HTC’s “Dream”: First Android Phone Ever?

Google announced its Android smartphone operating system a while back and now there are rumors that Taiwanese handset maker HTC has an Android phone in the works.

According to “Infoworld”, the mobile phone, HTC has been developing to run on the Android software from Google will be called "Dream". Also the phone is said to include both a full QWERTY keyboard and a nice, big touchscreen.

Some expected features of the “Dream” are that the handset will be over 5 inches long and 3 inches wide, with a keypad underneath the screen that either slides out or swivels out. The aim of the keypad is for easy e-mail, note-taking, and writing Web addresses. Internet navigational controls are expected to be situated below the screen on the handset.

A full complement of cutting-edge features like GPS geo-location, sleek design, and music/movie playback are also expected to be part of the package. The phone is expected for release in late 2008.

There is however no official confirmation from HTC as of now. Maggie Cheng, an HTC representative said, "We cannot comment on this product."

But will HTC’s “Dream” be the first mobile phone developed around Android is something that cannot be said for sure. Though HTC was the first company to admit to developing a mobile phone based on Android, last November, it faces stiff competition from Korean electronics giant, Samsung.

Samsung is said to have stepped up its effort to put out a Google phone. It must be taken into consideration here that the Android is just a project and the dream is to have several Google phones.

Google’s Android is an open source software platform that includes an OS. It is designed to take advantage of Internet services for mobility and is expected to give stiff competition to Windows Mobile and other handset operating systems.

Over 30 companies joined the Open Handset Alliance to launch Android as "the first open, complete, and free platform created specifically for mobile devices". The alliance includes handset makers Motorola and LG Electronics, software maker Google, speech recognition expert Nuance Communications and eBay and GPS specialist SiRF Technology, among others.