AT&T's First Android Phone In Danger Of Being CanceledAT&T's First Android Phone In Danger Of Being Canceled

AT&T was to have the HTC Lancaster, a phone that was developed for AT&T by the cell phone maker, launch sometime in the third quarter of this year. With just five weeks to go in the quarter, it appears that a delay is inevitable and a cancellation is possible.According to DigiTimes, HTC is having a rough time getting the phone to pass AT&T's validation procedure.

This would adversely affect HTC's revenues for the balance of 2009, and understandably so. The T-Mobile G-1 has been very popular but that device isn't on a top-tier network like Verizon or AT&T. An Android powered phone on AT&T's network should be a hot seller, especially leading up to the Christmas season.

Competitively, it puts HTC in a bad position. The article notes that Motorola, Sony Ericsson LG Electronics and half a dozen other manufacturers will be hitting the market with 15-20 Android phones by the end of this year. The Lancaster, while not HTC's only Android offering, was going to be a big one in the US.

HTC is no slouch when it comes to building phones. They have done such a superb job of customizing Windows Mobile phone one almost forgets that they are using a phone with a four year old UI on it. It makes me wonder what is holding up approval by AT&T. Could AT&T be tweaking it so much, making up for their total lack of control with the iPhone, that they are asking for too much, too soon with the new platform?

If you are an AT&T subscriber and had been waiting on this phone, Keep your ears and eyes open. It may be only delayed a little while, but the risk of outright cancellation still looms.