2011: My Android Year

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Gadget journalism on the Web seems to be held to the same standard as entertainment journalism, meaning rumors, guesswork and hype make up most of my Google News alerts and Twitter feeds. But (like entertainment journalism, to those who follow it), the hype is strangely addictive. And the hype isn't just about a new device hitting the shelves, but upcoming announcements about devices that won't see a shelf for months, or even announcements about upcoming announcements. It starts with leaked device code-names or Photoshopped concept images, then there are unconfirmed spec sheets and rumored release dates, followed by official teasers and then trade show releases (with the hands-on videos and device comparison sheets). Finally, YouTube starts getting the gadget version of amateur porn: the unboxing videos. It's an information strip-tease, showing just enough to catch the attention and drive the imagination wild with what isn't revealed.

I'm not an early adopter of technology, and when something starts to get exciting, I research it for months before I make the jump. I've been carrying around a Windows Mobile phone (the HTC Touch Pro 2), top-class technology that integrated well with work when I bought it, but it seems that Microsoft as a mobile platform is moribund, while Android is the new market share powerhouse. In early 2010, I started following rumors of a beast of an Android phone called the HTC "Scorpion" and for the next year, I submerged myself in Android hype. By January's Consumer Electronics Show, I was sold on two or three Android devices scheduled to release in the first half of the year.

I'd followed a rumored Motorola Android tablet code-named "Stingray," which was introduced at CES as the "Xoom." The Xoom is the hardware reference for Google's new release of Android, version 3.0 dubbed "Honeycomb," and it boasts a dual-core processor, rear- and front-facing cameras for video chats and HDMI output among its features. When the iPad came out, I couldn't understand where it fit in the gadget ecosystem: was it a bulky smartphone (sans calls), an underpowered laptop or a high-eyestrain eBook reader? Then, as I moved many of my computer activities into the cloud, live-blogged from geek conventions and trips, and grew weary of taking my laptop out of my carry-on at airport security, I began to realize that the tablet was the ideal travel laptop. The more I researched the applications and accessories (like a Bluetooth keyboard) that would be available, the more the tablet's niche solidified:

• Live-blogging
• Travel laptop that stays in the carry-on, through security
• Garmin navigator replacement
• Stream media (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) to any TV
• SSH into my work computers and Amazon EC2 instances
• Portable movies
• Document editing (with Google Docs)

As of this writing, the Xoom is supposed to release on February 24, 2011. But that information comes from the gadget rags: Motorola and Verizon are silent on the topic.

As for the Android phone, up until CES 2011, I was looking forward to the HTC Thunderbolt, billed as "Not your dream phone. The one after that." It's sleek like the Nexus One, thin but with a huge 4.3" screen. It's the first "4G" phone on Verizon's LTE network. But Motorola came to CES with a surprise: the heretofore un-hyped (and unheard of) DROID Bionic, with a dual-core processor (the Thunderbolt's is single-core), more on-board storage and an HDMI-out port. The Bionic's case is not as pretty as the Thunderbolt's, but it seems to be more of a powerhouse. Even if Android 2.2 doesn't utilize dual core processors (and that's a big IF -- I haven't seen it categorically demonstrated that this is the case), Android 2.4 will, and software always evolves to push the hardware. The Bionic will have staying power. My wife surprised me by turning down an iPhone to replace her dying BlackBerry Storm, so I'm going to get her the Thunderbolt and stick with my Windows Mobile phone until the Bionic comes out. I'll be able to do some real comparisons then.

Now, I wait. Neither Verizon, nor HTC nor Motorola have made an official statement about release dates, but the current rumor-mill has the Motorola Xoom releasing on February 24 2011, the HTC Thunderbolt releasing on February 28 2011, and the Motorola DROID Bionic releasing in June 2011. After that, I'll have to wean myself off of Android hype news, and enjoy what I have instead of lusting after the next cool thing.