Google Intros Android Dev Phone

If you're looking for SIM-unlocked and hardware unlocked phone running Android - and maybe want to write an app or two - Google has you covered.

Google has announced the availability of a SIM-unlocked and hardware-unlocked Android phone explicitly aimed at Android developers in the U.S. and some 18 international markets. The Android Dev Phone 1 is available for $399 to registered Android developers—about the same price as an unlocked T-Mobile G1—although developers would need to pay an additional $25 to join the Android Marketplace to purchase the device.

Google warns that these devices are meant for developers only, not everyday phone users, and users operate them at their own risk. The units can be used with any SIM card and features an unlocked bootloader that enables developers to flash the phone with custom Android builds.

The Android Dev Phone 1 could mark a significant step in sparking third-party application development for the Android platform. Although it’s possible to test Android applications using everyday retail units (like the T-Mobile G1), that’s not much help to developers in areas where the G1 isn’t available, and developers can simply buy development handsets without having to dance around with contracts and termination fees. Apple iPhone developers, conversely, must buy retail units (with service contracts!) to build and test applications.

Outside the United States, the Android Dev Phone 1 is available in the UK, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Hungary, India, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia.