google phone on its way

Less than a year after i Phone madness gripped Singapore, Google's own handset is set to shake up the mobile phone market.
The much touted Google phone, also known as the HTC Dream, will be sold here by SingTel exclusively. Singapore will be the first in Asia to get the phone. The telecom company currently holds exclusive local rights to Apple's i Phone 3G, which debuted here last August.

Unlike the i Phone, Google's phone runs on an open-source operating system known as Android. This means manufacturers do not have to pay Google for using the software, resulting in cheaper handsets for consumers. Also, developers can build applications, like games, more easily.

Though the HTC Dream cellphone sold out quickly when it was pre-launched in the United States last year, it still garnered much criticism for not offering a video-recording function and only having a few applications available. SingTel had no further details of when the HTC Dream would start selling here, nor how much it would cost.