Orange France to launch 6 Android handsets, confirms Cupcake for HTC Dream

[ickyfehmleh]

via UnwiredView: "at least six more Android phones will be launched by Orange in 2009, from 5 different brands. Including Android phones from Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG, Samsung and HTC.
...
Orange confirmed that Android “Cupcake” update for HTC Dream will be available to it’s customers in late April. Followed by another “major” Android update a month later."

Discuss.

[notxel21]

Nice! I can hardly wait!

[Derrick]

I wonder what the other major update is. I'm hoping it will be for the Market.

[ickyfehmleh]

I wonder what the other major update is. I'm hoping it will be for the Market.

I'd hope it'd be Google finally caving and allowing Apple AppStore-style subscriptions and store-within-an-app functionality. Google could have been out in front by offering this from day 1 (of paid apps) but now they're playing catch-up.

[Mason_S]

I'd hope it'd be Google finally caving and allowing Apple AppStore-style subscriptions and store-within-an-app functionality. Google could have been out in front by offering this from day 1 (of paid apps) but now they're playing catch-up.

Not really. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those a part of the iPhone 3.0 release slated for the summer? If Cupcake is released on Android devices and happens to include this feature (doubting it. Though it would be nice, especially for enterprising developers looking to give users an easier way to spend a buck on their product) in April, it would still be out before Apple gets it.

On a different note, if this is indeed the case, that Orange will be releasing cupcake to their Dream phones, that puts the pressure on T-Mo to do the same since that compete in that portion of the world, right?. This is good news for all of us Android users, even those of us not on Orange.

I like it.

[deserttopping]

i'm totally unfamiliar w/ appstore. what are subscriptions?

[ickyfehmleh]

Not really. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those a part of the iPhone 3.0 release slated for the summer? If Cupcake is released on Android devices and happens to include this feature (doubting it. Though it would be nice, especially for enterprising developers looking to give users an easier way to spend a buck on their product) in April, it would still be out before Apple gets it.
...

Doesn't matter -- Apple already announced support for subscriptions and in-app stores, thusly they're the first to do so.

i'm totally unfamiliar w/ appstore. what are subscriptions?

Just like magazine subscriptions; users pay a (yearly|monthly) fee to use a particular app or an app's services with all billing handled by the AppStore.

[havikx]

cupcake update in late april huh?

Ill believe it when i see it.

[Uh Oh Joe]

im really confused on what Cupcake is, someone help me out?

[ickyfehmleh]

From another site that I probably shouldn't mention here:

The soft styled, curved handset offers a 3.2-inch HVGA (320×480 pixels) TFT capacitive touchscreen display along with video recording provided by what appears to be an upgraded 5 megapixel camera. BlackBerry fans may be pleased to hear the Magic will sport trackball navigation, too. With no physical QWERTY keyboard, the magic will rely solely upon the “Cupcake” OS branch, which supports the now famous on-screen keyboard. Couple this with some excellent connectivity options such as WiFi, quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) and UMTS support (probably 1700/2100MHz) with HSDPA data for high-speed download, and the Magic really might be able to pull some tricks. Oh yes, did we mention UMA support for T-Mobile USA’s HotSpot @Home system? Well, it has that, too.

Interesting...