More than two years after the birth of the T-Mobile G1, the world's first Android smartphone,I pause to take a look back at what the little green dude has given us. Frankly, I was a little floored when I assembled all the U.S. handset releases into one list. Sure, I've known that the OS has been very busy, particularity in the last year, but I really had no idea just how busy it was. And if I expanded the list beyond handsets not with U.S. carriers, it would be even longer.
Remember that it wasn't so long ago when Android was just a concept. And not long before that, the only android we knew was Data on "Star Trek." But now as its market share continues to grow and the OS has landed in the tablet space, Android has emerged as a powerhouse in the mobile space.
This list is current as of December 10, 2010. For brevity's sake, I've focused only on models sold by U.S. carriers. I've also included upcoming handsets that carriers have officially announced.
| Phone | Availability date | Carrier | Highlights | OS version * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * At time of release | ||||
T-Mobile G1 | October 2008 (no longer sold by carrier) | T-Mobile | First-ever Android device; had quirky design elements like the swing-out keyboard and the "chin" | 1.0 |
T-Mobile MyTouch 3G | July 2009 | T-Mobile | First device with 1.5; debuted with Exchange support | 1.5 (Cupcake) |
HTC Hero | October 2009 | Sprint | First CDMA Android phone; offered HTC Sense interface | 1.5 |
Samsung Moment | October 2009 (no longer sold by carrier) | Sprint | First Android handset with a slider design; lacked camera-editing options | 1.5 |
Motorola Cliq | October 2009 | T-Mobile | Debut of MotoBlur interface; first Motorola Android phone | 1.5 |
Motorola Droid | October 2009 (no longer sold by carrier) | Verizon Wireless | First Verizon Android device, and first appearance of Eclair | 2.0 (Eclair) |
HTC Droid Eris | November 2009 (no longer sold by carrier) | Verizon Wireless | One of the earliest phones to offer pinch-to-zoom multitouch; first under $100 price point | 1.5 |
Samsung Behold II | November 2009 | T-Mobile | Used Samsung's TouchWiz interface and offered new media player; not upgradable past OS 1.6 | 1.5 |
HTC Nexus One | January 2010 (no longer sold by carrier) | T-Mobile | Sold unlocked through Google's direct sales channel; first Android 2.1 phone | 2.1 |
Motorola Devour | February 2010 | Verizon Wireless | First device that debuted with Donut; called the Droid's "little brother" | 1.6 (Donut) |
Motorola Backflip | March 2010 | AT&T | First AT&T Android phone; had awkward design with "Backtrack" feature on rear side | 1.5 |
Motorola Cliq XT | March 2010 | T-Mobile | Upgrade to the Cliq; replaced physical keyboard with virtual keyboard and Swype | 1.5 |
HTC Droid Incredible | April 2010 | Verizon Wireless | "Blazingly fast" processor and loaded feature set; won CNET's Editors' Choice Award | 2.1 |
LG Ally | May 2010 | Verizon Wireless | LG's Android debut in the United States; included LG Socialite app | 2.1 |
HTC Evo 4G | June 2010 | Sprint | First 4G phone in the United States; offers a mobile hot-spot feature and HDMI port | 2.1 |
MyTouch 3G Slide | June 2010 | T-Mobile | Update to original MyTouch 3G; featured T-Mobile's custom interface | 2.1 |
Garminfone | June 2010 | T-Mobile | Robust GPS integration; much improved over its G60 predecessor | 1.6 |
HTC Aria | June 2010 | AT&T | Based on HD Mini design; like most AT&T Android phones, it didn't permit third-party app downloads | 2.1 |
Motorola Droid X | July 2010 | Verizon Wireless | Offered broad multimedia features and revamped MotoBlur interface | 2.1 |
Motorola i1 | July 2010 | Nextel; Boost Mobile | First Android device with iDEN, and first handset with a prepaid carrier | 1.5 |
Samsung Vibrant | July 2010 | T-Mobile | Part of the Samsung Galaxy S series; came with a full-length copy of "Avatar" | 2.1 |
Samsung Captivate | July 2010 | AT&T | Second Galaxy S phone; AT&T's best Android offering to date | 2.1 |
Samsung Acclaim | July 2010 | U.S. Cellular | First Android device for U.S. Cellular; positioned as a budget model | 2.1 |
Samsung Intercept | July 2010 | Sprint | Not compatible with Sprint's 4G network; positioned as a budget model | 2.1 |
Motorola Droid 2 | August 2010 | Verizon Wireless | Similar to the Droid X but with a physical keyboard; first device to ship with Froyo | 2.2 (Froyo) |
Samsung Epic 4G | August 2010 | Sprint | Only Galaxy S phone to have physical keyboard; featured Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 interface | 2.1 |
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 | August 2010 | AT&T | Sony Ericsson's first Android phone; featured company's Timescape feature and UXP interface | 1.6 |
HTC Desire | August 2010 | U.S. Cellular | Based on the Nexus One design; second U.S. Cellular phone | 2.1 |
Sanyo Zio | August 2010 | Cricket Wireless | First Android device for Sanyo/Kyocera and first for Cricket Wireless | 1.6 |
Motorola Charm | September 2010 | T-Mobile | Featured a square design with a roomy keybaord but a small, crowded display | 2.1 |
Samsung Fascinate | September 2010 | Verizon Wireless | Last Galaxy S series phone for "big four" carriers; features Bing search and maps | 2.1 |
Dell Aero | September 2010 | AT&T | Dell's first Android phone, but that's about it | 1.5 |
T-Mobile G2 | October 2010 | T-Mobile | Update to original G1; first T-Mobile phone built for carrier's HSPA+ network | 2.2 |
Samsung Transform | October 2010 | Sprint | First handset with Sprint ID feature | 2.1 |
Sanyo Zio | October 2010 | Sprint | First Android device for Sanyo/Kyocera; features Sprint ID | 2.1 |
Samsung Intercept | October 2010 | Virgin Mobile | First Virgin Mobile Android phone | 2.1 |
Motorola Flipout | October 2010 | AT&T | Square design with swivel opening | 2.1 |
Huawei Ascend | October 2010 | Cricket Wireless | Huawei's first Android phone for the U.S. market; display has nine-panel grid design | 2.1 |
HTC Wildfire | October 2010 | Alltel | Entry-level device with bargain price | 2.1 |
Samsung Mesmerize | October 2010 | U.S. Cellular | Part of the Galaxy S series; featured Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 interface | 2.1 |
T-Mobile MyTouch 4G | November 2010 | T-Mobile | Next in MyTouch series; supports T-Mobile's HSPA+ network | 2.2 |
LG Optimus T | November 2010 | T-Mobile | First handset in LG's entry-level Optimus series | 2.2 |
Motorola Defy | November 2010 | T-Mobile | Rugged design; features revamped MotoBlur interface | 2.1 |
LG Optimus S | November 2010 | Sprint | Sprint's Optimus model; features Sprint ID | 2.2 |
Motorola Droid Pro | November 2010 | Verizon Wireless | Offers enhanced security features for business users and a mobile hot spot | 2.2 |
Samsung Continuuim | November 2010 | Verizon Wireless | Part of the Galaxy S series; features a second "ticker" display | 2.1 |
LG Vortex | November 2010 | Verizon Wireless | Part of the Optimus series; features Bing search and maps | 2.2 |
Motorola Citrus | November 2010 | Verizon Wireless | A beginner Android devices; features Bing search and maps | 2.1 |
Motorola Bravo | November 2010 | AT&T | Includes DLNA support; features revamped MotoBlur interface | 2.1 |
Motorola Flipside | November 2010 | AT&T | Slider design with physical keyboard; features revamped MotoBlur interface | 2.1 |
T-Mobile Comet | November 2010 | T-Mobile | Free with a two-year contract; available with prepaid plans | 2.2 |
Motorola Droid 2 Global | November 2010 | Verizon Wireless | Similar to Droid 2, but with world-roaming capabilities | 2.2 |
LG Apex | November 2010 | U.S. Cellular | Similar to Verizon's LG Ally; has a full physical keyboard | 2.1 |
LG Optimus M | November 2010 | MetroPCS | First Android device for MetroPCS; part of the Optimus series | 2.2 |
LG Optimus U | December 2010 | U.S. Cellular | Free with a two-year contract; part of the Optimus series | 2.2 |
Samsung Nexus S | December 2010 | T-Mobile | Follow-up to Nexus One; delivers stock Android interface; sold unlocked; first device with Gingerbread | 2.3 (Gingerbread) |
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