There have been some interesting developments of late in regards to Android and the increasingly important role it is playing in the current lineup of high-end smart phones. The Sprint Evo 4G is so anticipated that employees are executing lineups outside Sprint stores on the morning of June 4th. I have seen the device and it is probably the most attractive piece of technology I’ve ever used.

But advancing to what isn’t for sure yet: what is the Motorola Shadow? Is it the equivalent of the Droid 2? Will it have a slide out keyboard? There are a lot of signs that point to, “Yes” for both questions. That it will be coming to Verizon is a given. This is disappointing but not unexpected. The carrier seems to be quite adept at getting OEM manufacturers to create for them some wonderful exclusive devices. When the Droid emerged in September 2009, it was unknown when the GSM equivalent would emerge for the rest of the world. Telus did end up bringing the phone to North America in February, but by then the King of Android had been dethroned by Google’s own Nexus One. The second iteration of the Droid should up the game by quite a lot: Snapdragon processor (1GHZ), 8GB internal storage, HDMI out, 4.3″ screen. Beauty.

As for the EVO 4G and Droid Incredible, Sprint and Verizons’ flagship Android devices, they have both been rooted recently, which is a lovely surprise, considering how close to Froyo we are getting. I have been using Froyo for a week or so now on my Nexus One, and it’s lovely. Very quick, stable and the wireless tethering option is oh-so-sweet.

Plus the EVO 4G has had paid video conferencing, and then it didn’t anymore. Apparently, that supposed $5 cost for the two-way video conferencing via Qik is only for premium features, and the core functionality will always be free.

The Samsung Galaxy S is also headed to AT&T in one form or another. This device, with its SuperAMOLED screen, promotes better brightness and daylight viewability over regular AMOLED screens, currently seen on the Nexus One and HTC Desire, among others.