Motorola is poised to join the race to develop an Android competitor to the iPad while Microsoft (MSFT) is expected to launch new phones at AT&T (T). Also in today’s App Industry Roundup, Dealmap comes to Android.
Motorola Android tab to Verizon?
Amidst all the tabloid news floating around this past month, Motorola (MOT) quietly let the public know that it would be tinkering with it’s own tablet product. Now it looks like a 10-inch touch-screen tab called the Stingray will be on store shelves at Verizon (VZ) early next year. Tech blog Engadget was tipped to several coming products to Verizon, including new and expected Android phones.
Regarding the Stingray, here’s what Engadget reported:
Motorola Stingray tablet in Q1 of 2011. Now this is interesting. We’d previously thought the Stingray would be a smaller tablet, but it now seems it’ll be a full 10 inches with Android 3.0 Gingerbread, 16GB of on-board storage, and Tegra 2. Oh, but that’s not the best part: it’ll also be “hardware upgradeable to LTE,” initially launching with CDMA alone. Whether that means you’ll need to purchase and insert some sort of module or something, we’re not exactly sure.If you’re a Verizon customer, or considering making a switch, this list indicates why customers should want to wait until November before making a move. With the holiday’s approaching, we are in the midst of a number of phone introductions at all carriers. Here’s what Verizon has up its sleeve; meanwhile, here’s a post from September that looks at T-Mobile’s plans.
Also, if you’re in the market for Android phones, Google (GOOG) released a very useful Android comparison tool this week.
Microsoft picks AT&T
Microsoft will launch its Windows 7 phone at AT&T Wireless in November after showing off the phone in October, the Wall Street Journal reports. AT&T will be the exclusive carrier of the revamped Windows phone and will offer three models.
“AT&T plans to sell the devices the week of Nov. 8. Initially, the carrier will offer three handsets—one each made by Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc., and HTC Corp.—as it looks to diversify its portfolio of mobile devices beyond the iPhone,” the Journal reports.
Obviously, there’s much at stake for Microsoft. Even CEO Steve Ballmer has a lot on the line, as Apple Insider reports that he only received half his annual bonus because of Microsoft’s troubles with selling compelling smartphones. Of course, it’s unlikely that an exclusive offering by AT&T will excite (and dismay) people like the wireless carrier’s deal for the iPhone. But it’s a start.
Dealing on Android
If you like finding a good deal, The Dealmap iPhone app aggregates local coupons and discounts from a variety of sources. The app has garnered a number of kudos, including some Oprah love, the developers note. Now, an Android version of Dealmap is preparing for launch.
The iPhone version has been downloaded more than 175,000 times in just six weeks, so the developers have high hopes that the Android version — which aggregates daily specials from more than 100 sources — will be as popular. With the app, users can sort discount offers by several categories, such as food, and by location. Users aren’t limited to using the app to find deals, as the developers note that more than 350,000 local deals and coupons are available through its website, daily emails, and social applications.
