CPhone breaks cover in China, gives oPhone some Android competition

Android is capturing the hearts and minds of smartphone users around the world. Surprisingly, China’s Red Wall of Censorship hasn’t gotten in the way of Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s Chinese aspirations. A new Android phone has broken cover at the PT & Network Comm China show, giving the Chinese masses yet another Android option to fawn over. China’s home-grown Android platform, dubbed oPhone, has already been announced for the LG GW880 and looks like a potential winner, but the newly unveiled Access CPhone might give it some competition.

The CPhone apparently runs a customized version of the Android OS 1.5 “Cupcake” build. From what we can tell, the CPhone features a cartoonish widget-based user interface and support for China’s CMMB TV mobile television service. With China Mobile (NYSE: CHL) laying claim to the oPhone (which has been rumored as the cause for Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s iphone negotiation troubles with China Mobile) and China Unicom taking on the iconic iPhone itself, word has it that Access is courting China Telecom to carry the CPhone. The Chinese Android handset is even being heralded as the oPhone killer.

We like the CPhone’s large touchscreen and sleek design – thin display bezels have a way of making a handset look amazing. It’s just too bad the CPhone’s user interface makes it look like a “my first Android smartphone.”

[Via: Ubergizmo]