05/28/2008, 3:25pm, EDT
Wednesday, May 28thAndroid demo at D shows UI, HTC Dream phone
Google's Android operating system has been demonstrated with new changes and on what appears to be a prototype of the HTC Dream, according to news from Android Community and others attending the company's I/O Conference. The latest version of the mobile operating system shows subtle but iPhone-like interface touches that haven't previously been seen in earlier builds, including multiple home screens and a tray of permanently visible icons for commonly used apps. A built-in mail client (primarily intended for Gmail) also shares cosmetic similarities to Apple's own application.
Unique to Google's implementation, however, are always-accessible menus: users can drag down the title bar to access recent notifications or tap and hold on a main screen to reach certain bookmarks or contacts. Phone users also have more options to customize the main interface; they can drag contacts and other items out to the home screen to have one-tap access, or add clocks and other widgets directly viewable from the desktop without having to launch a dedicated program.
Features in the presentation may also have revealed the feature set of the HTC Dream, which is understood to be one of the few named devices to carry Android. The three-by-five-inch device superficially resembles the iPhone with a chrome bezel around its touchscreen but is more notable for its interior features. In addition to 3G cellular Internet access, the Dream reportedly includes an accelerometer that can be used with Google's Street View mapping feature: users can pivot the phone itself to change the view and look at map markers from the same angle they see in real life.
No clues are provided as to the release date of Dream or any other Android phones, though the first are expected late this year.
Filed under: iPhone, gadgets
Other story tags: Google, htc, Android, Dream
, 
, 6
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
Top
subscribe to comments
for this article
Looks good
Looks like some great features here, I'd also expect to see some of this carry over to the iPhone (hopefully collaboratively, as Google and Apple are pretty close right now), so many users could potentially benefit.
jW
Competition
This is good news, as Apple really need some iPhone competition long term to keep them innovating at a fast pace. Hopefully Android can do touch cut 'n paste ;-)
Re: competition
No, they need competition so they won't "innovate" so much and feel pressure to give basic capabilities that all other phones offer. You know, like voice dialing, address book search, stuff like that.
Re: re: competition
@testudo
Maybe Apple discovered that nobody is using voice dialing?
(At least I know I don't. The three mobile phones I own all have the capability and I never used it...
I know nobody that does... And I do know some people, apart from myself ;-) )
The problem in engineering is always to decide what not to include.
Adding everything to a product makes it unusable. See other phones, or some pocket knives.
Everything included is just barely usable...
BTW, it seems that address book search is coming to the v2.0, so some things can be improved after all :-)
Pieter.
re: competition
Except with the iPhones touch screen, there's no way to make a call without actually having to look at the screen. And distractions aren't necessary a good thing (esp. if you're trying to drive, walk, chew gum, etc).
All the phones I've owned also have some sort of speed dialing which I use a lot as well. One or two quick buttons, boom, you're making a call. Not so with the iPhone, either.
Boot Camp For iPhone
Apple could develop a "Boot Camp" for the iPhone as it has done with their Mac computers. That would negate many from even considering another smart phone vendor. Imagine being able to dual boot your iPhone to either Mac OS X or Android.