T-Mobile Android Phone Set for Sept. 23 Debut

After much speculation, T-Mobile has released information confirming that it will unveil its Google Android phone next week at a press event in New York.

The Google Android phone’s debut date by T-Mobile is essentially official thanks to a teaser image on gadget blog Gizmodo. The teaser text reads, “Experience the first Android-powered phone from T-Mobile at a press conference on September 23rd at 10:30am,” confirming earlier reports of the date.

Although official details are still scant, it’s expected that the Android phone hardware will be manufactured by HTC. Called the “Dream,” pre-release pictures of the device running Android have already leaked onto the Internet.

Adding even more credence to the belief that the first Android phone will be the HTC Dream was Google’s live demonstration from its Developer Day event, captured and available on YouTube.

The demo unit featured tape to hide the specific branding of the device, but in terms of design and button placement, it’s a dead-ringer for the HTC Dream. What we can’t see on the video, however, is any evidence of a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

The arrival of Android is particularly important for T-Mobile, which has been losing out to GSM competitor AT&T without a clear answer against the Apple iPhone. While it’s unlikely that the Android phone will garner the same sort of mass market buzz that an Apple product can, the HTC Dream may be more attractive to business users with its physical keyboard.

According to the Wall Street Journal, HTC has high hopes for the success of the Dream and the Android operating system. HTC forecasts shipments of 600,000 to 700,000 units this year, surpassing analysts’ estimates.