Android 2.0 Donut, Samsung Bigfoot, Samsung Spica And More Rumors!
The rumor mill is pumping at a furious pace. Not an hour after we learned the T-Mobile G1 Bigfoot might be manufactured by Motorola rather than HTC, we come across a slew of rumors on the well-respected Russian website Mobile-Review suggesting the Bigfoot is a Samsung species. Sorting it all out is going to be difficult, but we can try.
Please keep in mind that not only are these rumors, but they were Russian rumors translated into English and then went through my rough deciphering capabilities after a spin through the Google Translate machine. That being said…
Android 2.0 “Donut”
According to the article, Google is already at work on Android 2.0 which is codenamed “Donut”. This would be hilarious if true considering the current version (1.5) has gained incredible popularity with the Cupcake name.
What’s the difference Samsung i7500 and the two subsequent models? The radical difference, which is why everything is silent, that the new machines are built on the Android OS 2.0 code-named Donut. Update version 1.5 to 2.0 would probably not be available in all vehicles, it is given entirely at the mercy of the operator and / or manufacturer.The basic functionality of the platform differences are very noticeable, but this story is not about that, so I will not pay much attention to this aspect.
It appears Android Developers are already talking about the “Donut” branch in Google Groups:
http://groups.google.com/group/android-platform/browse_thread/thread/185e5feabf4b0851
Samsung G1 Bigfoot ?
We assumed the G1 version 2 would be made by HTC but BGR just told us it was made by Motorola. Now we’re seeing a new picture claiming it is the Samsung Bigfoot. Below see the new picture from Mobile-Review followed by the original BGR leak of the Bigfoot:
First of all it is important to notice that there are KEY DIFFERENCES between the two pictures. The above version certainly seems like a poor photoshopped number as the lower portion of the phone has a transparent area that just looks like rumor mongering laziness – but hey, don’t shoot the messenger! There are also different keys and the keyboards themselves are of different sizes. Plus a number of other things but the point is – they are incredibly similar on the surface and easily mistaken for one another.
I probably wouldn’t have posted this rumor if Mobile-Review didn’t have a decent track record at getting this stuff right. Because the language barrier is a big issue, I initially assumed the Samsung model seen above was the “Spica”, also mentioned in the article. But when I went to “save” the image the file was already named Bigfoot, clearing up the initial Russian intent of the article.
Samsung Spica
The Samsung Spica is also mentioned but it doesn’t appear as though the phone runs Android when reading the translated paragraph:
In late September, the market is hot offers from very similar models of different companies, and then make the crown in the Samsung way.Thus, the model Spica is not a Google experience-machine, and already offers standard TouchWiz-interface. In doing so, the company plans to make the massive machine, which is immediately to gain dominance in the segment of Android-smartphone for the cost. Interface, price, brand Android. Not a bad mix, which can attract and sophisticated users, and those who have heard about Android, but wants to explore its intricacies. The table shows the characteristics of devices:
On the surface it sounds like the Samsung Spica will not run Android, but the table they show says otherwise:
And upon further inspection, the below image is named Spica so although it looks JUST like the i7500… it apparently/supposedly/rumoredly isn’t:
So correct me if I’m wrong, but this seems to suggest that the Samsung Spica will run the Android OS while integrating the Samsung Touch-Wiz UI?!?!? Three “screenshots” of the Samsung Spica running Android 2.0 Donut are provided, which also will be the first to offer WVGA-support:
I realize this is a lot to sort out, especially considering back-to-back articles are chalk full of rumors that totally contradict eachother. Believe me when I say I am as dumbfounded as you… it is Monday and I’m already exhausted from this week’s rumors! Hopefully some of this gets sorted out this week because my oversized head is about to explode.
Oh yeah, forgot to point out that “Acer” is mentioned as launching a Donut based Android Phone.
Alright English-speaking Russian Phandroids… help us sort out this mess!
[Via Mobile-Review (translated), Thanks Jeff, Cheers AndroidForums.ru!]