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The first public beta of Android was released 10 years ago, here is what it looked like

By Victor Hristov

Updated: Nov 06, 2017, 5:03 AM

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Android

Did you know that it was 10 years ago when the first public beta of Android was released to the public?

It almost seems like an eternity and the original Android version that was released was way different than what we have today. It was way different than what ended up on the first Android phone also. The T-Mobile G1, or the HTC Dream as it was known internationally, featured a touch-screen based interface very much like that on Apple's iPhone, but the version that you will see presented by Google's Sergei Brin is actually optimized to run on a BlackBerry-like device with a keyboard.

The first public Android version was not optimized for a touchscreen

Luckily, Google quickly took notice of the direction iOS went in and decided to change the interface of the Android platform to something similar.

You can also hear the Android dream was clearly drawn from the very beginning: it was not just about the Google Phone, or the G Phone, it was about creating an ecosystem with thousands of devices. This clear mission statement allowed Android to get where it is now: the world's most popular operating system by a long shot. Take a look at the way Google thought of Android from the very start in the video right above.

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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.