T-Mobile has just released the first cellphone to make use of Google’s Android operating system, the T-Mobile “G1” is manufactured by HTC and will be made available in the United States on October 22nd for $180 (plus an upgrade fee of $18) through T-Mobile. At a press event held in New York today, the wireless carrier unveiled the new smartphone which features a slide-out touchscreen display, a QWERTY keyboard, 3G wireless internet speeds, 3 Megapixel camera and the ability to download and install applications from an online store. Besides being available in the United States, the phone will also launch in the United Kingdom in November with multiple other countries following in 2009. There has yet to be an announcement of a possible Canadian launch, but it is a quadband GSM handset, meaning it would be compatible with Rogers and Fido’s networks.
T-Mobile’s “G1″ is expected to do well in part due to its operating system “Android” which makes touch-based controls possible. By involving finger flicks and long holds to easily navigate through software and gesture-based interactions using the phone’s built-in accelerometer, as well as the ability to use and install a wide range of applications and web tools including Flickr, YouTube, and Google Maps with StreetView. It can synchronize with Google desktop as well as use Yahoo and Microsoft’s instant messaging services. At this time, Android is an open source platform making it possible for other software developers to easily create applications and software for the G1. Sadly, one feature that will not be made available is the option for tethering the phone to a laptop.
The G1 will also be able to play video games and a version of Pac-Mac was shown at today’s event. According to Google there have already been an astonishing 17,00 applications created that will be made available for download to the G1.
Full List Of Features:
Touch screen
One Touch Access To Key Information
“Just tap the screen and go”
Real Web browsing capabilities using WebKit as mobile browser
One click access to internet
3MP camera with autofocus
Customizable home screen – Just drag and drop any of your favorite applications, photos, or folders onto your home screen for quick access to what you use all the time
One-click Google Search
Video playback
3G network and Wi-Fi access
Android Market
One-touch access to a variety of software applications like games, social networking, and on-the-go shopping
Download the applications wirelessly with just a couple short clicks
The Android Market was developed by Google themselves.
QWERTY keyboard
Familiar layout lets you type messages easily without scrolling for the letter you want
Hinged screen slides open to reveal keypad and closes to prevent accidental dialing
One-touch access to Google applications:
* Maps (including satellite, traffic, and street views)
* Gmail
* YouTube
* Calendar
* Google Talk
IM/text/e-mail
Support for Google Desktop, Gmail with contacts, Yahoo and Microsoft services.
Music player
Supports up to 1 GB memory cards for storage
The G1 will come with the following applications:
Google Search
Google Maps
Gmail
Google Calendar
Google Talk
YouTube
When can I pre order the g1 im interested in buying the phone