Is Sony Ericsson’s Rachael Their First Android Handset?

The picture is probably a mock. pdadb.net lists the phone as having a camera flash, which can't be seen in the picture. Also, UMTS 1900 is supported according to PDADB, which means 3G in the US with AT&T. Sweet!

dandv

@Dastan: Just because previous phones had this does not make it compulsory. android is set up for several different input methods. App Devs may need to rewrite programs if they have not included those methods yet, but android is not tied to a particular form factor.

Sony needs make this phone and the Satio available to a popular network already so we don't have to spend 800+ just to use one.

this will get me to drop the iphone and att like the bad habit they've become.

aja175

I didn't want to be "that guy," but I feel obligated to point out the misspelling of "Rachael"

drewkkake

Now that would make me consider getting rid of my iPhone for sure. 1GHz processor, Android, and 8MP! Hells yeah!

As I understand it - Android dosn't natively support anything above a 3.2" screen. (Like I said, I heard) until Donut-2.0

Then again, those netboox have larger screen, so I guess that blows that theory.

Tony Bostony

@Jacob Kimmel: That's not true, I have an LG Dare, and when I type I hold it with my left hand and type with my right index finger, and it works really well! I do make the occasional mistake, but taping the onscreen keyboard is a breeze.

nerve11

Sexy phone... Kierra Knightly clad in gray and black.

Sicpup

Apple need to step their game up. iPhone vs G1 in looks it was no match, but Android phones are starting to be taken seriously be manufacturers and they are coming out with some very pretty handsets.
The new Ui updates are making Android look very lush n user friendly too.
I'm also liking the idea of a unified interface across many manufacturers too. Like I got my last few phones Samsung cos the interface was the same. Though my current Tocco Lite is the GizWiz(or whatever) UI, but then I seem to have a lot of friends with Tocco's so that's all groovy. But if I could pic up any new phone n find the same kinda Android UI n start using it right away, maybe even port profile info across that would be awesome.

it can't be android it doesn't hav a chin.

@OCEntertainment: Yeah, there are a lot in the pipeline with keyboards.

Mephisis for AT&T, the bigfoot and the moto one for t-mobile, and the moto one for verizon has a keybord.

I'd still say that keyboard ones are more prominent. Thought its really a moot point since none of those phones are really "out" yet.

tande04

Resistive and capacitive touchscreens don't really matter. People keep saying they matter but they don't. What matters is the software behind it. Hardware is always just hardware, it needs the software to run it.

Case in point. I've got two phones right now. A samsung with a resistive and a g1 with the capacitive. As far as on screen keyboards go they're both a far cry from iPhone/iPod. If I type out an email on my iPod I still miss keys, thats going to happen with resistive, capacitive whatever, the difference is that the software on the ipod knows (or takes its best guess) on what I was going to to type and puts it in there even if I miss a key. The G1 gets close but its still not the same. The Samsung doesn't do it at all.

Thats what makes the difference. The resistive keyboard isn't really that different to type on overall. The big picture is still that its an on screen keyboard thats going to miss keys, misread input, etc. If you've got the software to back it up its still a perfectly acceptable form of input.

Yes, to cut off the counter point right now, you can do multitouch on a resistive screen, it is admittedly more difficult but again, the correct software can do it.

The famous apple RDF is the only reason people think that one is so vastly superior as just hardware. Love or hate them though they've got some good software to back it up.

tande04

@RedmondGalokie: i hope verizon picks it up but they will probably fail like they did with the iphone so no worries for you.

@ME86: even if it does Ill bet against verizon picking it up.

@Sam Adams: both are nice but resistive means you can use your nails and styluses but capacitive means is a lot smoother. Truly arguments are strong on both ends.

@Dastan: As far as I've gathered, the "chin" design is only used in HTC's Android phones. It's their Android trademark or something :P

Keyboard?

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that Android's finally getting its day(s) in the sun...but one of the things I loved most about the G1 after Cupcake was the *option* of either a physical or soft keyboard. I'd really hate to think that as soon a Cupcake comes along, no manufacturers think anybody needs to make real keyboards anymore.

Anybody know of any upcoming Android sets with a physical QWERTY? I know at least one exists, I just can't remember what it is. And of course any search for 'Android with physical keyboard' or the like only brings up articles about Android *without* one. :-/

@Jacob Kimmel: Well, for the Asian market, resistive is much more popular because kanji etc. is easier to write than to type.

Dallifornia

@Jacob Kimmel:
THANK YOU. Some people will defend resistive screens to the death.. which won't be long.
Oh and WinMo is the only other besides Nokia to keep pressure sensitive around.

Sam Adams

Its missing buttons to be an android phone.

I guess this could be a preliminary mockup (before they went with android).

Nice phone though. I figured that all the really good stuff would come out now that I finally went and got a new phone and 2 yr contract :p

tande04

i just read that this phone may not be android based ,is that true , and if not what els ?WinMo 7?! SWEEEEEET

but ill stick to the Android because
first of all winmo 7 may not finish so soon
and also because if you zoom a little bit you can see a very small "Chin" like other androids (or it's just the buttons protrusion )
I'm Soooo excited !!!!

@LEWD98:

you are right , but may be they shifted the buttons to the sides and if they develop a nice custom UI may be the trackball is not necessary

I thought Android phones had to have the trackball and at least five buttons like the G1?

LEWD98

this looks great I hope it gets picked up by Att my old w300i is starting to flake

RedmondGalokie

god, if this thing comes out within the next 4 years at a reasonable price, it would be ridiculous!

@Jacob Kimmel:

thanks ,i hope that

@Dastan: I'd guess it's capacitive, seeing as the only people still sticking with resistive are the guys at Nokia. A resistive screen also is really impractical for an onscreen keyboard.

Jacob Kimmel

It looks nice, but I wouldn't be holding my breathe for a US carrier to subsidise it, sadly. :[

ME86

HEEEELLLLL YEAH

that is what my next phone will look like

but is it capacitive or resistive ?? ( deal breaker if resistive)

3.5" or 4.0" ?? (based on headphone jack 3.5mm)

HazeDG13

@PN - Artest->Ariza: Considering that Ericsson is one of the largest suppliers, manufactures and researchers of GSM technology... you can bet your ass Verizon won't get it, because Sony Ericsson doesn't make any non-GSM phones...

tsdexter

@dandv theres a LED flash beneath the camera aperture

i dont know if its a fact to have 4/5 buttons on the body for a device, i know that the ball is NOT mandatory, however we have not seen a device without a dpad at least. i may be mistaken.

however theres a search button on the tight side above the shutter release. theres no external SD slot or volume control ... one wonders.

shadymilkman

@Dastan: It'll be 3.75mm with a proprietary shape.

My current phone is a Sony. Nothing is standard.

shawn_dude