A dream comes true

The website of Android, the open source operating system of the phone, says it was built to enable developers to create mobile applications that 8220;take full advantage of all a handset has to offer8230; An application could call upon any of the phone8217;s core functionality such as making calls, sending text messages, or using the camera, allowing developers to create richer and more cohesive experiences for users8221;. Because it is open source, Android 8220;can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as they emerge. The platform will continue to evolve as the developer community works together to build innovative mobile applications8221;.

All applications are created equal 8212; is Android8217;s clarion call. Android promises to 8220;not differentiate between the phone8217;s core applications and third-party applications8221;. With devices built on the Android platform, 8220;users will be able to fully tailor the phone to their interests8221;.

Equally oustanding is Android8217;s breaking down of application boundaries. A developer can combine information from the web with data on an individual8217;s mobile phone to provide a more relevant user experience. A Google video shows how the 8216;Apps without borders8217; concept works. One engineer who has developed an open source library shows how he uses the camera to scan barcodes and then search products online. His application can also scan barcodes on business cards that automatically show contact name, number and email address, letting users save contacts without keying in the name.

Google and HTC spent three years developing the Android software and handset leading up to the launch last Tuesday. 8220;Google makes software. They needed a hardware partner,8221; says HTC chief marketing officer John Wang. HTC believes working with Google gives it a 8220;big advantage over other mobile phone makers8221;.

Handset makers Motorola, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are all, along with HTC, members of the Open Handset Alliance, a group of corporate supporters Google formed around Android. These companies are believed to be at work designing Android-based handsets, though none of them have announced anything yet.

Having taken the lead, HTC plans more such handsets. The Dream will be available in the US from October 22 for 179.

But HTC India manager Ajay Sharma says the same prices won8217;t be feasible here. His remark must be seen in the context of the disappointment centred around the pricing of the iPhone when it was finally launched in India. Sharma did confirm that the Dream would be coming to India by the end of the year. 8220;People in India are familiar with Google services and the company hopes to capitalise on this. Applications on the handset might be customised for the Indian market. We also expect to see new apps being developed after the India launch,8221; adds Sharma.

Now for the phone. The Dream8217;s casing looks slightly plasticky. But, apparently, it has a rubberised tactile finish, which is supposed to make it pleasing to the touch and less likely to slip out of your hand. Besides the touchscreen, the QWERTY keypad and bottom panel of buttons, there is also a track-ball hidden in the bottom row for pin-point accuracy.

The Dream comes packed with all of Google8217;s most popular services. Stuff Magazine says the handset has a full HTML web browser with one-touch access to Google Search. It is powered by a full touchscreen user interface where you can scroll by swiping your finger across the page or zoom in on a specific section with a simple tap. There is also email syncing support 8212;which covers a host of services beyond Gmail, a YouTube viewer and, of course, Google Maps. Google Maps with Street View is perhaps one of the G1/Dream8217;s most exciting features, as it allows you to search for a location, and then, provided it8217;s covered by Street View, use your handset as a virtual remote viewer for that location. This means you can pan your device around in the real world and see the Street View on your screen reflect those movements in real time. Though the Dream sports WiFi, 3G and EDGE connectivity, there8217;s no GPS to speak of8212;its mapping functions work via a built-in compass.

The Dream comes pre-loaded with a new Amazon.com application that gives customers easy access to Amazon MP3 digital music store with more than 6 million DRM-free tracks. Using the new application, customers are able to search, sample, purchase and download music from Amazon MP3 directly to their device, much like the iTunes store on iPhone. Whether this feature would be available in India is, however, a different question.

The G1/Dream also comes with the Android Marketplace Google8217;s answer to the App Store, so you can start loading up all sorts of third-party applications. The difference is that Android being a much more open operating system, developers can allow their applications to run in the background even while you are running an OS application.
So the wait is on once more for an Indian launch. Whether the G1/Dream will be launched in all its open source glory and whether we will have a 3G network to run it on , only time will tell.

HTC G1/Dream
Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201A,
528 MHz
Operating System: Android
Memory: ROM 256 MB, RAM 192 MB
Dimensions LxWxT 117.7 mm x 55.7 mm x 17.1 mm
Weight: 158 gram with battery
Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320 x 480 HVGA resolution
Network HSDPA/WCDMA: Up to 7.2 Mbps down-link HSDPA and 2 Mbps up-link HSUPA speeds, Quad-band
GSM/GPRS/EDGE
Camera: 3.2 mp
Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion
battery Expansion: Slot microSD memory card
Special features: Digital compass, motion sensor