Update 2:00pm CST 12/14/09: New rumors have been hitting the blogs heavy within the last few hours saying that we could see this released as early as January 5th and it would be subsidized from Google (not a carrier) and could retail as little as $199 with a contract (terms of which are unknown). There is no trustworthy source to this information, every site just mentions “a source close to the matter”, and no further mentioning of it from Google.
We waited a bit on posting this story because we wanted to see how things developed. Well, there’s still no definite answer to this phone. Most sites know its a phone that was passed out to a few Google employees as a part of a new “Mobile Lab”, but others are starting the rumor mill that it is a new device that will go retail and be Google branded.
In Google’s blog, they confirm the device, but they make it sound like its only for employees with no mention of a public retail version.
“We recently came up with the concept of a mobile lab, which is a device that combines innovative hardware from a partner with software that runs on Android to experiment with new mobile features and capabilities, and we shared this device with Google employees across the globe. This means they get to test out a new technology and help improve it.”
What is your opinion? Is this just a test device, or will it show up on a carrier for retail?
The FCC shows information regarding T-Mobile and TMo 3G. More info after the break.
Source: Engadget
What we know and what we don’t (from Engadget):
* The phone doesn’t really have an official name, though it’s obviously being referred to as the Google Phone, and both its user agent string (browser identifier) and EXIF data on pictures taken on the device identify it as the “Nexus One,” which we take to be a code name for the phone (it’s also a reference to a line of replicants in the film Blade Runner). Some shots identify the device as “Phone 88,” apparently an earlier code name. It is highly unlikely it will be released to the public as the Nexus One, in our opinion.
* The phone was given to Google employees at an all-hands meeting on Friday, December 10th. The story broke when a number of Googlers tweeted about the phone.
* Google posted on its blog that it was experimenting with “eating its own dogfood” on the Android front by giving employees “around the globe” a device to test. There have been zero — zero — official statements about Google selling the device to retailers or directly to consumers. There is a Wall Street Journal article which claims that this is the strategy Google is headed in, but the post contains a number of poorly sourced and suspect facts, so we say take it with a major grain of salt. Other reports say “what if” and “could.” That doesn’t make it so. As of right now, the only way to get this phone is to work for Google.
* The phone itself appears to be the HTC Dragon / Passion (with at least the specs of the Bravo, which looks to be a variant of the other models). All are Snapdragon-based phones with a 3.7-inch AMOLED displays, 5 megapixel cameras, and no physical keyboards.
* There have been rumors (or fact, as stated in the aforementioned WSJ report) that this phone runs a “real” or different version of Android. Based on the pictures we’ve seen, this is inaccurate. It appears to run a version of Android that looks nearly identical to the version currently found on the Droid (2.0.1) — Google’s latest, most official device. The version number we’ve heard is Android 2.1, which would not be a drastic departure from 2.0.
* There are rumors that if sold, the device will be available unlocked and able to function on both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G bands. A source tells us that they have spoken with someone with first-hand knowledge, and this is the case, despite earlier rumors that it would only function using T-Mobile’s 3G network.