Developer phones. Want one?

ltomuta | 08 December, 2008 09:00

An interesting news coming from Android space: they offer a developer edition of the G1 phone (the Android Dev Phone 1) aiming at helping developers which are out of T-Mobile's coverage to access and be able to use the terminal. 

Aside from being SIM unlocked the phone is also "hardware unlocked" allowing the bootloader to load uncertified ROM images, built by developers with their own customizations added to the Android release.

According to the Android web page:
"Note that Android Dev Phone 1 devices are not intended for non-developer end users. Since the devices can be configured with system software not provided by or supported by Google or any other company, end users operate these devices at their own risk."

A couple of questions came to my mind while reading this news:

Q: How do you differentiate a developer from the end-user? Or do you really let them take the risk?
A: Well, it seems the answer is: money. First you have to pay a registration fee to become a member of the "Android Market" ($25) and then you can buy the phone at the recommended retail price of $399. The catch is that T-Mobile is offering the phone for as low as $180 while the developer phone, with taxes and shipping fees will go as high as $624 (according to a tweet originated from India). At best you will have to pay for it twice the market price and that is likely to keep the end-users away.
 
Q: How much do the network operators like the idea of an "hardware unlocked" phone accessing the network?
A: I have no idea, I'm still googling for some reactions ...

It is to early to speculate whether the Symbian Foundation would be offering this type of "open" terminal to its developers. But it is definitely something to be considered although, until Symbian OS becomes fully open source (within two years), the offer would mainly be of interest for the Open Foundation members only. 
 
 

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That's $180 + contract

Sorcery-ltd | 08/12/2008, 11:28

I don't think the devices are significantly more expensive for developers if you factor in the cost of a T-Mobile contract on top (not required for a developer with an unlocked phone).

However, "hardware unlocked" is interesting and potentially worth paying for. I don't think there's much additional risk for the networks on a dual-chip phone above allowing open platforms in general. If developers could re-flash the cellular modem software that would be another story.

Mark

Availability

JOM | 08/12/2008, 11:44

If that developer phone is the ONLY way to get G1 (e.g. in Finland), then price comparison to T-Mobile doesn't make much sense. One offer, one price, take it or leave it :)

Have to admit that it does seem risky to allow such customizable phones into public phone networks. Could they bring down networks, will we see law suits against Google because of those?

Cheers,

--jouni not going to get G1, but following the situation with interest

That's $624 + contract too

ltomuta | 08/12/2008, 13:29

ltomuta

True, yet you will still need some kind of contract (whatever the option) on the developer device so that adds up to the cost of the phone too.

But I think the price diference is still signigicant enough to keep the end-users away. And that's the point.

It goes a bit to a previous exchange about "pay to develop" which it is not a bad thing necessarely, even from an "open source" perspective.

This is how Google circumvents operators

tote_b5 | 08/12/2008, 23:38

tote_b5

It's a big headache to find the right carrier and make a contract with them to sell your phones. It limits the spread of your devices, too. So why not offer the same device for *everyone*?

Of course, it can't be offered at the same price as what Google's customers (i.e. the carriers) are selling the phones with a binding a contract (although for Google it would be the same), because then who on Earth would buy the phones from the carriers?

Can it pose a risk to operators' network? Well, if they demand a certain level of maturity and reliability from *official* Android devices (i.e. those that are shipped by Google to the carriers) to be kept and which can now be changed by anyone (software-wise), then it naturally poses a risk imho. But I'm also sure that Google has already negotiated with operators first before making this step.

Multiple phones...

Sorcery-ltd | 09/12/2008, 11:26

The developer phone doesn't also need a contract. I (presumably like most mobile software developers) have a drawer full of phones but certainly not a contract (not even a SIM) for all of them.

However, I agree that it would put ordinary customers off from buying them, since they would presumably need a contract too (although in the UK at least you can get significantly better deals on SIM-only contracts).

As for threat to the network, I've been using phones with "experimental" firmware for many years - it's really difficult to do any damage to the network by accident. Of course malicious attacks are another issue but there are already plenty of relatively low cost options for someone wanting to do that which require much less effort that understanding how to program device firmware.

Mark

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