Android myth busting…or not?

There have been no less than half a dozen threads popping up in the forums these past few days as to the identity of the “real” Android device. Some believe it to be real and just wish for its release, regardless of looks. Some however, say “something” so much grander is coming, of course providing no details as to what makes something “grander.” See here for that discussion. Now, I’m not one who enjoys blind speculation so I may be the most hesitant of all to give credence to the rumors of a second device. I believe whats tangible and in front of me. Documents, pictures, release dates and pricing give me reason to believe what I have seen, that what I can “touch” is real. With that in mind could it be that Google, T-mobile, HTC and quite a few other to be named later entities have pulled off the greatest April Fools trick the wireless industry has ever seen?

Last week Androidguys wrote something of a similar sort taking the phone from “dream to prototype.” They like I am right now pose the question, are the leaked designs, the grainy video with the Darth Vader stand in, the fcc documents and the recent “in the wild” pictures indicative of the final product? Some of us want to believe so, you’ll buy anything that T-mobile releases with Android and most won’t blame you. A device like this with all its promise, with the backing of an application market, touchscreen and gps finally gives us hope that T-mobile has realized that pricing alone won’t overtake #3.

Should something else come up, should Google, T-mobile and HTC succeed in pulling the wool over our eyes than I will be the first among hundreds of blogs to print the new happenings. I’ll give praise to all who deceived us for their expert disinformation campaign and the goose chases they had us on trying to track down the truth. So here’s to you Google, the king among Internet pranksters, prove all of us wrong.

So I leave you with those thoughts, just a few words to ponder and now I’ll throw it over to the forums where the discussion continues and passionately so. Expand and elaborate on what I have said, I only barely scratched the surface of what already has become a heated debate as the release dates and launch approach.

Discussions continue here, here and here.

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  • SheShe

    I think if the phone does differ it will not be completely different but it will be sleeker and more visually appealing

  • BlackBerryUSER

    Alright. I will go out on the limb and say. From the photos I have seen so far – the bottom part of the phone which has the buttons on it – it almost looks like a Gerber made toy for for tots. I’m really not impressed by this phone – I’m not sure what the hype is all about either. I think the phone looks like a toy. I guess I need a phone that looks elegant – and this Google phone just doesn’t even come close to it. It looks like a toy.

  • StillTMO

    I totally agree. I would rather get a BlackBerry Curve WITHOUT 3G rather than this cheap looking half a** brother of a Sidekick.
    All this hype was would turn out to be a fluke if this is the final phone & would reconfirm TMobile’s image as a cell phone company for teenagers.

  • T1 Connect

    dudes that is not thhe final product man ive seen razr’s thats more appealing that is a freakin prototype like she she said it will look like it but it will be more eye catching than than and even so if it is the final product im not waiting anymore i am getting it i dont care how ugly people say it is ya bunch of haters.

  • nesha

    i agree with you guys.
    my friend has that new sidekick. . . an its like sooo. . .
    childish. like who cares if you can change the shells. but i guess people my age(17) do. . but i dont. and i also agree that, that google phone does look like a toy and i dont see whats all this hype about. its ugly. and nobody wants an ugly phone. imo.

  • SheShe

    People are more excited about the potential of android than the actual phone… as long as it does what I need it 2 do that fone isn’t that bad

  • http://tmonews.com wael

    hope fully it wont be that ugly the dash loosk better than that

  • WazzuKirk

    Hey guys, I don’t buy a phone for the looks. If you are a guy that buys a phone for the looks of it, give me a break. Buy a phone for the technology, and this phone will be awesome.

  • T1 Connect

    ya know what im emailing htc google and tmo right now and telling them to show us the damn phone im getting tired of this shit.

  • StillTMO

    @ T1 Connect
    Let us know when you hear back from them. TMO CS reps seems to be clueless. On hearing the word Android/Google, they were like WHAT????
    @ Wazzukirk
    And yes I do care what I phone can do in terms of technology but come on..HTC usually makes much better designs than this things we’re seeing so I am disappointed.

  • DR

    Here’s my observation. Look at all the phones the HTC has made in the last year and a half. They have all been better looking than this “prototype”. I would completely lose respect for HTC if they released this phone unchanged. They made a PR statement not too long ago that they wanted to increase their market presence by the end of the year. If this phone comes out as ugly as it is currently, I find it hard to believe that they could back up this statement.

    Don’t get me wrong, I will buy this phone if all the specs are true and it has true gps for google maps and turn by turn directions. But, like most red-blooded males, I can’t say that looks are unimportant. I want a phone that looks good. Is that so wrong? Can’t I be a chauvanist when it comes to my cell phone?

  • http://blog.asurroca.com asurroca

    I’m betting that the final product will look exactly like the photos we’ve seen, just with better material/finish. I don’t see it looking like an iPhone 3G, but I do see it having the same quality finish as, say, a Dash.

  • StillTMO

    hey, I totally second your thoughts. Keeping my fingers crossed.

  • SheShe

    I agree wit DR the fonr could use work but is that gonna stop me from buyin it? I think not… I think htc tmobile and google need to make this the best possible phone…. having the first android phone be something that most people think is ugly won’t be good for google and t mobile NEEDS somethin to bring more customers

  • justinhub2003

    i think looks plays a small part in the equation as far as eye catching appeal, i mean as a man i dont first glance at a girl and go “man look at the personality on that girl” so i think looks are what reel you in but looks alone dont have the power to keep me interested, i like smart girls and i like smart phones, so the sexy appeal will wear off if the function is horrible, ill take that decent looking girl with a lot of personality over a sexy chick who is retarded and just arm (hand) candy any day. i will be buying the phone on presale or launch day depending on the 3g only presale thing. i like the phone and its not that ugly is just different, and the black one i bet is way sexier, i accept what i am seeing now and will be content with it and if it goes off and exceeds my expectations then awesome. people live off exaggerated optimism and wonder why they also being letting down, be a realist.

  • StillTMO

    Quick Question. How many of you posting here on this entry are over 21? Just trying to figure the preferences and thought processes based on age. I am over..

  • justinhub2003

    over

  • SheShe

    Under (20)

  • justinhub2003

    24

  • T1 Connect

    listen this could be phase two of the demo stage has anyone seen the black version slide or any refrences to a keypad or maybe the white one is the final product stripped down for testing

  • David

    Over…do I count though? hehe

  • StillTMO

    haha..NO..

  • TomCruise

    Looks aren’t everything. What’s inside matters! Take the iPhone for example. People were drooling over the looks, but now so many people have so many issues with it and are disappointed.

    There isn’t a perfect phone, there’ll never be.

    This one looks good. Test units are known to be grainy unlike the actual for sale ones that are smooth. Only issue i see is with the keyboard being on the left.

    I will buy it only if I get it for $150 (i live in Chicago where 3g will be switched only oct 1) and even then if I know for sure this will support some sort of doc/xl/txt files and gets me access to my non-gmail emails with an outlook type application.

    i am over

  • StillTMO

    Is there any confirmation of how the pre-sale will work? I am in Washington DC area so will I not be able to order this if we dont have 3G in our area by September 17? That’d be lame..Any ideas?

  • Evan

    24 and thank god people are starting to see this thing as an ugly brick that it is. Hopefully this is still the prototype and these guys are just screwing with us. none the less i’m still going to buy this phone when it comes out. i miss my qwerty more than anything (broke my dash and have been using some moto crap phone). looks and Software should be hand in hand. people wont look twice at something unless it has some sort of attraction physically. And knowing HTC and the phones they put out i think is also a reason so many people are disappointed with what they have seen so far. I mean couldnt you just drop this platform on a touch pro and ship it out. I would be in love with them for life. TMOBILE PLEASE ALLOW US TO GET THAT PHONE. YOU WOULD COMPLETE MY LIFE!

  • T1 Connect

    yo ya heard the jobsphone or any othe at&crap phone has no data coverage on the eastern seaboard 2&3g glad i got tmo

  • justinhub2003

    i honestly think the touch dianmond and touch pro are sexy but as far as what im lookin for and being functional, i dont like type on a screen (diamond) and i dont like the keyboard on the touch pro, the buttons on the keyboard are so close together, thats why i like the design of the Dream, i dont think that button size has as much to do with a good functional keyboard as much as spaces between each key, thats what important to me and makes me type fast and more importantly more accurate. i said it before but i think the dream is set up just like you would be at a PC with monitor in front, spacious keyboard directly below and a mouse to the right (the track ball) so you can totally avoid the touchscreen why typing stuff, and then you can close the phone and use it iphone or touch diamond style if you want to, how is that not a functional phone if there is such a thing.

  • justinhub2003

    sorry bout the grammer, i have to type fast, im at work.

  • TomCruise

    unrelated, but is anybody in chicago area able to connect to surf the net on tmo edge today?

  • T1 Connect

    yo ive been trying to order the tm506 for di wife not able to called tmo and asked why all they said was the pricing and availability still says to be announced i dont get it tmo themselves said they were releasing the phone today and nothing you think there playing a game with us well i dont think that sh… is funny

  • TomCruise

    bummer, i was planning on getting the tm506 for my wife. hope this wait isn’t long.

  • HannahMontanaSwallows

    Look, love or hate the phone, speculation over the final product can be simplified by answering this question:

    How many times have manufacturers and providers had prototypes ‘leak’ and it NOT resemble the final product?

    Now if this was rampant and we had a lot leaks that ended up NOT being the final product, then I would understand why we might think this.

    But if it never-to-rarely ever happens… then what is all the wishful hating go on? It’s most likely the final product.

    I’m not too crazy about design but I am wanting a 3G touchscreen, PDA phone without switching to At&t or Verizon. So my choices are…..???

    Right.

  • mojo fett

    just a thought. . . the images look like the same phone that was being shown at the google I/O. They maybe have tested this design, lived with it, and decided that since it was proven to release it. Also they probably wanted to make sure that the first Android phone would have all the bells and whistles that were shown. Now, they may change the shell on the phone, but I net anything that the chassis inside stays the same. Just an opinion.

  • mojo fett

    oh. . .37

  • Jeff C

    Is anyone else dying waiting for another detail to ‘leak’ about the G1? I’m more excited to get a new tidbit of info than I am to get the phone itself… thrill of the chase and all that.

    Seriously, this could be the right guts in a mock-up case… car manufacturers do the same thing with their new models by covering them in plastic panels or using “dazzle” camouflage to hide the angles of the body panels when they’re out testing on the road.

    If that’s the case, fine, if not, fine as well… this phone looks OK. I honestly can’t think of one thing to add to it that would make it look any better except change the “MENU” on the menu button to an icon.

    My last HTC device (a Wizard) had all sorts of crazy bevels, buttons everywhere, screen had a bezel 1/8″ deep around the LCD, and it was almost an inch thick. I’ll take anything over that.

    As long as it isn’t covered in the stupid rubber paint because it’s a real chore to get a phone covered in that stuff out of your pants pocket if you’re sitting.

    BTW: I’m 32 and I seriously think I’m over this phone’s target demographic… The iPhone is a fashonphone for adults, this seems like it’s gaining momentum as a fashionphone for teens and young adults.

  • Fbarkon

    I’m 32 and I want the phone regardless. I’m not a teeny booper but gps, mp3, and the full internet in my pocket. Like OMG!!! I know 50 year olds that will gladly buy this phone.

  • Burn After Reading

    The REAL T-Mobile G-1/ Dream can be seen here, http://www.the01phone.com. You all have been looking at prototypes for to long..enjoy the countdown ;-)

  • tmofan23

    OK… so why does this have to be a “prank” or the companies pulling the “wool over our eyes”

    Keep in mind they have NOT released anything. – These are all people who have had pictures of some devices.

    the schematics that were released did not show the actual phone just the back and side. thats IT!

    SO if the phone is released and its different than the darth vader video or the most recent pictures, its not because we have had the wool pulled over our eyes by HTC, Google or T-Mobile, its because WE, ourselves, bought into the deception that other people who had test units unleashed on the net, nothing more, nothing less.

    Remember, all three companies have not publicly released ANYTHING!

  • J-Hop2o6

    @ Burn After Reading

    I doubt that’s the Dream/G1

  • Juan

    I’m getting the phone regardless, but I do think this “prototype” is fug. I have faith that the final product will be a bit sleeker based solely on the product HTC has been releasing for the past year. I honestly don’t think T-Mobile could afford for this phone to tank over aesthetic. For those reasons, I believe it’s a prototype. It’s possible for some things to be veiled in secrecy…however…when Tha Carter III leaked, everyone thought it was fake. Then it turned out to be real. Same thing happened with a Tool album a while back if I remember correctly. I guess we’ll know in the coming days, but please, T-Mo/HTC/Google – don’t stamp your name on this ugly baby because I don’t know if I could resist some of those pretty 3G enabled unlocked devices available on eBay and other sites. Give us a real dream!

    Oh, and I’m 22.

  • Juan

    @ J-Hop

    it’s not. it’s not even a real phone…I remember someone debunking the same link a few days ago in another post.

  • J-Hop2o6

    @ Burn After Reading

    that link u posted up was proven to be a FAKE!!!

    http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/08/24/the-01-phone-coming-in-27-days-wait-what-is-the-01-phone/

  • T1 Connect

    @all android lovers google just released chrome web browser witch will also be in android according to google they own everything you do on chrome EVERY SINGLE THING hmmmm that might be a problem check out the article:
    http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/09/03/google-chrome-assumes-ownership-of-your-soul/

  • Jeff C

    T1 – they revised that EULA so it isn’t as “OMGWTFBBQ”

    I like the Chrome browser…. the only thing it doesn’t have is a “Home” button to go back to the start page.

  • RockTripod

    Seriously, do people really think the photos that have been leaked AND the video AND the FCC filing is part of some vast conspiracy?? The Dream is the phone we’ve seen and is the finished project. Its even got T-Mo branding on it! That’s not a prototype. And it looks good, if a little lopsided. And for those who think you’ll hae trouble reaching the top right keys on the QWERTY, take a look at a sidekick. Recessed keyboard, with raised side on both sides. I’ve never heard anyone say typing on that was difficult in 3 years of selling the product.

  • T1 Connect

    when did they revise that it just came out yesterday and i understand the omg the wtf but the bbq if ya wanna come over i got some stakes we could smoke somthing and grill and eat.i got the chicks

  • G-Funk

    @ Jeff C

    The home button can be enabled from the Options. Just click on the wrench, then options, then “Show Home button on the toolbar”.

  • SheShe

    FYI this was posted in the forums http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=834467493

  • V for …

    Actually Jeff you have the option of having a Home button in chrome but it took me two minutes to find it in the preferences.

  • T1 Connect

    @she she i freaking love ya thats reason enough to know that that phone we see is not the dream the way hes talking you know it is difinetly going to be a iphone killer. thank you.

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