The long-awaited HTC Dream, the first commercial handset running
Google’s Android operating system, launched under T-Mobile as
the G1 for $US179(KSh. 14,000) on October 22nd. Featuring a 3-inch
touchscreen, internet navigation buttons and a full QWERTY keypad,
the smartphone market has finally broken free of Symbian, Windows
Mobile and the sweet clutches of fruit companies.
Features:
Screen: The G1 sports a 3.17” 65K colour touchscreen that runs in
HVGA (480×320) resolution.
Battery Life: You can talk for 5 hours, or keep the phone in standby for
130 hours.
Camera: 3.1MP, or right around 35mm 4×6 print quality.
Frequency Fun: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi and UMTS/HSDPA 850/900/
1700/1800/1900/2100Mhz
Dimensions: 11.7 x 5.49 x 1.6 cm; Weight: 159 grams. And available in
white, black and brown.
Storage: 1GB MicroSD card preinstalled. Supports 8GB MicroSD.
GPS: Of course, what would Google Maps be without it?
Google Maps: As we’ve seen in a recent update, the G1’s Maps application will integrate Street View so you can see
where you are going. But in an industry first, a built-in compass orients the map to your position. North is always up!
Android Market: Similar to the iPhone’s mobile App Store, the Android Market will allow downloading of various Android
apps from the phone, to the phone.
Amazon MP3 Store: Amazon’s MP3 store will be preloaded on every G1, allowing the download of 6 million DRM-free
tracks with singles starting at 89 cents. Downloading music requires a Wi-Fi connection, previewing can be done over
T-Mobile’s network.
YouTube: Yup, it’s on there.
Other Apps
ShopSavvy: designed to help people do comparative shopping
Ecorio: developed to help people keep track of their daily travels and view what their carbon footprint looks like
BreadCrumbz: enables people to create a step-by-step visual map using photos; customers can create their own
routes, share them with friends or with the world