Gear

Hands-On With the Google Ion

Webmonkey editor Michael Calore went to Google’s I/O developer conference last week and triumphantly returned with a new Android phone (dubbed the Ion) in his mighty paw. The handset is essentially an HTC Dream — the next-generation version of the T-Mobile G1 — with a few cosmetic tweaks and loaded with Android 1.5 software. It […]

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Webmonkey editor Michael Calore went to Google's I/O developer conference last week and triumphantly returned with a new Android phone (dubbed the Ion) in his mighty paw. The handset is essentially an HTC Dream -- the next-generation version of the T-Mobile G1 -- with a few cosmetic tweaks and loaded with Android 1.5 software. It wasn't fully baked yet so we did a preview on the device and didn't assign a rating to it. From Mike's preview:

Google's developer device is loaded up with Android version 1.5. This build is much improved over the G1's software. Configuring things like ringtones, wallpapers, alarms and behaviors is a breeze, and direct access to the Android Marketplace makes installing apps a no-brainer. The notification system -- a bar you pull down from the top of the screen -- makes it easy to switch between active applications without having to go back to the main screen.

You can read the rest of our take on the Google Ion right here.

*Photo by Jim Merithew for Wired.com *