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Here’s another IFA-2010 product release in Berlin. It looks like an Android phone, but it’s actually a portable media player (PMP), and this entry is from Philips. SlashGear got to look at it up close and personal, and they also provided plenty of pictures. Despite the display without multitouch, they report the Philips GoGear Connect feels more like a handset than an iPod Touch wanna-be.
Available in 3 sizes (8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB of internal storage) and capable of adding up to 32 GB using a microSD card, the GoGear connect has WiFi b/g/n. Fire up the Android Market (Android OS 2.1 onboard, no scheduled date for Android 2.2 upgrade) and select a VoIP app, and now you’ve got an almost-phone provided you’re near a WiFi spot. Yes, that means the PMP has a speaker and a microphone.
Believe it or not, this device has a trackball despite the 3.2 inch touchscreen. The Android experience is not quite stock Android, as you cannot pull down the status bar. And the audio and video uses Philips’ own apps, and they work well with a three-pane display of artists, albums, and tracks. There’s even an equalizer app to set which frequency ranges to emphasize.
The least expensive unit, with 8 GB of storage, is expected to retail for €249. The Philips Connect GoGear should ship in October. I’m wondering how this can possibly compete with an Apple iPod Touch at such a high price for 8 GB, even if you can expand the storage with a storage card. Perhaps it will end up selling at a deeper discount.
Enjoy the video, courtesy of SlashGear, which demonstrates the high points.
Sources: SlashGear, Android Community