18 More Android Phones Coming by the End of 2009

Thinking of buying the HTC Magic? Read this first!

HTC announced to us that the Magic, Hong Kong’s first Android powered phone would be on sale in the next week across the city. Today Google comes out and tells everyone that they expect at least 18, maybe 20, phones that will run the Android OS by the end of the year:

Andy Rubin, senior director for Mobile Platforms for Google and the spearhead of the Android operating system, said the number could be as high as 20. (That figure does not include devices made by manufacturers that use a basic Android system but have not apprised Google of its use). The 18 to 20 devices Google knows about will be made by eight or nine different manufacturers, Mr. Rubin said.

He declined to say which manufacturers will make said phones or for which wireless carriers. At present, there are at least two Android-centric phones — T-Mobile’s G1 available in the United States and a phone called “Magic” made by HTC and available in Europe.

Mr. Rubin said that, in general, carriers will be slower in the United States to introduce Android phones than in Europe. The reason, he said, is that the domestic market is so competitive that carriers and handset makers want to create highly distinctive versions of the Android phone to give themselves an edge.

We already posted the news on Samsung’s i7500 model, Acer has said they will make one and we know Motorola hired a bunch of Android developers so we’re pretty sure that every mobile phone company except Nokia will have at least one. So if the Magic’s very steep HK$4680 launch price is too high for you, you can bet there’ll be more less-costly options coming down the pipe soon. With so much selection and price points in the smartphone market this year, do yourself, your friends and loved ones a favor and make sure none of them purchase a Windows Mobile powered phone

If you can decipher the Singlish (we kid!) you can watch this review from Cnet Singapore on the Samsung Android phone:

And with the launch of the 1.5 OS update for Android coming very soon, you can watch this video and see some of the changes they made (to a phone we never saw in Hong Kong to begin with) to the 1st gen Android: