14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that AT&T is one carrier that is determined to take big steps into the Android-based mobile phone area, and one of the devices that it is expected to release into the wild running under Google's platform is the newly spotted HTC Lancaster, a handset that resembles the HTC Magic when closed, but also comes with the sliding QWERTY seen on the HTC Dream, and bearing some resemblance with the HTC Touch Pro as well.
What the new HTC Lancaster should offer AT&T's users includes tri-band EDGE and 850 / 1900MHz HSPA connectivity, as well as Bluetooth capabilities, a 3-megapixel fixed-focus photo snapper, microSD memory card slot for additional storage space, as well as a “unique HTC social messaging user interface,” which should be about the same UI that has been recently spotted with the HTC Hero.
One interesting thing that needs to be mentioned here is that this Android-based phone is reported to come with a lot of AT&T features and customizations, so it might not be a Google phone in the end. AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph De La Vega is reported to have stated back in April, “We in fact will be able to take the Android open-source code and put our own apps and features on an Android device. They're going to open it up and allow us to be able to customize what an Android device looks like to our customers.”
That shouldn't be a bad thing in the end, given the most recent reports that the non-Google HTC Magic units come with a few more functionalities compared to the Google branded ones. Yet it remains to be seen whether AT&T's plans for Android become reality or not, given a note that can be seen on a leaked shot with the device, and which states the following: “Initial Lab Entry dates were based on Google Mobile Services (GMS) UI, AT&T standard UI has been requested, which puts schedule in question.”
Basically, this means that the handset is in the process of receiving certification from the carrier, and only after it comes out of its labs will we be able to say for sure if it has great chances to come to the market. Until that happens, we should say that the specs of the handset look rather attractive, and we hope AT&T adds it to its offering.
