Slew of new Android phones

This week, LinuxDevices reported a flurry of new Android phones, including

• Motorola i1, the first Android phone for the Sprint Nextel (i.e. Nextel) iDEN network;
• Dell Aero, the AT&T variant of the Dell Mini 3i being offered in China;
• HTC Evo 4G, the first Android phone to support the Sprint/Clearwire WiMax network;
• Sprint announced it will offer the Nexus One, the first CDMA carrier to do so; and
• Kyocera Zio M6000, the first phone from Kyocera (which made the early 6035 Palm OS smartphone). The phone is rumored to be bound for the Cricket discount cellphone service.

The proliferation of Android phones is good for Google and good for carriers, but the fragmentation of the Android customer base will make it increasingly more difficult for handset makers to earn a return on their Android investments, unless (as HTC is doing) they engage in product proliferation.