Googlephone To Be Unveiled By T-Mobile On September 23.

I don't post very often on technical hardware items, but this story caught my fancy. According to Wired.com T-Mobile has sent out invitations for the official announcement of the first Googlephone, the HTC Dream. Although the Android-based phone won't hit stores until October (probably October 20th), the press conference will be held in New York on September 23rd.

Wired.Com had the following to say about the HTC Dream:

We haved mixed feelings about Android. The Dream looks excellent, and from a geek's point of view, the open nature of the platform is very attractive. But as with the iPod before, the general consumer will go for the prettiness and ease of use. If Google and its Androidal partners don't manage to make a big splash very soon (read: great ad campaign) then we can see the consumer market for smartphones being tied up in the same way as the consumer market for MP3 players.

And here is a video that someone posted on YouTube of a Google Android demo at Google Developers Day on September 16, 2008, in London.

So, you are probably wondering what will make this give Apple's i-phone a run for their money? For one thing, whereas many Apple apps cost money (typically anywhere from $.99 to $9.99), at launch all Android Market apps will be free.

According to Time.Com:

That includes BreadCrumbz, a picture-based navigation program that doesn't just give you a drawing of your route, but also includes real-world photos to keep you on track. Another interesting app, TuneWiki, is a tricked-out music player that encourages mobile karaoke, by synchronizing written lyrics onscreen to the song's YouTube video. It also shows you what songs other TuneWiki users near you are listening to in real time. Since Android is better than the iPhone at running multiple programs at once, you won't have to choose between apps: As Breadcrumbz helps you find your way to a party, TuneWiki can play your favorite Rihanna video and get you in a groovy mood. When it's time to make a right turn, Breadcrumbz will cut in and alert you.

Many of the other features you will find on this phone will be equal if not better than the i-phone. Some of these features include built-in GPS, a tilt sensor for gaming, and a camera. Also, we all know what a terrible 3G network AT&T has. -Mobile recently expanded coverage for its 3G data network to 27 major cities. The faster bandwidth promises to make watching videos and downloading websites go smoothly (but be cautious about that claim because AT&T promised the same thing and it just isn't happening).
One negative that I know of. For all who buy a phone to show off it's looks, don't expect this one to be as glamorous and shiny as the i-phone.

There are more articles you can read about this including:

Confirmed: Google's Android To Launch Sept. 23 (InformationWeek.com)
HTC Dream Coming October 20(Blog.Wired.com)