HTC Omni surfaces at Google as HTC "Dream" with Android OS

It’s been a while since we last heard about HTC Omni communicator, the info about which leaked last July together with HTC roadmap for 2007.

Now we may know why it was never mentioned again. Looks like HTC was persuaded to drop Windows mobile OS and made Omni into Google’s Android demo phone.

Don’t believe me? How about this Forbes description of HTC “Dream” handset used in Google’s Android demonstrations:

The phone, code-named “Dream” inside Google, looks somewhat like Apple’s iPhone: It is thin, about 3 inches wide and 5 inches long, and features a touch-sensitive, rectangular screen… The bottom end of the handset, near the navigational controls, is slightly beveled so it nestles in the palm. The screen also swivels to one side, revealing a full keyboard beneath. (The screen display changes from a vertical portrait mode to a horizontal display when someone uses the keyboard.)

Let’s take a closer look:

• It’s thin. Check
• Length: 130 mm – 5.11″. Check
• Width – 81 mm – 3.18″. Check
• Touch-sensitive, rectangular screen. Check
• bottom end … slightly beveled…Â Check
• screen swivels to one side, revealing a full keyboard beneath. Check

HTC Dream looks very similar to HTC Omni for me. So what else is new about it?

Forbes tells us a few interesting things that will be in HTC Omni/Dream:

• time-sensitive touch gestures: Hold down your finger longer, and the area you’re controlling expands
• easy navigation with icons for e-mail, text documents and YouTube along the top of the screen
• virtual machine for true multitasking. Applications can launch once during a session, then reside in the background
• it should go into production soon and start shipping next summer

And from the former leaks we know HTC Omni/Dream specs that were planned few half year ago, so some of them could have changed to the better. And they already are really impressive:

• 32 bit Qualcomm MSM7200 Chipset, 384 MHZ CPU Clock
• 256 MB ROM
• 128 RAM
• 800 x 480 px TFT 262 color touchscreen
• GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900, UMTS2100 connectivity
• CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA data support
• Built-in QWERTY-type keyboard, 65 keys
• SDIO, microSD, TransFlash expansion slots
• USB 2.0 client, 60Mbit/s , USB Series Mini-B (mini-USB) connector
• Bluetooth 2.0
• 802.11b, 802.11g
• NMEA 0183 , 20 channels built-in GPS
• 3.1 Mpx camera with LED flash
• 640×480 VGA secondary camera
• Dimensions: 81 x 130 x 16 mm

Well if my ramblings above are at least half close to the truth, come next summer, with HTC Dream/Omni Google may have a real killer flagship to introduce it’s Android platform to masses.

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If you liked the post, you might find these interesting too:

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Posted on 06 Nov 07 - Filed in HTC, Wireless - Comments - Written by Staska

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