That's right—it can access your Twitter, Flickr and Facebook accounts via Wi-Fi in addition to features like an 800 X 600 LCD display, the ability to email photos to and from the frame, RSS support and smart photo playlists. Personally, I think the PC and my iPhone provide all of the Twittering my fragile sanity can handle, but if you can't get enough, the Kogan frame will be available starting in July for $169 AUD ($133). [Kogan via PC Authority]

Apparently, Android app developers could produce programs that needed a higher screen resolution than what the Agora was destined to have. That meant back to the drawing board for the Kogan team—unless they wanted apps to not work on their phone.

Anyone who pre-ordered an Agora will have their money refunded in full. Hopefully for all our friends down under, it won't take too long for Kogan to find a solution to this regrettable problem. [Gizmodo Australia]

Kogan Agora to be delayed

Melbourne, AUSTRALIA, 16th January 2009 - Kogan Technologies' Agora phone will be delayed indefinitely due to potential future interoperability issues.

Kogan Technologies founder Ruslan Kogan said the phone will undergo a significant redesign in order to ensure its compatibility with all future Android applications.

"The Agora reached a very late stage of development, manufacturing had commenced and we were within days of shipping the product to customers. But it now seems certain the current Agora specifications will limit its compatibility or interoperability in the near future," Ruslan Kogan said.

"One potential issue is that developers may create applications for the Android operating system at a higher resolution and screen size than the Agora provides in its current form.

"I am sorry for this delay, but in the interests of proving the best possible product at the best possible price, I cannot disappoint my customers by supplying a product that I am aware will shortly have significant limitations.

"My priority is to release a phone that will do justice to the Kogan brand and offer great value to our customers. Since the design of the Agora, the Android community has been growing quickly, with new developers setting out their objectives to create a host of feature-rich applications. I now believe that in order to access all the Android platform has to offer, the Agora must be redesigned.

"The Kogan team is already hard at work designing a new phone that will be better suited to the needs of Android application developers and our customers."

All customers who pre-ordered the Agora will receive a full refund.

Ruslan Kogan will continue to blog about and discuss the redevelopment of the Agora at www.kogan.com.au/blog

Response is snappy, which could be down to the Agora's hardware or the as-of-yet uncertain scalability of Android. The interface seems to work fine on this differently shaped screen, and the hybrid touch/keyboard navigation, partially explored with the G1 but more fully realized here, is a natural fit for the OS.

In fact, this whole form factor looks like it suits Android quite well, so a certain other manufacturer who builds touchscreen/QWERTY phones and is planning a new non-Android OS should probably watch closely, and pray that companies like Kogan don't come out with a less-clunky variant of the Agora. The Agora's formal debutant party is at CES, so look out for more sightings and even a hands-on. [Giz AU]

To refresh your memory, the Kogan Agora Pro is available now for international pre-order at $399 with a 2.5-inch touchscreen, 3G, a 624 MHz processor, 128 MB RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 2 MP camera and a 400 minutes of talk time. A second model comes without the Wi-Fi, GPS and camera for $299. Both are slated for release on January 29th. [Kogan and modmygphone]

There are a few things missing here, as the data connection and on-screen keyboard don't seem to be functioning for the time being. This makes checking out some of Android's most important functions sort of difficult, but in the context of a disappointing and complete dearth of new Android hardware since the G1, it's a comfort to see the OS running on something—anything—else. Any optimism this video inspires, though, should be slight—the Kogan and QIGI Android phones will be released as far away from here as possible, in Australia and China, respectively. [Engadget]

Kogan claims they spent a lot of time listening to direct feedback from consumers on what features they wanted most, and what price point they were looking to buy at, then Kogan filtered it down to the Agora. The phone sells without a contract or carrier obligation and also features a 624 MHz processor, 128 MB RAM, wi-fi, 2 MP camera and 400 minutes of talk time. A lesser equipped Kogan Agora is also available, lacking the camera, wi-fi and GPS for 299 Australian dollars. As mentioned earlier, pre-orders are available not only to Australian markets, but the rest of the world as well. And the Agora will start shipping on January 29. [Kogan]

KOGAN UNVEILS ‘AGORA’
FIRST AUSSIE PHONE POWERED BY ANDROID™

MELBOURNE, Thursday 4th December 2008 – Kogan Technologies today unveiled the Kogan Agora, the first Australian mobile phone powered by the Android™ operating system.

Kogan Technologies will sell the Agora for AU$299 and the Agora Pro for AU$399. Both models are available for sale today on www.kogan.com.au. The phones are sold outright – with no contract – and will work on any network.

The Kogan Agora (AU$299) features a full QWERTY keyboard, central navigation key, 2.5” touchscreen, microSD slot, and 3G connectivity.

The Kogan Agora Pro (AU$399) adds a 2 MP camera, Wi-Fi, and GPS to the Agora’s impressive specifications.

Both models will ship to customers – in Australia and internationally – on January 29th 2009.

Kogan Technologies founder, Ruslan Kogan, said the Agora is proof that his company is achieving its goal of offering the latest technology at the best value prices.

“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. The end result is the best value, fully-featured phone in the Australian market.

“We worked closely with manufacturers and vendors to develop drivers, software, and tweaks to make the Agora an intuitive and exciting experience for everyone.

“The design and features of the Kogan Agora makes the phone appeal to both consumers and business users.

“The Android operating system means the handset can capture and play music, photos and video, surf the web, play games, navigate, and organise your life with extremely powerful applications."

Kogan has been a long time supporter of open source and Android™ provides a real alternative to Apple’s proprietary operating system for the iPhone.

“Google is a key player in developing efficient and innovative online solutions for customers around the world. The open source nature of Android means the operating system will continually improve over time,” Kogan said.

Some of the applications pre-loaded on the Kogan Agora are:

· Gmail™
· Google Search™
· Google Calender™
· Google Maps™
· Google Talk™
· YouTube™

HIGHLIGHTS:
· 2.5-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen
· Integrated QWERTY keyboard
· High-speed 3G network connection
· One-Touch Google Search ™
· Easy Web Browsing
· Easy-to-use email with attachment support for images, videos, music and documents
· Customisable Home Screen with instant Email, text message and IM notifications
· Instant access to mobile Internet services (Gmail ™, YouTube ™, Google Talk ™, Google Calendar ™, Google Maps ™)
· Music Player
· microSD™ expansion slot for all your storage needs
· Wi-Fi network access (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
· GPS navigation capability (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
· 2.0 megapixel camera (included with Kogan Agora Pro)

SPECIFICATIONS:

Operating System
Android™
Google Mobile Functions
Google Search™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Maps™, Google Talk™, Google Calendar™.
Display
2.5-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 262K QVGA (320 X 240 pixel) resolution
Device Control
Central Navigation Key
Keyboard
QWERTY keyboard
Keyboard backlighting
GPS
GPS navigation capability (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
Connectivity
Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11b/g (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
Camera
2.0 megapixel colour camera (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
Audio
Built-in microphone and speaker
Headphone jack
Ring tone formats:
· MIDI, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, PCM
Video
Video formats supported:
· MPEG2 H263, H264, MPEG4, AVI
Mail attachment support

Viewable document types:
· JPEG, GIF, WBMP, MIDI, AMR, MP3, WAV
Dimensions (HxWxD)
108 mm x 64 mm x 14.8 mm
Weight
130g
Battery
Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1300 mAh
Talk Time
Up to approximately 400 minutes
Standby Time
Up to approximately 300 hours
Processor MHz
624 MHz
Memory
ROM:
256 MB
RAM:
128 MB

microSD™ card expansion slot
Network

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Other than as described in this release, Kogan and its products, are not affiliated with Google Inc or its products. Google™, Android™, Google Search™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Maps™, Google Talk™, Google Calendar™ are trademarks of Google Inc. Use of these trademarks is subject to Google Permissions.

About Kogan Technologies
Kogan Technologies is a wholly-owned Australian company established in 2006 by entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan. Kogan sells a wide range of consumer electronics in Australia, New Zealand, and around the world. The Kogan promise is based on a unique business model that passes the savings of dealing direct with the manufacturers onto Australian consumers. Bypassing middlemen, Kogan is able to offer the latest technology at the most affordable prices. Kogan’s unique blend of quality technology and value for money offers price-conscious Australian technology consumers a real choice.