Google updated its Android version tracker on Monday, revealing that the latest version of its mobile operating system — Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich — has more than doubled its installed base over the past month. Unfortunately, that only carries Google’s current Android build to a 2.9% share of all devices. Combined with Honeycomb, this means that as of March 2nd, just 6.2% of Android devices are now running a modern version of Android. Meanwhile, the bulk of Android devices run the 15-month-old Gingerbread operating system (63.7%) and the second most popular version of the platform is the 23-month-old Froyo OS (23.1%). First unveiled in October 2009 and currently at 6%, Android 2.1 Eclair is still found on nearly as many devices as Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich combined. Read on for more.

Whether or not fragmentation is a serious issue in the Android ecosystem remains a topic of debate. While many industry watchers continue to argue over how much fragmentation impacts developers, the direct impact on end users is clear. Despite being unveiled more than five months ago, just 2.9% of Android devices currently offer the numerous enhancements and new features introduced with Ice Cream Sandwich, such as improved speed and performance, a redesigned user interface, a simplified application switcher, hardware acceleration, Android Beam and much more.

To compound matters, Google may unveil its next major Android build some time this summer or in the third quarter, just as Ice Cream Sandwich finally begins to proliferate. Vendors are currently working feverishly to prepare Android 4.0 updates for their recent smartphones, and a new crop of flagship devices from HTC and Samsung is about to hit the market. While these new Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphones gain momentum, a new version of Android will hit the market with exciting new features.

If history repeats itself, owners of the HTC One X, the HTC One S and the Samsung Galaxy S III likely won’t be able to enjoy the new features introduced alongside Android 5.0 Jelly Bean until some time in the first or second quarter of 2013.

Google on Wednesday released the latest numbers for the software versions that are powering Android smartphones and tablets. Ice Cream Sandwich appears on the list for the first time, with Android 4.0 through Android 4.0.3 now found on a combined 0.6% of devices. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus S is in the process of receiving Android 4.0.3, sort of, while the Galaxy Nexus already has 4.0.2. Google’s tablet-centric Honeycomb operating system is found on just 3.3% of Android devices and Gingerbread currently installed on 55.5% of devices — a clear majority. Froyo (Android 2.2) and Eclair (Android 2.1) have dropped to 30.4% and 8.5% respectively, with Donut (Android 1.6) and Cupcake (Android 1.5) hitting lows of 1.1% and 0.6%. Google collected its latest Android version data during the 14-day period that ended January 3rd.

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It looks like the rumors were correct: Sprint announced on Monday that the rugged Motorola Titanium phone will be available on July 24th for $149.99. The Motorola Titanium runs Android 2.1 (Eclair) and meets Mil-Spec 810G ratings for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature. The Titanium, which supports push-to-talk, is equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 2GB microSD card and a 1,820mAh battery. Read on for the full press release.

Motorola Titanium, First Android 2.1 Smartphone with Best-in-Class Nextel Direct Connect, Available Beginning July 24 for $149.99

Motorola Titanium™, America’s first Android 2.1 (Éclair) smartphone with best-in- class Nextel Direct Connect™ for Push-to-Talk, goes on sale in Sprint Stores, online at www.sprint.com, Telesales at 1-800-SPRINT1 and Sprint Business Sales beginning Sunday, July 24, for $149.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year
service agreement, after $100 mail-in rebate.

As the successor to the popular Motorola i1 launched by Sprint in 2010, Motorola Titanium is sleek and attractive, yet durable. It features a full QWERTY keyboard and 3.1-inch touchscreen display for a feature-rich, business-class experience. Built military-grade tough, Motorola Titanium is designed to meet Military Specification 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature.

Additional key features of Motorola Titanium include:
• Support for Nextel Direct Connect Services, including Direct Connect, Group
Connect®, International Direct Connect®, DirectSendSM, Group Messaging and
NextMail®
• Android Market™ for access to more than 200,000 applications, widgets and
games available for download
• Google™ mobile services such as Google Search™, Gmail™, Google Talk™,
Google Maps™ with Navigation, syncing with Google Calendar™ and
YouTube™
• Corporate email (Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®) and personal (POP3 &
IMAP) email, calendar and contacts
• 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with camcorder, 4x zoom and LED flash
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• Stereo Bluetooth®
• GPS navigation
• microSD slot, with a 2GB memory card included, supporting up to 32GB
• 1820 mAh Lithium-ion battery

With more than 17 years of expertise, Sprint is the industry leader in Push-to-Talk, serving the world’s largest Push-to-Talk community with millions of Nextel Direct Connect subscribers on the fastest national Push-to-Talk network. Nextel Direct Connect has set the industry standard for Push-to-Talk worldwide. More U.S. workers communicate in less than a second with Nextel Direct Connect than with any other Push-to-Talk service.

A leak document picked up by SprintFeed suggests that Sprint will launch the Motorola Titanium, an Android smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard, on July 24th for $149.99. The Titanium is no secret as Motorola officially announced it in May, but the company didn’t provide pricing or launch details at that time. The phone supports push-to-talk and offers a military-grade ruggedized design that’s resistant to dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperatures, and low temperatures. It’s equipped with a 3.1-inch touchscreen display and a 5-megapixel camera, but sadly only runs Android 2.1 (Eclair). The price and date aren’t official just yet, but $149.99 sounds about right to us.

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Sony Ericsson confirmed in a blog post on Monday that its developers have been working hard on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the Xperia X10, and that the roll-out will begin in early August. The company confirmed that it will keep the original camera UI as found in the Eclair version of the phone, and that the Facebook Inside Xperia functionality in the newest Xperia family of phones will be available on the X10 as well. Unfortunately, SE  said that it will not add DLNA support to the X10, as adding that would “jeopardize the time schedule.” Generic trade phones will get the Gingebread upgrade, which was announced in March, but Sony Ericsson did note that “some of you will not be able to upgrade your customized version of Xperia X10.” In other words, we seriously doubt AT&T users will ever get it. Hit the jump for a video of a prototype running Gingerbread in action.

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Countless Android fans complain about new phones still launching with Froyo while Gingerbread has long since been pulled out of the oven, but Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 owners on AT&T can only dream of frozen desserts. Sony Ericsson on Tuesday announced that the Android-powered Xperia that started it all will finally be updated from Android 1.6 — yes, that’s Donut — to Android 2.1, Eclair. Obvious annoyances aside, it’s quite clear that AT&T and Sony Ericsson had some major issues while getting this update ready for primetime, so we suppose X10 owners should be happy the companies didn’t just give up. New features introduced by the Android 2.1 update include 720p HD video capture support, continuous auto-focus and face detection in video capture, multitouch support and five home screens instead of three. Eclair is available for the Xperia X10 beginning Tuesday, May 31st, and it can be accessed by visiting sonyericsson.com/attupdate on a PC.

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Well that didn’t take long. Yesterday, we told you about an Android vulnerability found in ClientLogin that could have serious security ramifications. Using a dummy open access-point, a nefarious third party could passively — via Wi-Fi — collect authentication tokens to password protected services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google Calendar stored on affected Android devices. Speaking with Mobilized’s Ina Fried, the Android-maker has stated that it is taking action, and fast. “Today we’re starting to roll out a fix which addresses a potential security flaw that could, under certain circumstances, allow a third party access to data available in calendar and contacts,” Google told the publication. “This fix requires no action from users and will roll out globally over the next few days.” The vulnerability will still be present in the company’s Picasa online photo offering, but Google stated that it is working to patch that service as well.

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WatchESPN, an app that allows users to stream live TV content to devices over Wi-Fi or cellular data connections, is now available for Android devices. ESPN released the app for the iPhone and iPod touch last month and we’ve definitely been enjoying it, so seeing the network follow up with an Android app last week was most certainly welcomed. WatchESPN streams live content from ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com provided you subscribe to a cable TV package from one of ESPN’s partner companies. If your cable provider isn’t among those listed by ESPN, however, you’re unfortunately out of luck.

[Via Business Insider]

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Sprint on Thursday unveiled two new Android smartphones from Motorola — the Motorola XPRT and the Motorola Titanium. The XPRT is a dual-mode smartphone capable of roaming internationally on GSM networks, and it’s also the first Android phone from Sprint to feature enterprise-class security. Spec highlights include Android 2.2 (Froyo) with MOTOBLUR, a 3.1-inch touchscreen display, a 5-megapixel camera, a full QWERTY keyboard with BlackBerry-style buttons, a 1GHz processor and Adobe Flash 10 support. The Motorola Titanium is Sprint’s successor to the i1, and it will be a military-grade ruggedized smartphone running Android 2.1 (Eclair). Other highlights include a full BlackBerry-style QWERTY keypad, a 3.1-inch touchscreen display, a 5-megapixel camera, Push to Talk support and dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature resistance. The Motorola XPRT launches on June 5th for $129.99 on contract. Pricing and availability details are not yet available for the Titanium. Hit the break for Sprint’s full press release.

Sprint and Motorola Unveil Two Android Devices for Business:
Motorola XPRT and Motorola Titanium

New Android smartphones target professionals with enhanced business-class experiences; Motorola XPRT offers enterprise-grade security and enhanced MOTOBLUR experience on an Android World Phone; and Motorola Titanium pairs

best-in-class Nextel Direct Connect with Android

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – May 5, 2011 – To meet the growing demand for mobile devices with industry-leading enterprise features, Sprint (NYSE: S) and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) will launch two new smartphones with enhanced business-ready capabilities, built on the Android™ platform. Motorola XPRT™ is the first Android smartphone from Sprint to deliver enterprise-class security, personal productivity enhancements and international roaming. Motorola Titanium™ leverages Sprint’s industry-leading Push-to-Talk capabilities as the first Nextel Direct Connect^® smartphone built on Android 2.1.

“We are pleased to extend our portfolio of products directed at business-users with these two powerful and versatile Android devices,” said Paget L. Alves, president – Sprint Business. “Motorola XPRT delivers the security features enterprise customers demand without scrimping on the latest in technology, while Motorola Titanium is a rugged Android smartphone with Nextel Direct Connect’s sub-second Push-to-Talk.”

Motorola XPRT will be available on Sunday, June 5, in Sprint Stores, Business Sales, Web sales (www.sprint.com) and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1), for $129.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement. Pricing and availability for Motorola Titanium will be announced at a later date.

“Motorola XPRT and Motorola Titanium blend feature-packed consumer experiences with an optimal set of productivity and security tools,” said Jeff Miller, corporate vice president of sales, Motorola Mobility. “We are pleased to partner with Sprint to deliver each of these unique business-ready devices to their continuously growing enterprise customer base.”

Packed with Productivity Tools

Designed for business users, Motorola XPRT offers a sleek, compact design built on Android 2.2, Froyo. This full-feature world phone is equipped with a pinch-to-zoom capable touchscreen, 3.1-inch HVGA display, full QWERTY keyboard and 1GHz processor with Adobe Flash 10 web browsing.

Enterprise managers and workforces across field service, field sales, healthcare, retail, utilities, manufacturing and transportation/distribution industries will benefit from its feature-rich capabilities, enterprise-class security and data encryption. Motorola XPRT delivers business-class security features with 256-bit AES data encryption and controls the IT department will appreciate, including the ability to remotely handle functions like enabling pin or password lock, password recovery and data wipe on both the phone and SD card if lost or stolen.

Motorola XPRT comes loaded with MOTOBLUR™ offering personalized content, including email and social media updates, delivered right to the user’s home screen. It enables convenient viewing of news feeds, updates and messages from social media sites from a single screen.

Additional key features of Motorola XPRT include:

• Android Market™ for access to more than 150,000 applications, widgets and games available for download
• Google™ mobile services, such as Google Maps™ with Navigation, Google Talk™, Gmail™ and YouTube™
• Corporate email (Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync^®) and personal (POP & IMAP) email
• Worldmode – CDMA (EVDO Rev. A), GSM/UMTS (HSPA) – international roaming service available in more than 200 countries
• 3G Mobile Hotspot capability, supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously
• 5-megapixel camera with camcorder and dual LED flash for low-light performance
• microSD slot, with a 2GB memory card included, supporting up to 32GB
• Bluetooth^® 2.1 + EDR
• Wi-Fi^® b/g/n
• 1860 mAh Lithium-ion battery

Motorola XPRT requires activation on one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans, plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge (pricing excludes surcharges and taxes).

Sprint also offers great value with international service add-ons for Motorola XPRT.

For just $4.99 per month, the Sprint Worldwide Voice Add on offers discounted rates while traveling in more than 100 countries. For only $2.99 per month, you can make local calls in Canada, call back to the United States and even receive calls in Canada for just $0.20 per minute. That’s a savings of $0.39 per minute over standard roaming charges. While roaming in Canada, Mexico, China, and other destinations data rates start as low as $0.002 per KB (on CDMA networks).

To sign up to learn more about Motorola XPRT, please visit www.motorola.com/XPRT.

Leading in Push-to-Talk

As the successor to the popular Motorola i1 launched by Sprint last year, Motorola Titanium is sleek and attractive, yet durable. It is the first iDEN device to combine Sprint’s best-in-class Nextel Direct Connect and Android 2.1, Éclair, for a feature rich business-class experience. It features a full QWERTY keyboard and 3.1-inch touchscreen display. Built military-grade tough, Motorola Titanium is certified to Military Specification 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature.

With more than 17 years of expertise, Sprint is the industry leader in Push-to-Talk, serving the world’s largest Push-to-Talk community with millions of Nextel Direct Connect subscribers on the fastest national Push-to-Talk network. Nextel Direct Connect has set the industry standard for Push-to-Talk worldwide. More U.S. workers communicate in less than a second with Nextel Direct Connect than with any other Push-to-Talk service.

Additional key features of Motorola Titanium include:

• Support for Nextel Direct Connect Services, including Direct Connect, Group Connect^®, International Direct Connect^®, DirectSend^SM, Group Messaging and NextMail^®
• Android Market for access to more than 150,000 applications, widgets and games available for download
• Google mobile services such as Google Search, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Maps with Navigation, syncing with Google Calendar™ and YouTube
• Corporate email (Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync) and personal (POP3 & IMAP) email
• 5-megapixel camera with camcorder, 4x zoom and flash
• Wi-Fi b/g
• Stereo Bluetooth
• GPS navigation
• microSD slot, with a 2GB memory card included, supporting up to 32GB
• 1820 mAh Lithium-ion battery

To learn more about Motorola Titanium, please visit www.motorola.com/titanium.

Sprint has earned top honors in the competitive business marketplace – winning the #1 ranking for overall satisfaction for wireless voice service providers and a matching #1 ranking in overall satisfaction for wireless data service providers in a survey of large business decision makers, according to a comprehensive study by Yankee Group and Mobile Enterprise Magazine (www.mobileenterprisemag.com).¹ The study indicated that Sprint ranked first in overall satisfaction in wireless voice and data, and in voice services, ranked first or second in nine of the 10 categories among large business customers.

In case you haven’t heard, Android is kind of a big deal. Some research firms say it’s already the world’s top smartphone operating system, having recently passed Symbian’s quarterly sales pace for the first time, and just about every firm on the planet is predicting that Android’s market share will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. And it’s not just hot air — Google on Thursday during its first-quarter earnings call revealed that daily Android activations have surpassed the 350,000 mark. That adds up to nearly 2.5 million Android activations each week and about 10.5 million activations each month. Google said in December of last year that it was activating 300,000 Android devices each day, and if it can maintain its current pace there’s no question it will achieve global market dominance for years to come.

Alltel on Thursday announced four new Android smartphones, including the LG Axis (free), Samsung Gem ($89.99), HTC Merge ($124.99), and Motorola Milestone X. The LG Axis and Samsung Gem both run Android 2.1, which is two generations old — the HTC Merge and Motorola Milestone X are likely the more attractive of the bunch. The HTC Merge sports a full QWERTY keyboard and runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) under HTC’s Sense user interface. Meanwhile, the Motorola Milestone X is powered by Android 2.2 and sports a 4.3-inch touchscreen display as well as an 8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash and 8GB of on-board memory. Alltel says the four phones are available now in stores and online, although pricing for the Milestone X has not yet been announced and the device was not listed on Alltel’s website at the time of this writing. Hit the jump for the full release.

Alltel Wireless Adds Popular Android Smartphones To Handset Lineup

Customers can choose from sleek, stylish multimedia devices

BEVERLY, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Alltel Wireless, a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Tele-Network, has added four new handsets – the LG Axis™, Samsung Gem™, HTC Merge™, and Motorola Milestone X™ – to its robust smartphone lineup. All four phones, equipped with Google’s Android technology, are now available at Alltel retail stores and online at alltelwireless.com.

Whether looking for a slim, compact phone or into videos and messaging or quick access to applications on the go, such as e-mail and the Internet, Alltel customers can choose from a lineup of phones that offer unique user experiences.

Versatile and Sophisticated Smartphone

The LG Axis offers Alltel customers customizable applications and an entertainment experience that will keep them effortlessly connected to the things that matter the most. Equipped with Google™ Android 2.1 and access to the Android Market™, LG Axis provides users with more than 80,000 applications for music, games and other entertainment categories. The LG Axis also allows users the ability to customize up to five different home screens by adding or removing shortcuts to their favorite applications and widgets, creating a unique phone that is tailored to meet their personal needs.

LCD Touch Display Brings it all to Life

The Samsung Gem comes equipped with Android 2.1 and provides built-in Google mobile services including Google Search™ and Google Maps™ with turn-by-turn GPS navigation. The Google™ user interface applications also allow customers to integrate their Outlook, Facebook and Gmail contacts, putting everything right where they need it on the large touch screen. With the advanced touch screen display, text, picture and video message is made easy with the Swype virtual keyboard, an innovative system that allows users to simply slide their finger from key to key, only raising it in between words. Users will also be able to drag and drop various widgets and icons to personalize their own unique screen.

Multitasking Made Quick and Easy

The HTC Merge comes equipped with the Android 2.2 operating system and the HTC Sense™ user-friendly interface, allowing customers to effortlessly multitask and unite spreadsheets from work with your videos from home. With the HTC Merge, users can quickly and easily link to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook and update their status while checking e-mails. This customizable smartphone allows users to organize e-mail, Facebook and SMS based upon their individual preferences and not by technology.

A Theater in the Palm of Your Hand

The Motorola Milestone X is great for downloading movies or recording video in vivid HD quality, and then watching the clips on the 4.3-inch high-res touch screen. The Milestone connects directly to a compatible HDTV with an optional HDMI® cable so users can experience captured photos and video in HD crystal clarity. The 8MP camera provides clear pictures and features touch-to-focus, dual LED flash, panoramic mode, face detection and more. The memory on this sleek, stylish and ultra thin phone can expand to 40GB (8GB on-board and up to 32GB optional removable) to store even more photos and media.

Alltel Wireless continues to be an industry leader, providing customers most recently with “The Best Value Unlimited Plans” which offer the most affordable and flexible options for those who love to talk and remain connected. Alltel Wireless also provides customers its exclusive “My Circle” feature – unlimited calling to and from any 5, 15 or 25 numbers on any network and unlimited text to their circle on select plans – as well as the innovative “Free Fridays” feature, where all calls on Friday are free on select plans.

The debate surrounding Android fragmentation continues to draw attention, and the issue resurfaced on Monday following the results of a recent survey. According to Baird analyst William Powers, roughly 87% of Android developers believe that fragmentation is a problem for the Android platform. 57% feel Android’s fragmentation problem is either “huge” or “meaningful,” and about 30% agree that it is a problem to a lesser degree. Google said this past November that the overwhelming majority of Android devices — 77% — run Android 2.1 or Android 2.2, but developers apparently still feel that the existence of multiple Android versions in the market at the same time is less than ideal. What’s more, the company’s recent decision to provide limited early access to upcoming Android builds for partners whose plans for the software are approved by Google suggests that the company views fragmentation as more of a problem than it might convey publicly.

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No platform in recent history has grown as fast as Google’s Android OS, and now Google has created a quick video to help us visualize the Android phenomenon. The sequence was first shown ahead of former CEO Eric Schmidt’s keynote at Mobile World Congress, and this week Google finally posted it to its Android Developers YouTube account. The video gives us a visual representation of all Android device activations from October 2008, when the platform launched, through the end of December 2010. It also displays helpful indicators just ahead of major device launches, such as the Motorola DROID launch in November 2009. Hit the jump for the video and prepare to be wowed.

Thanks, Will

Verizon Wireless on Monday announced a revamped version of its V CAST Music app for Android smartphones. The carrier’s new V CAST Music app combines all of its music-related VCAST services, allowing users to purchase full tracks, ringtones and ringback tones from a single application. Song downloads range in price from $0.69 to $1.29 per track, but Verizon will also offer reduced-cost bundles that combine multiple formats into a single download. “Verizon Wireless is taking a leap forward with V CAST Music,” said Verizon Wireless VP Greg Haller in a statement. ”We’re bringing the different kinds of music people love to have on their phones together in one, easy-to-use application, making it easy for customers to get what they want at lower prices.” The new version of V CAST Music requires Android 2.1 (Eclair) or later, and users will receive on-device prompts when the new version of the app is available for download. Hit the jump for Verizon Wireless’ full press release.

MOBILE MUSIC FROM VERIZON WIRELESS DELIVERS A NEW TUNE

Updated V CAST Music App Puts Full Songs, Ringtones and Ringback Tones All in One Place for the First Time

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless said today the company has updated its V CAST Music app, enabling Android™ smartphone customers to get and enjoy the music they want easily and at lower prices.  For the first time, V CAST Music brings full-track songs, ringtones and ringback tones together in one easy-to-use application.

The new version of V CAST Music, available on Android smartphones running Android 2.1 or higher, lets customers purchase full-track songs in high-quality MP3 format without DRM.

V CAST Music will now also offer full-track songs for 69 cents, 99 cents or $1.29 per song, which can be downloaded over the air to a smartphone, and then easily moved to a computer or other MP3-compatible device using V CAST Media Manager.

“Verizon Wireless is taking a leap forward with V CAST Music.  We’re bringing the different kinds of music people love to have on their phones together in one, easy-to-use application, making it easy for customers to get what they want at lower prices,” said Greg Haller, vice president, Consumer Solutions for Verizon Wireless.  “We’ve added features to V CAST Music that make it simple and more fun to enjoy your favorite music on your phone and with your friends and family.”

Using the new V CAST Music, customers will be able to purchase multiple formats of the same song – full track, ringtone and ringback tone – at a discounted price in select bundles.  Customers can easily purchase and manage Jukeboxes of ringback tones that will rotate messages so callers hear different tones each time they call.  V CAST Music now features a wish list, so customers can indicate what music they would like to purchase in the future, a “recommendations” button so they can send music suggestions to friends and family for them to preview or purchase using the app.

V CAST Music comes preloaded on select Android smartphones, and existing customers will be prompted to upgrade the next time they launch the app.  Customers that have phones without V CAST Music on the app screen, can download the new version from the Verizon Channel in the Android Martket^™.  The app is free to download, but customers must have a data package on their account.  Data and usage charges may apply when browsing, previewing and downloading music.

For more information on V CAST Music, visit www.verizonwireless.com/music.  For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

If you’re on regional wireless carrier Alltel and are looking for a low-cost, Android handset, listen up. The wireless provider has just announced the addition of the Samsung Gem to its smartphone lineup. The Gem is an Android 2.1 device that features a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, 800MHz processor, 3.2 megapixel camera (complete with a Superman-logoish bezel), Wi-Fi (with hotspot capabilities), Bluetooth, GPS, micro-SD card slot (support for up to a 16GB card), and 124MB of on-board memory. The Gem will be free with a new 2-year contract after a $50 mail in rebate. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Alltel Wireless launches latest generation Android smartphone – The Samsung Gem™

More applications and additional features from Android touch screen phone free at Alltel

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Alltel Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the number one mobile phone provider in the U.S. 1 today announced the availability of a new smartphone, the Samsung Gem™. . In addition to all the features you look for on an Android device and the large LCD touch display that brings it all to life, the Samsung Gem also offers new features and additional applications designed to give Alltel customers a premium Android experience.

The Samsung Gem comes equipped with Android 2.1 and provides built-in Google mobile services including Google Search™ and Google Maps™ with turn-by-turn GPS navigation. The Google™ user interface applications also allow customers to integrate their Outlook, Facebook and Gmail contacts, putting everything right where they need it on the large touch screen.

“Alltel Wireless is proud to add this advanced and versatile smartphone to our Android lineup,” said Scott Moody, Alltel Wireless Vice President of Products and Services. “The Samsung Gem offers our customers a premium smartphone experience at a great price. The Samsung Gem is now free after a $50 mail in rebate at Alltel Wireless.”

For people who like to keep in touch with their friends, the Samsung Gem also features one-touch direct-to-social site photo posting, allowing users to conveniently post photos, messages or e-mails to their favorite social network sites with a simple touch. The 3.2 megapixel camera gives customers the ability to catch every moment through phone or video.

• The smartphone is also Wi-Fi enabled, giving customers two ways to connect to the Internet – through Alltel’s fast 3G wireless network or through any available Wi-Fi hotspot.
• Bluetooth® wireless technology for a hands-free experience or to easily transfer data to a computer.

The Samsung Gem is available at Alltel Wireless for free after a $50 mail in rebate and a two year service agreement.

Alltel Wireless continues to be an industry leader, providing customers most recently with “Best Value Unlimited Plans” which offer the most affordable and flexible options for those who love to talk and remain connected. Alltel Wireless also provides customers its exclusive “My Circle” feature – unlimited calling to and from any 5, 15 or 25 numbers on any network and unlimited text to their circle on select plans – as well as the innovative “Free Fridays” feature, where all calls on Friday are free on select plans.

In addition to the advanced touchscreen display, Samsung Gem users will text, picture and video message with the Swype virtual keyboard, an innovative system that allows you to simply slide your finger from key to key, only raising it in between words. Consumers will also be able to drag and drop various widgets and icons to personalize their own unique screen.
Additional Samsung Gem key features include: