It's official. Today sources confirmed that the only smart phone that has the potential to eat up some of the iPhones' market share (in our humble opinion) is likely to hit stores this Fall.
That's right, Google Android is coming.
According to sources close to the project, Google's Android software will operate on what's currently being called the "Dream," a handset that's similar to the Blackberry. The Dream—and its Android software—will be available through wireless carrier T-Mobile as early as this coming October. While the details are still murky, the word seems to be that the phone isn't a perfect iPhone killer. Last week Silicon Alley Insider noted that their sources who've seen the phone say that it's "big and bulky, and not as sleek as the iPhone. And Android, while extremely powerful, has a less-elegant, less-user-friendly interface than the iPhone." On the flip side, other techies and Google fanboys are saying that it's what inside that counts - and that the Android software is going to be epic.
Of course, just mentioning the name Google in relationship to a smart phone is enough to get most tech geeks salivating. No shock there. But for this week's survey question, we'd like to know what you think. Are you a diehard iPhone user who's more than a little interested in the new technology because it's from Google? Or perhaps you're on the opposite end of the spectrum, and you wouldn't trade in your iPhone for anything short of a cell that shoots free money out of the handset- and think that Google better get a good business plan.
Tell us what you think.
If it helps, check out the (fuzzy) video below of the Android in action. While the video is from YouTube, the New York Times says their sources at Google have confirmed that it's the real deal:
| [comments (2)] |
The Dream itself doesn't have to be that great, and it probably won't be. What will make the Dream noteworthy it that it will the first consumer-ready device to run on Android.
But Android isn't designed to fit one device, like the iPhone's OS. Like Linux, it's designed to be as platform-agnostic as one can reasonably expect.
The exciting thing about Android is that it'll all be open source. Meaning it'll be, if Google keeps it up, the Linux of smartphones. A Google-backed Linux associated with hip devices. That's awesome.
I have a first-gen iPhone. I might break contract if Android actually does what it promises.
—richard
19:53, August 18th, 2008
Can't say this has blunted my iPhone enthusiasm too much, but that would have to have been one heck of a fuzzy, 42 second, soundless video to do much damage. At the same time, my affinity for things Google will probably justify waiting until October to see what this thing can actually do. As someone who prefers "sleek" and "user-friendly" to "robust multitasking," the Dream will have a pretty high standard to meet.
—benpirie
18:46, August 18th, 2008

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