First Android phone to showcase Google brand

With T-Mobile USA poised to officially unveil the HTC Dream [1]--the first handset based on Google's Android operating system--on Sept. 23, The Wall Street Journal reports the phone will heavily emphasize the Google name in its branding and marketing. While most devices note only the manufacturer and mobile operator in question, the Dream (and, presumably, subsequent Android phones) is expected to feature the Google logo, indicating the depth of the handset's integration with the company's web and search services. The WSJ indicates T-Mobile USA will also introduce new, "aggressively priced" data plans in conjunction with the Dream, citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the HTC Dream is expected to sell for $199--while T-Mobile USA is targeting the mass consumer market by keeping the phone under the $200 smartphone benchmark established by Apple's iPhone, Google also wants to keep the handset price low to encourage widespread adoption and in turn persuade other operators and handset makers to adopt the Android platform.

For more on the HTC Dream:
- read this Wall Street Journal article [2]

Related articles:
T-Mobile USA to release Android [3]-based dream in October
Google [4] names Android Developer Challenge winners