T-Mobile Confirms Google Phone

August 18, 2008 3:26 p.m. EST

New York, NY (AHN) - T-Mobile Monday confirmed it will introduce a cell phone based on Google's Android software. The carrier, however, did not comment on reports the handset could appear as soon as October.

T-Mobile would become the first U.S. carrier with announced plans to offer a cell phone using the free software from Google.

The New York Times has reported the phone, codenamed "Dream" and made by HTC, would include a touch-screen display with slide-out keyboard. Carriers, including T-Mobile and Sprint are looking for ways to compete against Apple's touch-screen iPhone. Sprint recently introduced the Samsung Instinct as a rival to the iPhone, offered by AT&T.

Although the fourth-largest carrier in the U.S., T-Mobile is the top carrier in Germany and is available in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic.