Android 1.6 Now Available for Developers' Phone

An unlocked version of the HTC Dream created for developers can now be upgraded to Android 1.6, making it the first device to run the latest version of this operating system.

The Dream was released to the general public as the T-Mobile G1, but it's also available to developers as the Android Dev Phone 1.

HTC has now released Android 1.6 for this version of the device, allowing developers to test their software before the upgrade is available to regular consumers.

To download this upgrade, and to learn more about installing it, visit HTC's website.

More about Android 1.6
The Dev Phone won't be able to take advantage of the two most significant changes in Android 1.6: support for new screen resolutions -- QVGA and WVGA -- and support for CDMA cellular wireless networks.

Still, this OS update will let developers start testing apps that use the new text-to-speech engine, or integrate with the Quick Search Box.

The first models running Android 1.6 are expected to launch next month, but when upgrades for other current products will be available is not yet known.

More about the Android Dev Phone 1
As mentioned earlier, the Dev Phone is a version of the HTC Dream, which was also released as the T-Mobile G1. As such, it has a 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen, a QWERTY keyboard, GPS, and Wi-Fi. It also sports a microSD card slot and a 3.2 megapixel camera.

It sells for $400, plus purchasing it requires signing up as an Android developer, which costs an additional $25.

For more information, visit Google's website.

Source: HTC