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The HTC Dream (also known as the T-Mobile G1 in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and parts of
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, and as the Era G1 in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
) is a
smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whi ...
developed by
HTC HTC Corporation ( zh, t=宏達國際電子股份有限公司, s=宏达国际电子股份有限公司, p=Hóngdá Guójì Diànzǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī, first=t) or High Tech Computer Corporation, (literally ''Hongda International Electron ...
. First released in September 2008, the Dream was the first commercially released device to use the
Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, whi ...
-based Android operating system, which was purchased and further developed by
Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
and the Open Handset Alliance to create an open competitor to other major smartphone platforms of the time, such as
Symbian Symbian is a discontinued mobile operating system (OS) and computing platform designed for smartphones. It was originally developed as a proprietary software OS for personal digital assistants in 1998 by the Symbian Ltd. consortium. Symbian OS ...
, BlackBerry OS, and iPhone OS. The operating system offers a customizable
graphical user interface The GUI ( "UI" by itself is still usually pronounced . or ), graphical user interface, is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and audio indicator such as primary notation, ins ...
, integration with Google services such as Gmail, a notification system that shows a list of recent messages pushed from apps, and
Android Market Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating syst ...
for downloading additional apps. The Dream was released to mostly positive reception. While the Dream was praised for its solid and robust hardware design, the introduction of the Android operating system was met with criticism for its lack of certain functionality and third-party software in comparison to more established platforms, but was still considered to be innovative due to its open nature, notifications system, and heavy integration with Google services, like Gmail.


History


Development

In July 2005,
Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
acquired Android Inc., a company led by Andy Rubin which was working on unspecified software for mobile devices. Under the leadership of Google, the team was in the process of developing a standardized,
Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, whi ...
-based operating system for mobile phones to compete against the likes of
Symbian Symbian is a discontinued mobile operating system (OS) and computing platform designed for smartphones. It was originally developed as a proprietary software OS for personal digital assistants in 1998 by the Symbian Ltd. consortium. Symbian OS ...
and
Windows Mobile Windows Mobile is a discontinued family of mobile operating systems developed by Microsoft for smartphones and personal digital assistants. Its origin dated back to Windows CE in 1996, though Windows Mobile itself first appeared in 2000 as Pock ...
, which would be offered for use by individual
original equipment manufacturer An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces non-aftermarket parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. It is a common industry term recognized and used by many professional or ...
s. Initial development of what would become Android was targeted towards a prototype device codenamed "Sooner"; the device was a messaging phone in the style of
BlackBerry The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy ...
, with a small, non-touch screen, navigation keys, and a physical QWERTY keyboard. The January 2007 unveiling of the iPhone,
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...
's first
smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whi ...
, and its pioneering design aspects, caught Rubin off-guard and led to a change in course for the project. The operating system's design was quickly reworked, and attention shifted to a new prototype device codenamed "Dream"—a touchscreen device with a sliding, physical keyboard. The inclusion of a physical keyboard was intentional, as Android developers recognized users did not like the idea of a virtual keyboard as they lacked the physical feedback that makes hardware keyboards useful. The Android operating system was officially unveiled in November 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA); a consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing
open standard An open standard is a standard that is openly accessible and usable by anyone. It is also a prerequisite to use open license, non-discrimination and extensibility. Typically, anybody can participate in the development. There is no single definitio ...
s for mobile devices. These companies included Google, along with
HTC HTC Corporation ( zh, t=宏達國際電子股份有限公司, s=宏达国际电子股份有限公司, p=Hóngdá Guójì Diànzǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī, first=t) or High Tech Computer Corporation, (literally ''Hongda International Electron ...
, a company which was at the time, one of the largest manufacturers of phones. While Google indicated in 2008 that several Linux devices were being tested in preparation for the official public launch of Android, only one was to be released in the United States that year—the HTC Dream. Plans called for the Dream to be released on T-Mobile USA by the end of the year (with some reports suggesting October 2008), targeting the
holiday shopping season The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late November ...
. Sprint had worked with the OHA, but had not yet unveiled any plans to release an Android phone of its own, while
Verizon Wireless Verizon is an American wireless network operator that previously operated as a separate division of Verizon Communications under the name Verizon Wireless. In a 2019 reorganization, Verizon moved the wireless products and services into the div ...
and
AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile ...
did not have any plans for Android devices yet at all.


Release

HTC officially announced the Dream on 23 September 2008. It would first be released by T-Mobile as the T-Mobile G1, starting in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
on 20 October 2008 in its 3G-enabled markets only (it became available in all markets on 24 January 2009), followed by a British release in November 2008, and a release in other European territories in early 2009. On 10 March 2009, it became available in Poland as the Era G1 on Era. On 2 June 2009, both the Dream and its successor (the HTC Magic) were released by Rogers Wireless in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
. The Dream was discontinued by T-Mobile on 27 July 2010. The G1 was spiritually succeeded in October 2010 by the T-Mobile G2, a new HTC device which also featured stock Android and a sliding keyboard, and was T-Mobile USA's first " 4G" smartphone. In Canada, Rogers suspended sales of the Dream on 15 January 2010 due to a bug affecting the proper use of
emergency call Most public switched telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number (sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or the emergency services number) that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assista ...
s.


Features


Hardware

The Dream's exterior uses a soft, smooth matte plastic shell, and was made available in white, black, and bronze colors. The Dream's design features a distinctive "chin" on the bottom, which houses 5 navigation buttons ("Call", "Home", "Menu", "Back", and "End Call") and a clickable
trackball A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down ball mouse with an exposed protruding ball. Users roll the ball to position the o ...
in the center which can be used for scrolling and selecting. The device uses a
capacitive touchscreen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is ofte ...
LCD at a resolution of 320×480; the screen can be slid along a curved hinge to expose a five-row
QWERTY QWERTY () is a keyboard layout for Latin-script alphabets. The name comes from the order of the first six keys on the top left letter row of the keyboard ( ). The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden ty ...
keyboard—as the first releases of Android did not include a virtual keyboard, the keyboard was originally the only method of text input on the device. While supporting multitouch at the hardware level, the
Linux kernel The Linux kernel is a free and open-source, monolithic, modular, multitasking, Unix-like operating system kernel. It was originally authored in 1991 by Linus Torvalds for his i386-based PC, and it was soon adopted as the kernel for the GNU ...
in the Dream's Android distribution was patched to remove multitouch support from its touchscreen drivers for undisclosed reasons. The Dream does not include a traditional headphone jack, requiring an adapter for HTC's proprietary (but Mini-USB compatible) "ExtUSB" port located on the bottom of the device. The rear of the device houses a 3.15-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus. The Dream uses a 528 MHz
Qualcomm Qualcomm () is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, and incorporated in Delaware. It creates semiconductors, software, and services related to wireless technology. It owns patents critical to the 5G, ...
MSM7201A
system on a chip A system on a chip or system-on-chip (SoC ; pl. ''SoCs'' ) is an integrated circuit that integrates most or all components of a computer or other electronic system. These components almost always include a central processing unit (CPU), memor ...
with 192 MB of RAM, and comes with 256 MB of internal storage, which can be expanded by up to 16 GB using a Micro SD card slot. For network connectivity, the Dream supports Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and
GPRS General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data standard on the 2G and 3G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was established by European Telecommunications Standards Ins ...
/
EDGE Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
, plus
Dual band In telecommunications, a multi-band device (including (2) dual-band, (3) tri-band, (4) quad-band and (5) penta-band devices) is a communication device (especially a mobile phone) that supports multiple radio frequency bands. All devices which ...
UMTS Bands I and IV (1700 & 2100 MHz) and HSDPA/ HSUPA (in US/Europe) at 7.2/2 Mbit/s. The device also supports standalone GPS and
A-GPS Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) is a GNSS augmentation system that often significantly improves the startup performance—i.e., time-to-first-fix (TTFF)—of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). A-GNSS works by providing the necessary data to th ...
.


Software

The HTC Dream was the first ever smartphone to ship with the Android operating system. The operating system heavily integrates with, and provides apps for various Google services, such as Gmail (with push email support), Maps,
Search Searching or search may refer to: Computing technology * Search algorithm, including keyword search ** :Search algorithms * Search and optimization for problem solving in artificial intelligence * Search engine technology, software for find ...
, Talk, and
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
, while the contacts and calendar apps can sync with the online Google Contacts and Google Calendar services respectively. The device also ships with an email app supporting other
POP3 In computing, the Post Office Protocol (POP) is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a mail server. POP version 3 (POP3) is the version in common use, and along with IMAP the most common ...
and
IMAP In computing, the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is an Internet standard protocol used by email clients to retrieve email messages from a mail server over a TCP/IP connection. IMAP is defined by . IMAP was designed with the goal of per ...
-based mail services, an instant messaging app with support for multiple services, and a
WebKit WebKit is a browser engine developed by Apple and primarily used in its Safari web browser, as well as on the iOS and iPadOS version of any web browser. WebKit is also used by the BlackBerry Browser, PlayStation consoles beginning from the ...
-based web browser. A notification system displays icons for certain events (such as e-mails and text messages) on the left side of the status bar across the top of the screen; dragging down from the top of the screen exposes a tray with more detailed information for each notification. The
Android Market Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating syst ...
can be used to download additional apps for the device. The G1 as sold by T-Mobile also shipped with an Amazon MP3 app, allowing users to
purchase Purchasing is the process a business or organization uses to acquire goods or services to accomplish its goals. Although there are several organizations that attempt to set standards in the purchasing process, processes can vary greatly between ...
DRM-free music online, and download them straight to the device via Wi-Fi. The Dream could also be upgraded to newer versions of Android, which added new features and enhancements to the platform. The latest version of Android officially made available for the Dream, 1.6 "Donut", was released for T-Mobile USA's G1 in October 2009. The 1.6 update was not released on the Rogers HTC Dream in Canada (which stayed on 1.5 "Cupcake"); Rogers claimed that the update was only being made available for "'Google'-branded" models of the device.


Development and modding

Due to the
open source Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open-source model is a decentralized so ...
nature of the Android platform, the Dream became a popular target for
modding ''Modding'' is a slang expression derived from the English verb " to modify". The term refers to modification of hardware, software, or anything else, to perform a function not originally intended by the designer, or to achieve bespoke specif ...
. Shortly after the release of the Dream, developers discovered a
software exploit An exploit (from the English verb ''to exploit'', meaning "to use something to one’s own advantage") is a piece of software, a chunk of data, or a sequence of commands that takes advantage of a bug or vulnerability to cause unintended or unan ...
which would allow a user to gain
superuser In computing, the superuser is a special user account used for system administration. Depending on the operating system (OS), the actual name of this account might be root, administrator, admin or supervisor. In some cases, the actual name of t ...
access to the phone—a process which would be referred to as " rooting". As a parallel to " jailbreaking" on iOS devices, root access would enable users to perform tweaks and other changes at the system level that cannot be performed under normal circumstances (such as adding auto-rotation, and installing a custom kernel that restored the aforementioned multitouch support). After the Dream's bootloader was dumped, work began on modifying it so that it could install third-party
firmware In computing, firmware is a specific class of computer software that provides the low-level control for a device's specific hardware. Firmware, such as the BIOS of a personal computer, may contain basic functions of a device, and may provide h ...
, and on converting official Android update files into a format that could be installed using the modified bootloader. Around the same time, Google made the Android Dev Phone 1 available for registered Android developers; the Dev Phone 1 was a SIM- and hardware-unlocked version of the HTC Dream that came pre-configured for superuser access to the internal files of the phone, allowing users to completely replace the bootloader and operating system. As a result of these developments, a dedicated community, centered on forums such as XDA Developers, emerged surrounding the creation of custom firmware (" ROMs") built from the Android
source code In computing, source code, or simply code, is any collection of code, with or without comments, written using a human-readable programming language, usually as plain text. The source code of a program is specially designed to facilitate the ...
. Projects such as CyanogenMod continued to produce ports of newer versions of Android for the Dream and later Android devices, while adding their own features and enhancements to the operating system as well. On later Android devices, where a number of factors (including carrier practices, and custom software provided by device manufacturers that sit atop Android, such as HTC Sense and Samsung TouchWiz) led to fragmentation regarding the availability of newer versions of the OS for certain devices, the development and use of custom ROMs (which are usually based on the "stock" version of Android) have ultimately become an important, yet controversial aspect of the Android ecosystem. In August 2012, a group of users released an unofficial port of a later version of Android, 4.1 " Jelly Bean", for the Dream as a proof of concept. However, the port lacked key functionality, and had severe performance issues due to the phone's relatively weak hardware in comparison to the modern devices that 4.1 was designed for.


Reception


Critical reception

The Dream was released to mixed reviews. The design of the Dream was considered to be solid and robust;
Joshua Topolsky Joshua Ryan Topolsky (born October 19, 1977) is an American technology journalist. He is also a record producer, and DJ under the stage name Joshua Ryan. Topolsky was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of technology news network ''The Verge'' ...
of
Engadget ''Engadget'' ( ) is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. ''Engadget'' manages ten blogs four of which are written in English and six have international versions with independent editori ...
considered its hardware design a contrast to that of the iPhone, due to its numerous navigation buttons (in comparison to just a home button) and its "charming, retro-future look; like a gadget in a 1970's sci-fi movie set in the year 2038." The Dream's keyboard, as the only method of text input prior to Android 1.5's introduction of a virtual keyboard, was considered to be sufficient, although some felt that its keys were too small. Its display was considered sufficient for a phone of its class, but John Brandon of
TechRadar ''TechRadar'' is an online publication owned by Future and focused on technology. It has editorial teams in the US, UK and Australia and provides news and reviews of tech products and gadgets. It was launched in 2007 and expanded to the US in ...
felt that it was not good enough for watching videos due to its poor contrast and small size in comparison to the iPhone. Android itself was considered to still be in its infancy (primarily due to its bare-bones functionality in certain areas, limited application catalog, lack of multitouch gestures, or syncing with certain enterprise platforms), but showed promise through its customizable interface, increased flexibility over iOS, its notification system, ability to display security permissions when downloading apps, and its heavy integration with Google services. Brandon gave the Dream a 4.5/5, despite stating that it was "no Apple iPhone killer", given its lower quality of its application selection and multimedia features in comparison. In conclusion, the Dream was considered to be a "stellar" phone that "points to a future when a phone is as flexible and useful as the PC on your desk." Engadget felt that the Dream "isn't going to blow anyone's mind right out of the gate" due to its hardware, but that the Android platform as a whole held its own against its competitors, and that early adopters of Android through the G1 were "buying into one of the most exciting developments in the mobile world in recent memory." ''GSMArena'' noted that the Dream would have been "another average smart QWERTY messenger" had it not been for its introduction of Android; in conclusion, the Dream was considered "far from the perfect package", but still believed that "it gets the things that matter done and gets them done right."


Commercial reception

In April 2009, T-Mobile announced that it had sold over a million G1s in the United States, accounting for two-thirds of the devices on its 3G network.
AdMob AdMob is a mobile advertising subsidiary of Google, originally founded by Omar Hamoui. The name AdMob is a portmanteau for "advertising on mobile". It was incorporated on April 10, 2006 while Hamoui was in business school at Wharton School. The ...
estimated in March 2009 that Android and the G1 had reached a market share of 6% in the United States.


See also

*
HTC Hero HTC Hero (marketed as T-Mobile G2 Touch by T-Mobile in the UK, Austria, Germany, Croatia, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Hungary; and as Era G2 Touch in Poland) is the third phone manufactured by HTC running the Android platform, announced on Ju ...
, HTC's first Android device with its
Sense A sense is a biological system used by an organism for sensation, the process of gathering information about the world through the detection of Stimulus (physiology), stimuli. (For example, in the human body, the brain which is part of the cen ...
software. *
Nexus One The Nexus One (codenamed HTC Passion) is an Android smartphone designed and manufactured by HTC as Google's first Nexus smartphone. The Nexus became available on January 5, 2010, and features the ability to transcribe voice to text, an addition ...
, an Android device developed for Google by HTC to launch the Nexus series of flagship devices *
HTC Touch Diamond The HTC Touch Diamond, also known as the HTC P3700 or its codename the HTC Diamond, is a Windows Mobile 6.1-powered Pocket PC designed and manufactured by HTC. It is the first device to feature TouchFLO 3D - a new version of the TouchFLO interfac ...
, HTC's Windows Mobile flagship at the time


References


External links


T-Mobile G1 product page
(archived) {{DEFAULTSORT:Htc Dream Deutsche Telekom
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
Smartphones Touchscreen portable media players Mobile phones introduced in 2008 Discontinued smartphones Android (operating system) devices Mobile phones with an integrated hardware keyboard Mobile phones with user-replaceable battery Slider phones