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Dan Warne04 December 2008, 9:17 AM
Have you been waiting for that sexy Google Android phone OS to hit the streets? The wait is almost over...
Australian-based tech importer Kogan has revealed the first Google Android-based phone that will ship in Australia -- and only the second that will ship worldwide.
It's called "Agora", and there are two models that will be sold outright, without contract to any network. Agora will cost $299, and Agora Pro $399. Both models include HSDPA 3G, Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR, QWERTY keyboard, 2.5” touchscreen and a microSD slot. The Pro adds WiFi, GPS and a 2.0 megapixel camera to the base model's specs.
Kogan Technologies founder, Ruslan Kogan, said the Agora is proof that his company is achieving its goal of offering the latest technology at the best value prices.
“The Kogan team has been working very hard to bring out the exciting new phones powered by Google’s Android operating system at the right mix of price and specifications,” Kogan said.
“We’ve been listening to customers through our blog, and crammed in all the features we possibly could. The end result is the best value, fully-featured phone in the Australian market.
“We worked closely with manufacturers and vendors to develop drivers, software, and tweaks to make the Agora an intuitive and exciting experience for everyone.
“The design and features of the Kogan Agora makes the phone appeal to both consumers and business users.
“The Android operating system means the handset can capture and play music, photos and video, surf the web, play games, navigate, and organise your life with extremely powerful applications."
Kogan's press release notes that it has been a long time supporter of open source and that Android provides a real alternative to "Apple’s proprietary operating system for the iPhone".
“Google is a key player in developing efficient and innovative online solutions for customers around the world. The open source nature of Android means the operating system will continually improve over time,” Kogan said.
Applications pre-loaded on the Kogan Agora include Gmail, Google Search, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Talk and YouTube.
Full specifications
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Operating System
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Android
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Google Mobile Functions
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Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Talk, Google
Calendar .
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Display
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2.5-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 262K QVGA (320 X
240 pixel) resolution
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Device Control
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Central Navigation Key
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Keyboard
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QWERTY keyboard
Keyboard backlighting
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GPS
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GPS navigation capability (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
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Connectivity
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Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate, Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11b/g
(included with Kogan Agora Pro)
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Camera
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2.0 megapixel colour camera (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
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Audio
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Built-in microphone and speaker
Headphone jack
Ring tone formats:
MIDI, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, PCM
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Video
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Video formats supported:
MPEG2 H263, H264, MPEG4, AVI
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Mail attachment support
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Viewable document types:
JPEG, GIF, WBMP, MIDI, AMR, MP3, WAV
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Dimensions (HxWxD)
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108 mm x 64 mm x 14.8 mm
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Weight
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130g
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Battery
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Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, Capacity: 1300 mAh
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Talk Time
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Up to approximately 400 minutes
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Standby Time
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Up to approximately 300 hours
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Processor
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624 MHz
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Memory
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ROM: 256 MB
RAM: 128 MB
microSD card expansion
slot
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Network
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UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
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More to come...