Video demo after the cut

Priced at $349, your money gets you the ODROID unit itself, a debug board and connector cable.  There are also two batteries, both a 2GB microSD card and 8GB SDHC card (the ODROID loads the OS from the former and uses the latter for general storage space) and all the schematics and source-code required.

In terms of hardware, the ODROID uses a Samsung Cortex A8 833MHz processor with 512MB of memory, and has a 3.5-inch 320 x 480 capacitive touchscreen.  Connectivity includes WiFi b/g, Bluetooth, and a mini-HDMI, from which 720p HD can be output; there’s also USB Host, line in/out and a 3.5mm headphone jack, together with game-oriented controls.

Meanwhile sales of the global developer model will begin from late November, in advance of the consumer ODROID version which is expected in December 2009.  ODROID is based on the same 833MHz Samsung S5PC100 chipset as found in the iPhone 3GS, paired here with 512MB of RAM and a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen; no 3G, since the ODROID’s focus is gaming not calls, but there’s WiFi b/g, Bluetooth and a mini-HDMI port, together with USB Host.

ODROID 720p HD video playback demo:

ODROID gaming demo:

To recap, the ODROID is a non-3G handheld based on Android and using the same ARM Cortex A8 chipset as you’d find in the iPhone 3GS.  As you can see from the end of the video, below, it also has an HDMI output so you can game on your big-screen TV.  The developer edition went up for preorder this week; as for the final commercial version, that’s expected to drop in December priced at around $250.

There’s no integrated 3G – though there’s a USB port that we think you can plug a 3G dongle into – but you do get WiFi b/g, Bluetooth and a mini-HDMI port.  The whole thing runs Android OS 1.5 from a 2GB TFlash card, while an 8GB SD card is also included for user data.  Developers also get a download/charger cable, serial console debugging board and batteries.

It should be interesting to see what coders can produce when they have the same sort of 3D crunching hardware as in the iPhone 3GS; this could perhaps kick-start the “proper” Android gaming market.  According to the company, the consumer version of the ODROID is expected to drop in December this year, priced at $250.

Video demo after the cut

To be honest, the media player demo isn’t the most interesting thing here, though it does look to be running pretty smoothly on the ODROID.  Considering the handheld is based around the same ARM Cortex A8 chipset as you’d find in the iPhone 3GS, though, that’s not really much of a surprise.

No, what we’re more interested in is seeing the prototype ODROID itself, and while we’re not especially enamoured by the translucent plastic casing – which smacks of cheap aftermarket console shells – it’s always good to see a working device rather than renders.  More information on the ODROID here.

Video demo after the cut

The ODROID has a 3.5-inch 320 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, a 720p-capable HDMI output and WiFi b/g, and while it runs Android it lacks any sort of cellular connectivity.  Instead it’s designed as more of a games handheld, PMP and WiFi MID style device, with a composite TV output, headphones socket, both microSD and SD card slots and a 1,300mAh battery.

The video below shows the ODROID pumping out first 720p HD video content, including 24 and Transformers, before going on to play a game on the big-screen.  We’re still not sure of release dates nor pricing for the handheld, but at least we know it’s gone beyond render art stage.

Hardkernel are seemingly positioning the ODROID as an entertainment device, rather than a smartphone, as it lacks any sort of integrated cellular connectivity.  That seems a little shortsighted, given the rise in collaborative, internet-based gaming, but it will also help keep costs down and avoid the need for subscription-based purchases.

Elsewhere there’s a composite TV output, headphones socket, both microSD and SD card slots and a 1,300mAh battery.  No word on how long you can expect that to last, but Hardkernel seem to expect plenty of button-thrashing as there are several hardware controls.  No word on when we might expect to see the ODROID hit shelves, nor for how much.