While it still isn't in the United States yet, LG's newest mobile phone uses the Android operating system.  Debuting as the LG GW620 in Europe and the Eve in Canada, the newest smart-phone from LG is using Android along with Windows Mobile as its OS.

It's a slick smart-phone featuring a touch screen and a slide out QWERTY keyboard.  Other technical specifications include:

• Dualband UMTS GSM


• WiFi and Bluetooth


• 2 or 4 GB internal storage


• microSD card slot


• 5 megapixel camera

One standout feature of this phone is the SNS Manager (Social Networking Service) that connects social media sites Facebook and Twitter into a single mobile application.  Facial recognition connects people in photos to the phone's contact entry.

Android is an open source operating system designed specifically for mobile applications.  The company was acquired in 2005 by Google and the first Android OS phone was released last year.  Market research firm Gartner has predicted Android will be the second most popular OS for mobile phones by 2012.

Google has said there could be as many as 20 Android handsets available worldwide by the end of 2009.  Right now HTC has three Android handsets on the market and Motorola's Droid sold 250,000 units during the first week it went on sale.  Once these other handsets are released I'm betting we'll see much different numbers next year.  Wired has written there will be 12 new Android handsets available by the end of this year including the LG GW620.

The GW620 is a beautiful looking phone with a black face bordering the touch screen. Contemporary use of silver and grey distinguish the QWERTY keyboard.  Placement of the SD port and other input ports make the GW620 look just like a mini-computer.  By adopting the Android OS, handset makers can now focus more on design and functionality rather than having to worry about developing software.  Phone companies will be able to distinguish their products by design and this new LG phone reflects those efforts.

LG's newest cell phone, the GW620 smart-phone with the Android OS will be released to market in the United States before the end of the year.  It is already available in Europe and is called the Eve in Canada.