Not satisified with Google's "coming soon" label, Vodafone UK has said it will start selling the Nexus One "in a few short weeks."

"No detail on pricing and precise timing has yet been made, but that will come in a few weeks."

Coming up after that is France, Germany and Spain. The N1 also will be sold directly through Google, as it is in the U.S., as well. [via Yahoo]

Try not to roll your eyes at this too much, but Lenovo today announced "Lephone," which is an Android-powered touch-slab form. It's said to be just 12mm thick and very round. Also front and center is a 3.7-inch, 480x800 touchscreen. Other than that, it's devoid of buttons to the point that even Apple stands up and takes notice.

Under the hood: A 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. Also, a 3MP camera and 3G data (natch). Look for "Lephone" sometime in the next six months in China. [via phonescoop]

Hey, AT&T users, you guys are getting Android phones. AT&T finally came to their senses and is finally (!) joining the Android party. We'll forgive them for being late because we're sure AT&T users all around the nation are excited to get their hands on some Android devices, and oh will there be Android devices. In fact, AT&T promises to launch FIVE Android phones in the first half of 2010 alone. Those devices will include:

• A Motorola smartphone, powered by MOTOBLUR, with a unique form factor and an AT&T exclusive
• Dell’s first smartphone, based on the Android platform and an AT&T exclusive
• A HTC smartphone, based on the Android platform, and an AT&T exclusive

The AT&T Dell Android phone is purportedly the Dell Mini 3i we've seen launch in China and Brazil. The other devices are unknown at the moment but we'll definitely be keeping a watchful eye on this.

Android is now on all big 4 carriers in the US. Congratulations are definitely in order!

[at&t, at&t]

When the Chevrolet Volt electric car because available later this year, it'll do so with an Android counterpart in tow. A Volt application for Android (and the iPhone and BlackBerry Storm) is in the works that will let you communicate with the Volt and manage how it's charging.

Connecting through the OnStar service, there's a bank of standard gauges that will show you the car's status. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. From there, you receive reminders to plug in the vehicle (how weird does that sound?), or recharging power is cut. That not smart enough for you? You can set the car to only charge during off-peak utility times. You can turn on the heat or AC remotely while it's still plugged into the grid, saving the battery.

There's a demo available now for the Motorola Droid at OnStarMobileDemo.com. This isn't quite Jetsons flying car stuff, but it's definitely getting closer.

Via AutoBlog

It's not every day that you see smartphone nerdery atop some of the nation's biggest newspapers. But darting through the airport this morning, we found the Google Nexus One stripped across USA Today; as a hotbox on the Wall Street Journal, referring to Uncle Walt's review (shut up!); and as the centerpiece of the San Francisco Chronicle (natch, seeing as how the "Google Versus Apple" battle is in its backyard).

Say what you will about newspapers (and I can say plenty), but it's good to see the old establishment giving some smartphone love. How about you guys? Find the N1 in your hometown rag?

Wall Street Journal | USA Today | San Francisco Chronicle (images via Newseum.org)

Ah, the iPhone. For better or worse, the iPhone has become the starting point for many consumers looking to buy a smartphone. In a sense, it's become the standard for everyone to measure themselves against. Because of its position at the forefront of consumer's minds and the fact that it's in everyone's pocket, that's completely fair. But because of Apple's sometimes senseless decisions in dealing with all things iPhone, it leaves the rest of us a little uneasy.

Regardless, the iPhone is undoubtedly a cultural phenomenon and has been ever since it was released in 2007. Apple kicked down the door with the original iPhone, upped the ante with the iPhone 3G, and is continuing to count each and every dollar with the iPhone 3GS. To call it anything but successful is to not give it fair credit; the momentum it continues to hold is simply amazing.

So yes, the iPhone is ridiculously successful but don't think it's all peaches, ponies, and paradise--the iPhone platform is far from perfect. There are issues and shortcomings with the iPhone. Oh yes there are. We'll take a look at everything in the full review below!

Hit the jump to see the iPhone reviewed from an Android Perspective!

Not impressed with the regular sized Nexus One? Take a look at this giant sized version. Ooh..big glass. Yeah, now that's a 'superphone' for you. Since the Nexus One won't actually be available in stores, we're wondering where this gigantic demo unit is headed. Will it join the Giant Android Robot and friends? Who knows, but if Google wants to drop it off at the Android Central HQ, we'll find somewhere to put it.

Check out the gigantic sized Nexus One in a video after the jump!

[via searchengineland]

From the Forums is a great way for you, our readers, to see the hottest topics being discussed. But you must be a registered member and becoming a member is a simple process. So if you have not already already done so, head on over and register now!

• Beautiful Widgets has made its return to the market. Improved are such things as the ability to change that clock font.
• Check out our new Samsung Moment FAQ for a bunch of general information along with issues and resolutions.
• There has been a lot of hype lately surrounding the Sony Ericcson Xperia X10 but the big question remains - flop or not? Voice your opinion in this poll thread!
• Much has been said about the Moto Droid hardware keyboard. Either way, voice your opinion in this thread and let us know how it's treating you: How is your Droid keyboard experience?

See you on the forums!

Good news and bad news for those of you on Rogers with either the HTC Dream or Magic. You've already been told you're not getting an upgrade from Android 1.5, and that's not changing. (That's the bad news.)

The good news: Magic owners will see Android 2.1 later this year. As for Dream owners, well, you'll be getting an exciting new update that's still not anything other than Android 1.5. (OK, that's bad news, too. Sorry, we tried.)

Here's some of what Rogers had to say:

First, we will be implementing an update for the 1.5 OS to both the HTC Dream and HTC Magic in the upcoming weeks. These will offer a number of benefits for these devices, including bringing the HTC Sense experience to the HTC Magic, although the OS version will remain 1.5.

By mid-year, HTC will issue an upgrade to Android 2.1, including the highly acclaimed HTC Sense experience for the HTC Magic.

However, due to certain limitations on the HTC Dream, the software path for the HTC Dream will not be developed beyond the next Android 1.5 update. While we regret not being able to offer the same updates to both devices, by bringing this upgrade to the HTC Magic, we are delivering the best solution possible given the situation at hand.

We know that's not going to make you folks feel any better, but some update is better than no update, we guess. Complete statement after the break.

We've seen how the cost of the Google Nexus One stacks up against, well, itself. But  how does the Nexus One and its official T-Mobile plan stack up against the iPhone 3GS (AT&T), Palm Pre (Sprint) and its Android cousin, the Motorola Droid (Verizon)?

See the bottom line after the break, brought to you by BillShrink, which does the math so you (and we) don't have to. [via TechCrunch]