As you might have already heard, T-Mobile is sending out
invitations to an event during which it will officially unveil the first cell
phone powered by Google’s mobile OS, Android.
The phone, which is build by HTC and for the moment goes
under the code-name of Dream, it was described as a combination between an
iPhone and a Blackberry.
According to the various reports and rumors, Android-powered
HTC will have a large screen and a keyboard to ease web surfing.
However, there are no official details about the HTC Dream ,
but T-Mobile’s event is already surrounded by rumors and speculations as
everyone is trying to predict how much it will cost or how many units it will
sell.
So far, it is believed that the new phone, which is already
regarded as a competitor for Apple’s iconic iPhone, will be on sale sometime in
October. Apparently, T-Mobile will demo the device and its OS during the
September 23 event.
The Wall Street Journal noted that according to people familiar
with the matter, the device will sell for $199. What is more surprising is that
the device will showcase Google brand, which is quite unusual, because the
mobile phones list the brand of manufacturer and/or the one of the carrier.
Google hopes that T-Mobile will sell at high volumes and it
will encourage other phone makers to adopt Android.
For Google, the launch of the HTC Dream, means a victory,
especially since earlier this year the Mountain View-company was confronted
with rumors saying that the Android-based devices will be delayed until 2009.
However, for Google, the unveiling of HTC Dream is just the
first step in its long battle to conquer the mobile realm.
Of course, HTC Dream is a milestone, but let's not forget
that unlike Apple, which is centered to develop a phone, Google’s goal is more
ambitious.
Google aims not only to develop a phone, but a mobile OS to
compete directly with Nokia’s Symbian and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile.
It seems like Google has learned from its competitor,
Microsoft, and knows that a robust, cheap and stable OS for mobile phones is
the key to the new era, the one of the mobile devices. In addition, it remains
to be seen how the traditional phone makers will react to Google’s new toy.
Apple has proved that a traditional computer company is able
to produce a real revolution, so why not assume that Google will manage to do
the same.
Based on a single device, it will be hard to judge how good
Android is, but HTC Dream could offer interesting hints about where Android is
heading to.