The Droid You Are Looking For

The wireless blogs & the ‘Twitter-verse’ have been a buzz all weekend with rumors, pictures and videos of the so called ‘Google Phone.’

Androidguys.com have compiled this handy list of updates & information and I have also posted an NBC video below about this new handset. More news to follow as we get it so stay tuned…

The Story so Far… You know, 20/20 and all that.

• Around the middle of October a writer for TheStreet.com was the first to really get the Google Phone rumors rolling again.  He claimed that Google would be selling a handset directly, bypassing carriers.
• Google had a meeting on Friday and handed handsets out to everyone.  Twitter helps break the news.
• Some believe this is the Google Phone news we’ve been waiting for.  Other think it’s just the same thing as last year – nothing more than a gift to employees
• Nothing has been officially announced.  The closest we have so far is a post from the Google Mobile Blog that says their employees are dogfooding a mobile lab. Said handsets are unlocked and feature new mobile features and capabilities.
• The Wall Street Journal publishes an article that pretty much confirms the rumors.  The code name ‘Nexus One” is born.
• A few pictures have identified the handset as “Phone 88″.  Perhaps each phone has a unique model/serial written into it to identify leaks.  Looking back at the first Dragon/Passion images, we were told that the image blacked out parts of the screen because  “…it has a number that I’m told is used to determine who this phone was loaned to.“  Coincidence?  Maybe.
• The phone looks exactly like the HTC Dragon/Passion except for the missing HTC branding.  Specs include a Snapdragon 1GHz chip, 3.7-inch AMOLED display, and a 5 megapixel camera.
• Gizmodo’s source from a few weeks back said that we have yet to see the ‘real’ Android.  Based on collected descriptions, the ‘real’ Android might be one designed by Google which has every screen, button, and animated background specifically designed.
• UPDATE: According to a quick start that comes with the handsets, there is mention of a page for questions at google.com/phone/support.  The site is inactive at this time.
  • UPDATE 3: A reader of ours swapped the URL around and found a reference to Android at
    http://www.google.com/support/phone/
• UPDATE 2: The phone has been cleared through the FCC with AT&T and T-Mobile bands.

We’ve Heard…

• Rumored to be sold via Best Buy
• Rumored to be supported by T-Mobile after Verizon balked
• Will be unlocked and work over T-Mobile as well as AT&T
  • According to Engadget, it may not work for AT&T after all
    
• Runs Android 2.1
• Expected to have been launched this year, pushed to early 2010
• Google is planning on advertising it

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/video.