I’m not sure about the rest of our readership, but it’s a news-rich day here in the Speech Technology offices — early versions of the Android phone were unveiled today! Ryan wrote a brief news article about the open-source phones back in November 2007, and both he and I have been eagerly awaiting demos of the Android since.

And today, we finally got tangible evidence that the Android is progressing nicely. Just 45 minutes ago, the BBC News reported that several companies showcased prototypes at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The best part? The first Android-enabled phone is, according to the article, expected to be released later this year.

Approximately one dozen companies took part in the demonstration, all of which are directly involved in the Android project. Companies mentioned included: Texas Instruments, ARM, Qualcomm, Marvell, NEC, and SET Microelectronics. Ian Drew, from the company ARM, told a BBC reporter,

What we are demonstrating on the Android platform is maps, browser, camera applications, multimedia, e-mail, and calendar - basically everything you’d expect on a mobile phone.

Of course, the partner we’re most interested in is Nuance Communications - which is, as Ryan reported, part of the project contribution team. How will speech play a role in the Android? We’re hoping it’s something similar to the mobile search/SMS dictation currently provided on the Palm Centro (read more about that here). We’ll keep you updated about Android as we learn more in coming days, weeks, or months.

Related Stories:

- Google Android phones make debut [BBC News]

- Google Android coverage [BBC News]

(Image courtesy of BBC News)