Google G2 to launch by summer?

A successor to the Android-powered T-Mobile G1 mobile phone will be launched in May, according to an assortment of online rumours. The G2, made by HTC and codenamed Sapphire 2.0, won't have a slide-out keyboard but will apparently have a 3.2 megapixel camera. [Sources: Wired.com; PCWorld.com]

Skype for Google Android and Java handsets

VoIP service Skype has launched a beta version of its service that can be downloaded on Android-powered devices as well as more than 100 other Java-enabled mobile phones. [Press release]

Google gives G1 phones as Christmas gifts

Google staff in the UK, the rest of Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore and the USA are being given a G1 mobile phone instead of a Christmas bonus. The remaining 15% of staff in countries where the G1 won't work will still receive a cash payment. [Source: BrandRepublic.com]

Samsung plans Android device

Korean IT news website etnews.co.kr says Samsung has an Android-powered 'Google phone' planned for Q2 2009.

New Android-powered phone planned for January

Australia's Kogan Technologies has announced the Kogan Agora and the Kogan Agora Pro, which will start shipping from 29th January. They'll be the world's second and third Android-powered mobile phones, following the HTC-designed T-Mobile G1. Prices start from AU$299 (around £133) SIM-free. [Kogan blog]

1 million T-Mobile G1 phones shipped this year

HTC says it expects to have shipped 1 million T-Mobile G1 handsets (and 3 million HTC Touch Diamond devices) by the end of 2008. The company's CEO denied rumours that it's been affected by the global economic slow-down and is planning to lay off staff. [Source: DigiTimes.com]

Text bug revealed in T-Mobile G1 phone

The BBC and Wired.com have reported on a (potentially amusing) bug that affects the T-Mobile G1 mobile phone. Typing the word "reboot" in a text message soon after restarting the device causes the phone to... reboot. UK users should receive an update by tomorrow.

Motorola ditching Symbian and Linux OS phones

Motorola is going to concentrate on selling phones that use Google's Android operating system, Microsoft Windows Mobile and its own system in a bit to cut costs. Company co-CEO Sanjay Jha said Motorola would be dropping support for Symbian UIQ and the Java-Linux platform. It's also no longer planning to sell its mobile handset business in Q3 2009 but says it'll take longer. As part of the company's reorganisation, two thousand jobs are being cut from its mobile business, with three thousand - 4.5% of its global workforce - going overall. [Sources: WashingtonPost.com; Press release]

Android G1 security flaw spotted

Security researchers say they've found a flaw in the Android-powered T-Mobile G1 smart phone. Charlie Miller of Independent Security Evaluators says he's notified Google about the flaw; Google has responded by saying it's aware of the problem and is working with T-Mobile and HTC to distribute its solution to the problem. Apparently the flaw centres on the phone's web browser, which could allow a rogue website to capture information entered on the keyboard when visiting other sites. [Sources: Press release; NYTimes.com]

T-Mobile G1 to arrive in UK on 30th October

T-Mobile has said its exclusive Android-powered G1 smartphone will be available in the UK from Thursday 30th October, slightly earlier than previously suggested. 25,000 UK consumers have already pre-registered their interest in the device. [Press release]

1.5 million T-Mobile G1 phones already ordered

The T-Mobile G1, the HTC smartphone that runs Google's Android operating system, has apparently been pre-ordered by 1.5 million people in the USA, with about two million more phones ready for sale in high-street shops. [Sources: Pulse2.com and Fool.com]

New 'Mobile News' podcast now available

In this week's edition of the Mobile News podcast we're talking to Milind Kangle, CEO of Lycatel - the company behind new UK virtual network Lycamobile. There's also a quick preview of the forthcoming T-Mobile G1 and our usual look at the latest industry news headlines. As always, you can download or listen free at TheFonecast.com and on the Mobile News website... and you'll find us on iTunes and via RSS too.

The Mobile News podcast is produced by Iain Graham, Mark Bridge and James Rosewell from TheFonecast.com

Android-powered Google G1 mobile phone launches

The G1 mobile phone, which is made by HTC and uses Google’s Android operating system, was officially launched in New York today. It’ll be available in the US from 22nd October and is expected to reach the UK in November. In the UK it’ll be free on a T-Mobile contract costing £40 a month. The phone itself has a touch screen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. [Sources: MarketWatch.com; Guardian.co.uk]

First Android-based phone to sell for $199

The Wall Street Journal has predicted that the first mobile phone using Google's Android operating system - an HTC device due to be revealed this month - is expected to sell for $199 (around £108) in the USA.

T-Mobile Android phone to be unveiled next week

T-Mobile USA says it'll show its new Android-powered HTC smartphone to journalists at a press conference on 23rd September. The phone is expected to go on sale later this year. [Source: CrunchGear.com]

Google Android prizewinners named

Goiogle's first Android Developer Challenge has been completed, with 10 teams each receiving a $275,000 award and a further 10 teams each receiving a $100,000 award. [Android blog]

Google plans 'Android Market' for applications

Google is planning a rival to Apple's iPhone App Store: the Android Market, which will let consumers buy and download software for Android-powered mobile phones. Users will be able to leave feedback for programs, rather like YouTube. [Android blog]

Android drops some Bluetooth support

Google's latest version of the Android Software Deveopment Kit, which helps people create programs for the forthcoming Android-powered mobile phones, removed some support for Bluetooth and Google's GChat service. Although Android will work with hands-free Bluetooth accessories, the current version now won't let developers incorporate Bluetooth features in their own programs. [Source: InformationWeek.com]

T-Mobile to launch HTC Android phone in October?

The New York Times says T-Mobile will be the first network to launch a phone that uses Google's Android operating system. The phone - an HTC model - is expected to go on sale in the USA before Christmas, perhaps as early as October.

Google's Android delayed... or not?

There have been stories about Google's Android mobile operating system being delayed until the end of 2008. It's probably a lot of fuss about nothing and has been denied by the company. [Sources: TheStreet.com; ZDNet.com; Information Week]