Google Phone

A freshly published Google patent filing suggests that, while the company may be on good terms with cellular carriers now, in the future the telcos might be a little more resentful.  Titled “Flexible Communication Systems and Methods”, the document describes a system whereby a mobile device - such as an Android cellphone - could monitor and judge available wireless networks and route voice and data traffic over whichever was the cheapest. Google’s filing describes cellular, WiFi and WiMAX networks as all being potential routes, with the technicalities invisible to the user; their example is a mobile handset that works on home WiFi then seamlessly transitions to a WiFi hotspot or cellular network when outside.

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The T-Mobile G1 was announced yesterday and one of the initial criticisms was the data plan restriction that limited usage to 1GB a month. If a user were to exceed this amount, their connection would be throttled back to 50kbps. But now, T-Mobile has issued a statement that claims the carrier is removing this policy from their terms and conditions.

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Today was a huge day for Google and T-Mobile with the announcement of the first phone to come loaded with Android. The official release date of the T-Mobile G1 will be Wednesday October 22nd. Pre-sales started immediately after the announcement for the upgrade price of $179.  The G1 has a 3.2-inch 320 x 480 (HVGA) resolution capacitive touchscreen, a flip-out full QWERTY keyboard, dual-band UMTS HSPA, quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth.  There’s also a 3.2-megapixel fixed-focus camera, microSD slot (with a 1GB card provided and up to 8GB supported) and a trackball for navigation.

Videos and hands-on images of the new T-Mobile G1 Google Phone after the cut!

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The time has finally arrived! T-Mobile will be launching the first ever Android-powered phone on September 23rd and Android Community is going to be there. We will be live blogging the entire event, which starts at 10:30 EDT, so be sure to tune in!

Besides the live coverage, you’ll also get the scoop on the latest hands-on footage, photos and more. The live product demonstration will ensure you all get familiar with the HTC Dream–the phone we expect to see unveiled–before it ever hits store shelves.

Availability is expected by the end of October, though we’ll know for sure come September 23rd. The G1 will be presented by both Google and T-Mobile, so be sure to point your browser to http://Live.AndroidCommunity.com/ at 10:30 EDT for the breaking news as it happens.

[via Android Community]

Just a few weeks ago we were all in the dark about what carrier the HTC Dream would be released on. But in less than a month’s time, we’ve gotten our first look at the smartphone, exclusive images and video of the long-awaited Android operating system and confirmation that the Dream will be called the G1 from T-Mobile. That’s a lot of ground to cover but in keeping with the world of tech, these announcements tend to fly out quickly and then get lost in the heap. Now that the first ever Google phone is being released very soon, we thought it would be appropriate to take a look back at some of the highlights of the HTC Dream and how we’ve gotten familiar with it over the past few weeks.

After it seemed like the Android was in development forever, information finally started rumbling to the surface about a month ago when a rumor that the first Android handset had been delayed was squashed. Soon after, a video was leaked that supposedly showed the HTC Dream in action. You can watch it below. Sure it was a little blurry, but it sent the Internet ablaze. Was this the real HTC Dream or was it a fake? After all of the image leaks, diagrams and more that have surfaced since then, we now know that video was 100% real and it gave us new hope. Android was definitely alive! 

A week later, the FCC approved the Dream and we got a look at a diagram of the phone that revealed it has a jogball. And then the shocker came out. A phone called the T-Mobile G1 had been lurking around on the edges of our attention when all of a sudden all the pieces came together. The HTC Dream is the T-Mobile G1. T-Mobile will be the carrier for the very first Android-based headset. A rumor hit first that the device would be available starting September 17th, but now it seems you’ll be able to get your hands on one starting October 13th. 

A little later, a diagram leaked showing some very interesting specifics about the new smartphone, including a “chin” area. Just last week we got our first clear look at the HTC Dream with T-Mobile branding and buttons through a series of images. A few days ago the Android Developer Challenge came to an end and Google revealed the winners, which ties in directly to the announcement of Google Chrome yesterday. The new browser uses the exact same Webkit as the browser contained in the Android OS. And with good reason, considering Google is the developer of both. To make it all the more fitting, today Google announced that Chrome would more likely than not be coming to Android sooner rather than later in a lite version. 

Whew! The Android news machine has been cranking constantly and with the very first phone, the HTC Dream, now branded as the T-Mobile G1 to hit the carrier in October, this is most definitely not the last we’ve heard about it. 

We do apologize for the lack of updates here on Google Phone. But to keep up with the latest on the Android OS, why not visit Android Community? If you want to join in the discussion, be sure to stop by our forums at http://androidcommunity.com/forums/. 

Google will be announcing quite a bit of news over the next two days, starting with the opening keynote and a press conference this morning.

The keynote will be given by Vic Gundotra, VP of engineering, at 9:30am in Moscone West.  The title of the keynote will be  “Client, Connectivity, and the Cloud.”

After the keynote, there will be a press conference where I’ll have an opportunity to ask Google spokespeople additional questions and see product demos.  They’ll be discussing the news and may have some time for 1 on 1s.

More coverage of Google IO will be covered over at Android Community.

The deadline for phase one of Google’s Android Developer Challenge closed yesterday, and so the entrants are beginning to show off their wares. One of the more eye-catching is Enkin, an augmented reality app for Android which overlays GPS, motion information and other data over a live camera view of a user’s surroundings. As an idea it’s similar to designer Mac Funamizu’s encyclopedia frame concept, using real-time queries of online information to offer users pertinent information about their environment.

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Three US government representatives have alleged that Google wilfully manipulated the recent 700MHz spectrum auction, and as a result potentially dissuaded bids in excess of $10bn extra. Republicans Cliff Stearns and John Shimkus together with Democrat Eliot Engel used a hearing today to express their concerns that, in pledging to meet the $4.6bn reserve set for Block C and thus secure open-access, new potential bidders were deterred.

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Vincent attended the AT&T Media lunch where Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T discussed the company’s plans to collaborate with Google in producing handsets running the open-source Android OS. In discussing upcoming handsets, de la Vega revealed that, following demonstrations of Android prototypes and discussion with the Google team behind the platform, he was convinced to one day include cellphones based on it in AT&T’s range.

“What I’m saying is I like it a lot more than before … We’re now looking to see when it’s ready to be developed. Now I’m in the camp where I’m positive that it’s something I’d want in our portfolio” Ralph de la Vega today, president and CEO, AT&T

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If there’s one thing the FCC auction has shown us, it’s that Google is pretty sneaky when it comes to getting their own way. They set their sights on open-access - which would mean devices running Android, even if not officially picked up by any of the carriers, would be able to access the new 700MHz networks set to roll out in 2009 - and persuaded the FCC to add the provisos in on the understanding that Google would take responsibility to push Block C over its reserve.

Of course, we now know that Google was a minor player in the auctions and came away with nothing; Verizon stumped up the cash for Block C, Google gets its open-access, and the FCC goes scampering to the bank. Now the search giant is back, apparently set to deliver a proposal to the FCC for “white space” access: that’s the unsold spectrum in-between the digital TV channels. As you might expect, Google see both portable and fixed broadband devices, running Android, and compatible with both white space and Verizon’s Block C.

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