G1 News

One of the big Android developer success stories was ShopSavvy, a frankly mind-expanding app which made the chore of shopping more like a beautiful and painless experience.

By simply scanning the bar code of any product using the T-Mobile G1’s built-in camera, ShopSavvy search for the best prices online and nearby shops in physical space, using the internal GPS gubbins. It also has a bevy of Amazon-style product reviews to give consumers all the ammo they need to make the right purchase.

ShopSavvy rightly won Google’s bajillion dollar Android Developer Challenge and is currently available in Google’s Marketplace.

The only shortcoming was that the UK and Europe did not have a localised version, allowing shoppers to save by checking shops on this side of the pond… Well all that is about to change, as developers Big In Japan have released at the G1’s European launch event in Hamburg stating that ShopSavvy is coming over here on February 2nd!

“We are delighted to participate in today’s launch event in Hamburg and to spread the word about ShopSavvy in Germany and across Europe,” said Alexander Muse, co-founder of Big in Japan. “Even as of today, the ShopSavvy application has been used in 38 countries. We are confident that the European market will respond well to a ShopSavvy application that has been customized for European consumers.”

That we will… Just make sure you remove Woolworths from your list of retailers by the time it gets here. And Empire Direct. And Zavvi. And Land of Leather.

Wow, this credit crunch is biting.

UPDATE: Alexander Muse, co-founder of Big In Japan brought to my attention that an EU localised version of ShopSavvy launched as early as January 15th, so download it already! Oh man, am so chuffed that he even noticed G1 News existed!

The home of global trade (as well as other items of questionable origin) Alibaba seems an unlikely home for the latest Android handset, but sure enough Shenzhen JoinCyber Telecom Equipment Co., Ltd. is selling a phone which looks very similar to the recently canned, resolutionally challenged Kogan Agora…

For a mere 240 HKD (£22.30), you too could own the ‘Shining phone,’ seemingly a piece of defunct history! Oh, and you have to buy a minimum of 100 in a job lot, so that’s Xmas 2oo9 sorted as far as presents to loved ones go! Nana’ll love it!

Of course, it is little surprise that the same design has cropped up, as this Chinese manufacturer is probably where it came from in the first place… Roll on Android-powered Veptu handsets, that’s all I say!

Source: Engadget

In an official statement, Korean handset manufacturer has decided to throw their Android-shaped hat into the ring by announcing a handset due for release in 2oo9, powered by Google’s open-source platform.

“We are accelerating the development process for Google phone in order to meet the specific need of local carriers,” according to an official Samsung spokesperson in a report from NewsOXY.

Samsung’s new handset will be released on the Sprint and T-Mobile networks in their respective territories, and is rumoured to feature a full touch screen interface, as is currently the style of the time!

Wait, T-Mobile? I thought they already had a love-in with HTC making the G1 and all? Does this mean that T-Mobile will be stocking rival Android-powered handsets?

It seems very likely. Despite having a good 4 or 5 months of daylight as the only Google-powered phone, competition to the T-Mobile G1 will be very real and very fierce very soon! Why risk losing so many potential sales by not stocking rival Android handsets?

Exciting times!