Android 2.0 without a fuss. In fact, we predict that the HTC Hero will definitely get an update to Android 2.0 and the Sense UI would be updated too. HTC Magic mobile phone too is likely to go the 2.0 way in 2010, if not at the end of 2009.

Acer Liquid A1 to run Android 2.0?

Upcoming Android 2.0 phone launches in 2010: Acer Liquid A1 with 2.0 next year

No again. While many think this might be a cool phone, that too is going to run Android 1.6. But it has a muscular Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and an update is sure to come. We have to say that even without the 2.0 OS, the Acer Liquid A1 would be a really fast phone – the Android 1.6 version on the Liquid smartphone is pretty much no-frills, which means there is no custom UI to slow down things. If things stay that way, the Acer Liquid running Android 2.0 will come in 2010, and it will be super-fast too. If you ask me, I would say don’t buy the phone right now and wait for the 2.0 version.

Sony Ericsson XPeria X10 to get Android 2.0 in 2010

Sony Ericsson XPeria X10 to get Android 2.0 in 2010

The Sony Ericsson XPeria X10 is a supremely impressive phone alright, and it does it without Android 2.0 OS. The very smooth Rachael UI on the XPeria X10 has Android 1.6 running underneath – and even this phone is likely to get an upgrade to Android 2.0 in the first couple of months of 2010.

Samsung Moment

The Samsung Moment phone will be launched running the Android 1.6 OS, and will later get an upgrade to Android 2.0 sometime in 2010 beginning.

Android 2.0 phones in India

Zilch. Nothing. Zip. At this point, we have no Android 2.0 phones available in India at all, and if you are really desperate, you would be reduced to sourcing one through one of those grey-market channels. That is not patriotic, and we would not advise you to do that at all!

Future of Android 2.0

However, Android’s success in the mobile sweepstakes may prove to be double-edged. Google was successful in persuading manufacturers of smartphones other than iPhones, BlackBerrys and Nokias to use the Android mobile operating system. However, the expected entry of Google into the branded mobile phone market is not likely to go down well with cellphone manufacturers like Motorola, HTC and Sony Ericsson, who have hugely helped Google make a mark with Android. It’s one thing to help promote Android, and quite another to compete with a gorilla like Google. So, mobile manufacturers may not be as keen as before to promote Android once they are forced to compete with Google on their own home turf.