HAMRICKBLOG

Is It June Yet?

In the mobile world, summer time has become one of the most anticipated seasons of the year.

This is due, in no small part, to the simple fact that the summer months of June and July just happen to be when Apple likes to treat us to new hardware. Fanboy or not, it’s hard to say with a straight face that your interest isn’t at least a little piqued come time for the new iPhone announcement each year.

But does the summer truly belong to Apple now?

In the recent past, the answer could arguably be yes. This year, however, things have changed a bit and the June/July phone purchase decision isn’t as clear-cut and effortless as before.

For one, the Android platform as a whole has made leaps and bounds since last summer.

Software

At last week’s Google I/O developer conference, Android 2.2 (Froyo) was announced with an expected roll-out timeframe of “in the coming weeks” — at least for Google’s baby, the Nexus One. Then, over the weekend, a select few Nexus users were surprised to find the update pushed to their phone already. For others, a manual upgrade is already available.

Android 2.2 brings some added functionality that not only improves the user experience yet again, but makes it a major contender with anything Apple might bring with the next-gen iPhone. Features like portable hotspot functionality, USB tethering and Flash support actually puts Android ahead of the iPhone platform in many respects. Not to mention, Froyo is much, much faster than even Android 2.1, which users didn’t even really complain about in the first place.

Apple has been rolling out beta versions of iPhone OS 4.0 to developers (and anyone else who has a developer account for just such occasions) for the last couple of months, and it is expected to to officially release it with the launch of the next-generation iPhone. OS 4.0 will finally bring at least some form of third party multitasking to the iPhone as well as a bevy of other new features like app folders for de-cluttering your home screen and a unified email inbox.

While RIM isn’t exactly set to steal a whole lot of either Apple or Google’s thunder this Summer, it will likely be launching its upgraded operating system, BlackBerry 6, as well. With updated icons, a slightly revamped and modernized UI along with some added integration of services like Twitter and others, RIM stands a chance to at least keep its loyal users’ interest for a little while longer.

Hardware

Ah, the good stuff. This is where things get really exciting, because by the end of June, we will likely see launches, or at least official details and launch date announcements, on some of the hottest and most talked about devices of the year.

The first phone we will see launched will be the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint. With what is essentially an all-inclusive tech geek’s wish-list of features, the EVO 4G one-ups just about every device on the market in almost every criteria measurable with dual cameras (8 megapixels in the back, 1.3 in the front), a 4.3-inch display, wireless hotspot capabilities for sharing with up to eight devices, Android 2.1 and for the first time in the U.S., 4G connectivity where available. Sprint’s new flagship device is set to launch on June 4th at $199.99 on contract — a very competitive price for such a feature-rich device.

Just three days later, in San Francisco, CA, Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicks off with a keynote by CEO Steve Jobs that is expected to reveal all the hot details on the fourth installment of the iPhone.

We know what the next iPhone will look like, and we’ve got a good idea of some of the features to be included. A higher-resolution display, better camera, front-facing camera and HD video recording are just a few of the hot-ticket items that are all but confirmed And of course, iPhone OS 4.0 is expected to be on board, as well.

Whether Apple will launch it in June or July is still up in the air, and there’s also more and more talk of multiple carrier possibilities flying around as the time draws near, so it will undoubtedly be an interesting announcement.

Even RIM has some potentially fever-inducing launches coming up that could very well see the light of day next month. The Bold 9800 slider, for one, has purportedly begun testing on AT&T with over 1 million of them on order for a mid-to-late June release date with the carrier. The 9800 brings not only a brand-new sliding-QWERTY form factor to the BlackBerry lineup, but also BlackBerry 6.

Also on the yet-to-be-confirmed list for this summer are the Samsung Galaxy S and HTC Desire, both of which may launch on multiple carriers.

Microsoft will be missing the party, it seems, as its most notable releases with Windows Phone 7 will likely not launch until later this year.

Wireless phone enthusiasts will no doubt be faced with quite the conundrum this summer, with the many enticing options wasting no time in presenting themselves. Smartphone users will either be looking at some tough decisions come next month, or a future of costly wireless bills from owning each and every one of those sexy gadgets.

This post originally appeared on Know Your Cell on May 25th, 2010.

Tags: Android, AT&T, BlackBerry 6, Bold, Bold 9800, Comparison, Competition, EVO 4G, Froyo, Galaxy S, iOS, iOS 4.0, iPhone 4, Latest, Microsoft, Samsung, Slider, Smartphone, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Windows Phone 7