Android (OS) Dream coming true?
Posted by Jacque on August 15th, 2008
The last few days have produced a flurry of speculation and rumors about the first Google Phone based on the Android OS possibly being on the market early this fall. The phone, coming out from T-Mobile, is nicknamed “Dream.” It will have a touch screen like the iPhone, but will also have a slide-out keyboard.
Wired Blog Network says that according to an unofficial T-Mobile blog, the first version of the multimedia GPhone will be released by HTC starting on September 17 for one week, for T-Mobile customers only. This offer will be immediately followed by a general release a week later.
The phone’s rumored price is $150 for the first week only, and then up to $250 and $400 (likely depending on the size) the week after that. That $150 price point will place it right between the iPhone and Sprint’s Samsung Instinct, but “if it’s more expensive, not even an innovative new OS and the hype that will come with it will make people run for it.” Data pricing, a complete unknown now, might determine how attractive, or not, the phone finally is.
Ars Technica notes the launch date is up in the air due to uncertainties in the Federal Communication Commission’s timing. The Commission must first approve both the hardware and software for use on US cell networks before it can be sold to customers. Reportedly, executives at all three companies (Google, HTC, and T-Mobile) plan to announce the phone in September in order to benefit from impending holiday season sales.
The Ars post contains links to some first videos of the Android Dream.
TechCrunch says, “It will take an army of Android phones across many carriers and countries to start to seriously challenge the iPhone.” Their concern, apparently, is that a rush to market is unlikely to produce a product like iPhone where so much attention to detail is found. On the other hand, one only has to keep up with mobile-community blog posts to see plenty of criticism of the iPhone.
Want to see what some others are saying? Take a look at Lifehacker, ABC News, and Cnet.