According to Suzanne Tindal over at ZDNet AU Optus tech support have been issued with training manuals for the Android-based HTC Dream, otherwise known as the T-Mobile G1. Which obviously indicates that the Telco is prepping to launch the Android handset in Australia sooner rather than later. Naturally, Optus are pulling a Cancer Man and denying everything (what? I’ve been rewatching the X-Files), and Google Australia claim they haven’t seen the documents in question. On top of that, HTC’s PR agency claimed to know nothing about the launch of the G1 in Australia when I asked about it a couple of days ago following rumours I’d heard through the traps.
But while all official channels point towards this being nothing more than a story told to help mobile phone geeks sleep at night, it does seem a bit too persistent a rumour to completely ignore. After all – we know HTC will be launching an Android handset here this year, and it would make sense that it would be the same one that they’re already manufacturing.
We’ll keep our ear to the ground for more updates on this. From our perspective, the sooner we get Android phones out in the market, the better.
[ZDNet AU]