14 DAY TRIAL // According to the latest news on the Web, there is at least one more mobile phone powered by Google's Android operating system that is getting ready to see the light of the sun, namely the H7, coming from the Chinese electronics maker Haier. The device has been showcased at the CommunicAsia 2009 expo held in Singapore this week, reports CNET Crave.
It seems that the new handset the company showed off at the expo is expected to come to the market with a 2.8-inch touchscreen display, while also including an FM Radio, as well as GPS receiver, Bluetooth connectivity, Wi-Fi capabilities and mini USB port, not to mention a 2-megapixel photo snapper with onboard flashlight. While only a mockup of the actual device was showed at CommunicAsia, Haier seems pretty confident that its first Android-powered mobile phone will soon come to the market.
Some more details that can be provided in regard to the new Haier H7 show that the handset should come to the market with a trackball for directional control, GPRS and, probably, EDGE connectivity. In addition, the device should also feature a microSD memory card slot for additional storage space. Unfortunately, other details on what the phone should come with were not unveiled so far.
For the time being, the company says that the smartphone will come to the market with the Android 1.5 operating system (aka Cupcake), though it might feature the Android 2.0 iteration of the platform in case it becomes available before the handset is released into the wild. At the same time, the news points towards a September launch for the Haier H7, which should happen in France, though it might hit other markets as well later on. The price of the phone seems to have been set at US$150, which would make it a rather affordable Android handset.