So the ol' MetalMusicMan and I were talking about cell phones the other day and about how we both need new ones...
Me: "I'll probably just wait until the Google phone comes out. I think it's supposed to be out in a couple months."
MMM: "What Google phone?"
Me: "You know, the Google phone. The gPhone? The iPhone competitor made by Google. I think it's supposed to be out in November."
MMM: "There's a Google phone?"
Me: "Are you even listening to me? I think T-Mobile is going to be the first carrier of it, which is cool because I have T-mobile."
MMM: "What's a Google phone?"
Me: *sigh*
I could see the conversation was going nowhere; he suggested that I make a post about it. He suffers from a condition in which all new information must come from forum posts, this condition is common to those whose brains contain so much music knowledge that they simply cannot absorb information audibly anymore. But I digress...
I am going to try and stay informed about both the phone and the software it will contain as much as possible and update this thread with any info I can find. Feel free to help me out in this endeavor if, like me, you are planning on getting one of these little lovelies. Also, just FYI, the "gPhone" name is simply a nickname and the actual phone is not called a gPhone. That would be lame. gPhone just refers to any phone that is android-based.
Android and the Google Phone
Android is the backbone for the gPhone. It's what makes a phone a Google phone, and it's the reason that Google is even involved in the mobile market really. Google won't actually be manufacturing the phones like Apple, they have simply designed the software. More specifcally...
The Android platform is a software stack for mobile devices including an operating system, middleware and key applications. Developers can create applications for the platform using the Android SDK. Applications are written using the Java programming language and run on Dalvik, a custom virtual machine designed for embedded use, which runs on top of a Linux kernel.
While the hardware that Android runs on is sure to be impressive (touch-screens, wifi, and the like), it is Android that differentiates gPhones from other iPhone competitors. Just keep that in mind when reading about how cool the phones are. The phone is only as good as the software that's on it, and the software is Android.
http://androidcommunity.com/- Google promises an open platform with Android.
- Android won't be limited to one manufacturer or just one carrier.
- Android will operate on multiple devices that will offer varying designs and features.
HTC Dream/G1
Android and the Google Phone
This will be the first, but certainly not the only, phone to operate on the Android OS. Here are the leaked specs: Full QWERTY keyboard, 3G/WiFi, full HTML browser, easy access to Google apps, maps (with street view), YouTube, IM and text, email, 3.0-megapixel camera, video playback, a music player plus a memory card slot, and an application store.
Following up on rumorage that pre-sales for the HTC Dream/G1 would start Sept. 17, TmoWorld says they've got the full skinny on T-Mobile's Android debut party: Supposedly, pre-orders will be online only for eligible post-paid customers—lasting through Oct. 3—who will get the phone on Oct. 13, the public launch day. TmoWorld says the subsidized price will be $199 w/ a two-year contract (no one-year option).
