14 DAY TRIAL // Mobile phone users in Italy can now enjoy the first Android-based mobile phone thanks to the cell phone carrier TIM. The HTC Dream (also known as G1) has made it into the country and is now available for purchase with the operator, which offers it with two options, one of them being free of contract.
Unlike the G1 that has been sold by T-Mobile, the HTC Dream comes with a single color scheme, which is black, yet users in Italy can rest assured that the mobile phone maker has enough stock to keep up with the demand.
As stated above, TIM offers the HTC Dream with two options, one of them being prepaid, with the price of the handset rising up to €429 (or around $580), after which users will go with the pay-as-you-go option. At the same time, those willing to sign up for a contract with the carrier will also be able to do so, and the device could be acquired even for free.
There is no exact info on what the contract for the free option will require, yet, if we're to make a comparison with the data plans available on other markets, we could assume that the contract option will not be one too cheap. We've already seen other high-end handsets offered for free as well, yet with long-term data plans and for high monthly fees.
For what it's worth, the HTC Dream has been well received on all of the markets it has been made available in, and it might get some market share in Italy as well. Not to mention that Google's Android operating system sees great adoption from a wide range of mobile phone makers, and some voices over the Internet forecast that the platform will be able to outsell Apple's iPhone by 2012.