HTC Dream

The HTC Dream (also known as the T-Mobile G1 in the United States and parts of Europe, and as the Era G1 in Poland) is a smartphone developed by HTC. First released in September 2008, the Dream was the first commercially released device to use the Linux-based Android operating system, which was purchased and further developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance to create an open competitor to other major smartphone platforms of the time, such as Symbian, BlackBerry OS, and iPhone OS. The operating system offers a customizable graphical user interface, integration with Google services such as Gmail, a notification system that shows a list of recent messages pushed from apps, and Android Market for downloading additional apps. The Dream was released to mostly positive reception. While the Dream was praised for its solid and robust hardware design, the introduction of the Android operating system was met with criticism for its lack of certain functionality and third-party software in comparison to more established platforms, but was still considered to be innovative due to its open nature, notifications system, and heavy integration with Google services, like Gmail. In July 2005, Google acquired Android Inc., a company led by Andy Rubin which was working on unspecified software for mobile devices. Under the leadership of Google, the team was in the process of developing a standardized, Linux-based operating system for mobile phones to compete against the likes of Symbian and Windows Mobile, which would be offered for use by individual original equipment manufacturers. Initial development of what would become Android was targeted towards a prototype device codenamed "Sooner"; the device was a messaging phone in the style of BlackBerry, with a small, non-touch screen, navigation keys, and a physical QWERTY keyboard. The January 2007 unveiling of the iPhone, Apple's first smartphone, and its pioneering design aspects, caught Rubin off-guard and led to a change in course for the project.