Kogan launches Agora, the first Aussie Google Android mobile phone

A SMALL electronics company has beaten the big mobile manufacturers to launch the first Google Android phone in Australia — but it won't ship until 2009.
Kogan Technologies, run by 25-year-old Melbourne entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan, today unveiled the Agora touchscreen handset – the second of its kind in the world.
The phone uses Google's Android mobile phone operating system, a software platform that defines how the user interacts with the handset.
The first phone to use Android, the T-Mobile G1, was launched in the US in September with the search company's co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Google hopes to establish Android as the standard operating system for mobile phones and to improve the quality of web-browsing for handset users.
Last month, Kogan Technologies beat major mobile manufacturers by announcing its Android handset would be available for $199 outright by December 15th.
Now Kogan has begun selling the Agora online – but it is more expensive than expected at $299 and won't ship until next year.
The Agora is a 3G mobile with a touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, and microSD card slot. A "Pro" model with Wi-Fi, a 2 megapixel camera and GPS costs an extra $100.
"The Kogan team have been working very hard to bring out the exciting new phones powered by Google's Android operating system at the right mix of price and specifications," Kogan said.
"We’ve been listening to customers through our blog, and crammed in all the features we possibly could."
Kogan had earlier asked customers to suggest a name for the new mobile, but "Agora" wasn't among the responses.
Google is developing Android as an open source project, meaning anyone can alter the software to suit their needs or to make it compatible with different carriers.
The company is also hoping to bring its expertise in web search technology to mobile users, in anticipation of more people surfing the web on their phones.
However Google will face stiff competition from established players in the market such as Nokia, Microsoft, Apple and Research In Motion, makers of the BlackBerry.