HTC Dream Confirmed as G1

HTC's Dream has had its full design and naming scheme exposed courtesy of a leak today from Android Guys. Now known as the T-Mobile G1, the phone exactly matches the design seen in videos and in Google's own prototype. The smartphone is dominated by its touchscreen but has a more ergonomic "banana" shape and a full QWERTY keyboard exposed through a Sidekick-style sliding display; a trackball replaces the traditional D-pad and lets owners use certain features one-handed.

T-Mobile will also hand over more control of the phone's branding to Google; while the carrier logo will sit up top and MyFaves support is expected, the phone's back will prominently display the Google logo. Previous reports would also point to the interface remaining chiefly in Google's hands rather than being dictated by the carrier.

3G data access, GPS and Wi-Fi are all believed to be a part of the open-source phone.

An official announcement is still expected sometime ahead of a November release date with T-Mobile, which may sell the G1 for an unusually low price thanks to a possible ad-subsidized service where customers pay less in exchange for viewing occasional ad banners.

By Electronista Staff