It was once “Google vs Microsoft vs Yahoo.” Today, the picture has changed to something more like “Google vs Bingahoo vs Apple.” In case you missed it, Google is now in battle with Apple in almost every field; they both have tablets, both have immensely popular smartphones, and within a month Google will be showcasing a would-be “iPod killer.”
According to a report from our friends over at Engadget, a Samsung device powered by Android should be showcased at CES in January. This device isn’t a phone or a tablet — just a plain old MP3 player that lets you access WiFi and a huge array of apps (and for those of you who didn’t notice, that’s the exact description we could give to the iPod touch).
The hardware specs on the little system are definitely dazzling. A four inch LCD screen with an 800 by 480 resolution, a 1GHz processor (we’re all guessing at a Hummingbird), and dual-cameras are just the start. All of this comes packaged with Android 2.2, although some modifications are expected, and it may well be that the platform upgrades from Froyo to Gingerbread (2.3) prior to its release.
We don’t have any further details, including pictures, pricing, or a release date, but details are expected to arrive at CES when a full presentation is made. We will give further updates at that time.
Samsung has made this attempt in the past with the Galaxy Player, but it never hit full force. And will Google be able to help them? Well, the Zune tried this and failed, but then, Microsoft hasn’t had nearly the success with handhelds that Google has. It’s no sure bet, but it may well be the first real iPod competitor that we’ve seen in recent years.
