By Well look what has just joined the HTC Dream as only the 2nd sanctioned “Android Dev Phone” (ADP2):
That’s right… the Google Ion. This phone was actually provided FREE to those who attended the Google I/O developer’s conference earlier this year in what was undoubtedly an Oprah moment. Way back on June 5th I suggested the Google Ion would become the ADP2… and now it has.
A couple things you should note are that the Google Ion is virtually the same exact phone as the HTC Magic and the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G… they are just different names. However, in addition to a few stylistic changes is one HUGE feature – this is a world phone. Because Google is selling this phone directly to developers for use and testing, it needs to work no matter who purchases it and/or where they purchase it. And so you’re essentially purchasing an unlocked Android Phone that can be used on pretty much any carrier.
One interesting thing to note here is that ADP2 runs on Android 1.6 which doesn’t offer as many deviations and challenges as Android 2.0. Hopefully Google offers an Android 2.0 device that includes a larger screen and other key hardware differences in the near future, so devs can better predict how their apps will operate outside of an emulator in the real world. Unfortunately, I doubt we’ll be seeing the Droid made publicly available by Google directly to developers any time soon (ADP3?) as Verizon and those selling the Milestone want to cash in first. But at some point, Google should and probably will offer an ADP3 with more robust hardware.
It can be yours for $399… here are some other infos directly from the ADP2 landing page:
Run and debug your Android™ applications directly on a device. Modify and rebuild the Android operating system, and flash it onto a phone. The Android Dev Phone 2 is carrier independent, and available for purchase by any developer registered with Android Market™.
Please note that this device is intended for development purposes, and may not include certain features found on consumer Android devices.
Development Platform Features
- SIM unlocked – Put any SIM in the device
- Hardware unlocked – Rebuild the Android operating system, and load it onto the device
- Test out your apps on real hardware before publishing them to the world
- Ability to see forward locked apps in Android Market
Software Features
- Real web browsing
- Customizable home screen
- One-touch Google™ Search
- Android Market
- Google applications:
- Google Maps™
- Gmail™
- YouTube™
- Google Calendar™
- Google Talk™
- SMS and MMS
- Music player
Hardware Features
- Android 1.6 OS
- Dimension (LxWxTmm) 113 x 55.56 x 14.65
- Display Size 3.17
- HVGA Resolution
- Capacitive touch screen
- 512MB FLASH Memory
- 192MB RAM
- MSM7200A,528MHz chipset
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE Quad band
- 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
- WCDMA 1700/2100 MHz : BC4
- 2100 MHz : BC1
- HSPA Speed HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
- HSUPA 2 Mbps
- Blutooth 2.0 with EDR
- WiFi 802.11b/g
- 3MP Auto Focus Camera
- 1340 Battery(mAh)
- microSD Memory Slot
- USB 2.0
- GPS/AGPS
There you have it ladies and gentlemen… the Android Dev Phone 2… aka ADP2… aka Google Ion… is now yours for the taking!
[Thanks OldDogNuTrx!]
I think the ADP2 will finally get 2.0. Why should they release it now if it wasn’t capable of running Eclair? On the other hand it’s more or less a clear sign that the Dream / G1 isn’t and won’t receive an update…
I always loved the simple and funcional design of this phone.
I have the HTC Dream and didn’t upgrade to this model because it has the same CPU and screen.
But if HTC can make an updated internal hardware with this exact same exterior, I’ll jump in rihgt away.
Is it so hard to make simple and funcional hardware buttons, without unnecessary curves?
Right now for me this is the perfect shaped phone:
Perfect to fit in pocket (no edges) very good hardware button feedback, not too big and not too small.
Just missing an OLED screen and a mor erecent CPU ;)
OldDogNuTrx? Strange, i was the one that sent you an email because I ‘accidently’ saw it appearing on the site almost 24 hours ago!!!
Anyways, this ADP2 is disappointing, waiting for the ADP3, hopefully the Motorola Milestone.
uhm, clear sign that the g1 won’t get it? haha, how would you know…
I’m sick of this g1 won’t get 1.6, 2.0… etc
I will stick with my adp1 for now, lets hope an adp3 is on it’s way.
There isn’t enough ram in the G1 to load the OS 2.0 + apps into active memory. A friend at google has a dev G1 running 2.0 but he has to compress and uncompress things as he needs them causing significant battery loss.
Damn that sucks for me I’ve had the Google Ion since June :) I wish they would have made the Dragon their next Dev phone.
I wish it ad cdma support then I’d be all over it.
You mean WCDMA 1700/2100 MHz : BC4 and 2100 MHz : BC1? Can’t call it a world phone w/o CDMA, so I think they have you covered.
do you think it’s running htc sense?
This phone seems to lack EVDO support, making it useless for Sprint or Verizon customers.
Why the hell delivery cost is SO HIGH?
This is multi touch compatible according to the screen type
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#Capacitive
I think that another phone is coming soon and they had to get a phone with a greater flash out before they release 2.0
Comparing this phone with the Google Ion, it seems the latter one has 288MB of RAM and this 192MB.
Does anybody know if 192MB would be enough for running Android 2.0 smooth?
* FYI, getting the phone in Spain (probably similar in other EU countries) is $541.60 ($399 + $142.6 tax/delivery).
@Danno Ferrin, actually W-CDMA is not the same thing as CDMA, and will not work on a CDMA (Sprint, Verizon, what used to be Alltel, and other smaller carriers) network. W-CDMA was created by european companies as an alternative to the USA-only, Qualcomm-owned CDMA technology. The W in W-CDMA stands for “wideband”, which by definition means it requires a different wireless spectrum to operate, thus cannot work on the same spectra that CDMA networks operate on.
It’s a world phone only in the sense that it can be used in virtually any country in the world. That doesn’t mean it has to work on every *carrier* in the world… So, Sprint, Verizon, and other CDMA carriers will not be supported with this phone. This phone requires a SIM card, and CDMA carriers identify phones by their ESN, which is specific to the phone itself and cannot be moved to another device. (that last statement is only partially true… it IS possible to clone an ESN to a different phone, but it’s very risky, and very difficult to do)
Anyone know if HTC Magic or T-Mobile MyTouch 3G Roms (like CyanogenMod) will work for this phone?
Aux ? How much is delivery to your country ?
hi plz me
I ordered this phone. It arrived in Sweden in just two days.
It is however very irritating that i paid 188 USD for “tax+VAT”, and it turned out that this money went straight into the pockets of Googles logistic partner Brightstar. Thereby forcing me to pay the same amount again to the “Swedish IRS”.
Very unserious, and close to criminal in my opinion.
I think Google must be more careful how they treat the developers now when Nokia and Intel tries to get developers to use “MeeGo”.
@Mats: How much did you paid for it? Was it the ADP2?