Google has announced their Android Dev Phone 1 for developer use, to help cultivate a developer community around its already-attractive Android OS, thereby making the Android Market just as competitive as the iPhone and the App Store. Google is attempting to hack away at Apple's market share of more than two million iPhone application downloads everyday.

Google is pricing the Android Dev Phone 1 at $399. Users interested in the Android Dev Phone 1 need to register as Android developers through the Android Market, with $25 registration fee. Upon registration, Android developers get the option to buy the device through their Android developer portal.

The Android Dev Phone 1 is a SIM-unlocked and hardware-unlocked version of the T-Mobile G1. With a system image compatible with Android 1.0, it features a developer-oriented bootloader that allows a developer to use the handset with custom Android builds. The device should give international developers a chance to put their skills to the test in the Android Market, with the ability to use any SIM card from any GSM provider around the world.

The new developer-friendly hardware will be available for purchase in 18 international markets - including the US, UK, Germany, Japan, India, Canada, France, Taiwan, Spain, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Poland, and Hungary. Presently, Google is allotting a limit of one device per developer account, in order to ensure all the hardware is not hogged.

Google has also warned that Android Dev Phone 1 devices are not intended for nondeveloper users, noting, "Since the devices can be configured with system software not provided by or supported by Google or any other company, end users operate these devices at their own risk."