TORONTO – Rogers Wireless has kicked off a promotional campaign in support of ‘the Android Market’, an on-line application store accessible only through the two Google smart phones that the company is launching on June 2.
The HTC Dream and HTC Magic smart phones, the first cell phones powered by Google Inc.’s Android platform, will allow for access to a range of Google mobile services, including Google Search, Google Maps, and Gmail.
"Innovation is part of our DNA at Rogers Wireless," said John Boynton, senior vice president and CMO, in the press release. "The leading-edge Android-powered HTC Dream and HTC Magic will allow consumers to fully personalize their handsets with an expansive choice of apps in Android Market, when they launch in June."
The open distribution channel for mobile applications (apps) already features more than 3200 apps, and that number is “growing rapidly”, the release said. Some of the “highly popular” apps already available in Android Market include:
– Shazam: Allows users to identify a song by holding their phone to a speaker. Consumers can then store or buy the track, or, learn more about the artist by connecting directly to their MySpace page.
– ShopSavvy: This application lets shoppers scan the barcode of an item, and will search the web and nearby stores for a better price.
– PicSay: Billed as intuitive and easy-to-use, this program can colour-correct photos, or add titles, graphics and effects to pictures, directly from the handset.
Both smart phones will run on Rogers’ 3.5G, 7.2 Mbps high-speed packet access network, which will enable wireless download speeds similar to standard broadband connections, giving customers “the only true mobile broadband experience in the country today”, the release continued.
Still no mention of any pricing, but Rogers said that it will release additional details of the launch “soon”.
