News reaches us that the first Google Android phone, the HTC Dream, could be on sale as soon as September 23rd. According to Reuters, T-Mobile and Google will make an announcement about the new Android phone in New York later this month.

If correct, this is excellent news, as Google really needs to be seen to be competing in the Mobile Web space before Christmas. With the likes of Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Apple and the myriad Windows Mobile phones out there, there's some stiff competition for smartphones, with each platform desperate to get developers to write for their smartphones.

Given that Christmas is a big time of year for the mobile phone manufacturers, Google needs its Android phones to ship well before then in order to build up a head of steam ready for a big push in the mobile Web space in 2009.

[Source: PCPro]