NEWS
Once there was just a single Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. Coming soon, in Australia, is the Kogan Agora. Now reports are pointing to an emerging gadget for China, known for the moment as the "OPhone".
The site ModmyGphone is showing off a photo of a sleek gadget that it says is a joint effort of Lenovo, the PC heavyweight, and China Mobile, the largest mobile phone operator in China: "The latest bit is, the phone is looking good and ready for testing. OPhone is a codename for phones that will be based on China Mobile's OMS [Open Mobile System] which is essentially Android + TD SCDMA [China's home-grown 3G standard]," the blog said. Another site, ITProPortal, says the smartphone, with "iPhone-esque minimalist features", is expected to debut in February or March.
The phone is likely to be a strictly domestic product, the reports say. China Mobile's spin on the OS would give it the ability to commission customised phones and would give it leverage in profit-sharing discussions. The mobile operator reportedly had a falling out with Apple over whether China Mobile could make modifications to the iPhone.
China Mobile is a member of Google's Open Handset Alliance, which just gained 14 new members, including Vodafone.
