T-Mobile G1 First Google Android Cell Phone

T-Mobile G1 vs. Sony Ericsson X1

2008-10-08T04:36:00.000-07:00

Na de introductie van T-Mobile G1 waren we niet bepaald positief toch kregen we afgelopen week de kans de allereerste Google phone van dichtbij te bekijken. Following the introduction of T-Mobile G1, we were not exactly positive but we got the chance last week the first Google phone a closer look. Door het toestel naast de Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 te leggen geven we jou als messaging- en internetfanaat de kans beide eens goed te vergelijken. By the unit next to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 we give to you as messaging and Internet fanatic the chance to compare both agree.

Wie onze introductie van de T-Mobile G1 gelezen heeft, weet dat we ons enthousiasme niet bepaald van de daken geschreeuwde. Who our introduction of the T-Mobile G1 has read, we know that our enthusiasm is not determined from the rooftops geschreeuwde. De introductie van de eerste Google Phone heeft ons niet bepaald positief verrast en het is dan ook maar de vraag hoe succesvol het nieuwe product - ontwikkeld door HTC, Google en T-Mobile - zal zijn. The introduction of the first Google Phone has not given us a positive surprise and it is but how successful the new product - developed by HTC, Google and T-Mobile - will be. De G1 is pas begin volgend jaar in de winkels verkrijgbaar. The G1 is only the beginning of next year in the stores. Tot die tijd zullen we rustig moeten wachten totdat T-Mobile ons meldt welke abonnementen men voor het toestel in petto heeft en wat het toestel exact gaat kosten in ons kikkerlandje. Until that time we will have to wait quietly until T-Mobile informs us what we subscriptions for the unit has in store and what exactly the device will cost us in frog country.

Deze eerste blik wilde we jullie in ieder geval niet onthouden. This first look we wanted in any case you do not remember. Je kunt op deze manier namelijk zelf bepalen wat je van het nieuwe toestel vindt. You can in this way remains free to decide what you will find the new device. We gaan verder niet in op het menu of de software van het toestel. We continue not on the menu or the software of the device. Zodra de uiteindelijke Nederlandse versie de winkels heeft bereikt, zullen we de Google phone eens flink onderhanden nemen. Once the final English version has reached the shops, we will once again well below Google phone hands.

Wil je alvast de specificaties van beide producten vergelijken dan is dat mogelijk via onze vergelijker. Want to fill the specifications of both products compare that is possible through our comparer.

T-Mobile G1 vs Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 T-Mobile G1 vs. Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

Met een directe vergelijking tussen beide is goed zichtbaar wat de verschillen zijn qua afmeting. With a direct comparison between the two is clearly visible in the differences in size. Het mag duidelijk zijn dat de T-Mobile G1 een flink stuk groter is dan de Xperia X1. It is clear that the T-Mobile G1 significantly larger than the Xperia X1. De T-Mobile G1 mag je dan ook gerust fors noemen. The T-Mobile G1 can also reassure you as significant. Woorden als stijlvol en geraffineerd zijn niet besteed aan de G1. Words like elegant and refined are not paid to the G1. De Xperia X1 is een waar kunststukje in vergelijking tot het stoffige uiterlijk van de G1. The Xperia X1 is a true piece of art in comparison to the dusty look of the G1.

De gebruikte materialen in de G1 zijn niet bepaald je dat. The materials used in the G1 are not you that. Ondanks dat beide toch van dezelfde fabrikant komen, zie je duidelijk dat er meer aandacht is besteed aan de eerste Xperia telg. Despite that both still come from the same manufacturer, you see clearly that more attention is paid to the first Xperia descendant. Vooral de sneltoetsen en de speciale trackball voelen goedkoop aan op de G1. Above all the shortcuts and special trackball feel cheap for the G1. De bouwkwaliteit is bij beide meer dan goed te noemen. The construction is both more than good. Je hoort amper kraakjes en ook het schuifmechanisme - dat je bij beide uniek mag noemen - voldoet wel degelijk. You hardly hear kraakjes and the slide - both unique in that you can call - it does indeed.

De stijlvolle mix tussen het zilveren toetsenbord en de zwarte behuizing maakt van de Xperia X1 een lust voor het oog. The stylish mix between the silver keyboard and black casing makes the Xperia X1 a feast for the eyes. De T-Mobile G1 heeft één kleurstelling en dat is het dan. The T-Mobile G1 has a branding and that's it. De G1 is ook in het wit verkrijgbaar, maar of daar de hoofden van keren is nog maar de vraag. The G1 is also available in white, but whether the heads of times there's still the question.

Het toetsenbord is redelijk. The keyboard is reasonable. Het is vooral enorm groot en de vraag blijft of dat nu net nodig was. It is especially huge and the question remains whether it was needed. Het openen en sluiten van het schermgedeelte is uniek in zijn soort en maakt een soort van "swing"- beweging. The opening and closing of the display area is unique in its kind and makes a kind of "swing" - movement. Helaas bevindt zich een groot gat rond de scharnier. Unfortunately there is a large hole around the hinge. Iets dat stof de kans biedt, zich te nestellen tussen de bewegende delen. Something that reaches the opportunity, to nest count between the moving parts.

Het toetsenbord van de X1 scoort in ieder geval een stuk beter, is lekker compact vergeleken met de G1 en heeft een betere ergonomie. The keyboard of the X1 scores in any case much better, is nice and compact compared with the G1 and has a better ergonomics. Het schuifmechanisme zorgt ervoor dat het scherm omhoog schuift waardoor je houding ten opzichte van het scherm en het toetsenbord altijd subliem is. The slide mechanism ensures that the screen slides up to your attitude towards the screen and the keyboard is always sublime.

De achterkant blijkt net zoals de rest van het toestel vrij kaal te zijn. The back shows like the rest of the unit Friday to be bald. Het lijkt erop dat de designers bij HTC drukker bezig waren met het ontwerp van de Xperia X1 dan de G1. It seems that the designers at HTC printer are in the design of the Xperia X1 than the G1. De Google phone werd eerder nog door ons omgeschreven als een "gedrocht". Google has already phoneexperiment yet been endorsed by us as a "monster". Een naam die we na deze eerste blik niet direct van tafel vegen. A name that we do not look after this first sweep of table immediately. Het is en blijft een inspiratieloos design. It is and remains a inspiratieloos design. Ondanks dat het toestel de voorbode is van een groot aantal interessante mobieltjes volgend jaar. Despite that the device is the forerunner of a large number of interesting mobile phones next year. Laten we hopen dat de ontwerpers de kans krijgen iets mooiers te ontwerpen. Let us hope that the designers the opportunity to design something beautiful. Iets waar het Google Android platform met trots op geïnstalleerd mag worden. Something that the Google Android platform with pride to be installed.

Google Android Google Android

We gaan deze keer niet specifiek in op het platform Android - het stukje software op de G1. We will not this time specifically in the Android platform - the piece of software on the G1. Zodra wij een officieel model in handen krijgen dat marktrijp is en klaar voor een uitgebreide test nemen we het toestel direct onderhanden. Once we have a model in official hands that market is ripe and ready for a comprehensive test we take the unit directly below the hands. Tot die tijd zullen we het moeten doen met een korte videoreview waarin ik gefilmd werd door Matthijs van den Broek van Marketingfacts . Twee seconden nadat ik het toestel van de stand van HTC oppakte, greep hij zijn videocamera en legde mijn eerste indrukken met Android op de G1 vast. Until that time we will have to do with a short video review in which I was filmed by Matthijs van den Broek of Marketingfacts. Two seconds after I installed the unit of the state of HTC pick up, seized his video camera and made my first impressions with the Android G1 fixed. Dit was het resultaat: This was the result:

T-Mobile G1 Emulator

2008-10-05T01:44:00.000-07:00

G1 Pre-Sale Madness: T-Mobile Triples Production, Sells Them All

2008-10-04T03:55:00.000-07:00

According to a T-Mobile spokesperson, pre-sale demand on the Android G1 is so big that they have already sold all their units. She says that this is specially impressive because it happened after they tripled the amount of available G1 cellphones. Of course, this could mean anything without knowing actual shipping numbers, but it seems there's plenty of interest despite its many shortcomings. If you want to pre-order yours, however, you can pre-order now through October 21 to get it at a later date:

Given the great anticipation and the heavy pre-sale demand for the T-Mobile G1 with Google, we nearly tripled the number of phones initially available for delivery on our Oct. 22 launch date, and have sold through them all. However, to accommodate additional T-Mobile customers who want to pre-order a device, they now have the opportunity to place a pre-order through Oct. 21, for delivery at a later date. Also, people can still pre-register on the T-Mobile G1 Web site to be notified prior to launch where they can purchase the device beginning Oct. 22.

Motorola confirms Android plans, but won't say how big

2008-10-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

Motorola first endorsed Google's Android platform almost a year ago. Yet now that HTC and T-Mobile are about to release the G1 phone, Motorola has confirmed to BetaNews that it will actually dive into the Android waters.

In a statement to BetaNews this morning, Motorola confirmed industry speculation that it is working on products for the Google-spearheaded Android platform. But a Motorola spokesperson refrained from commenting on published reports that the company is boosting its Android team from 50 to 350 developers.

"We're excited about the innovation possibilities on Android, and [we] look forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google and the Open Handset Alliance (OHA)," a Motorola spokesperson said, in a statement to BetaNews.

The official confirmation of Motorola's plans for Android products should come as no surprise, really, since Motorola acted as one of the OHA's founding members upon the organization's launch back in November of 2007, along with fellow cell phone makers HTC, LG, and Samsung.

Yet while HTC's "Dream" phone is one and the same as the Android-based G1 phone that T-Mobile rolled out last week, Motorola and the other handset partners in the OHA have held back from making Android product announcements.

Motorola's statement today fell short of confirming published reports, beginning with yesterday's report in TechCrunch, that Motorola is now in the process of beefing up the Android development team -- by some accounts, as much as seven-fold.

Some observers are now touting Android as a salve to the financial pains Motorola has sustained in its inability to find a successor to its previously successful RAZR phone.

Last April, Motorola reorganized its mobile phone arm into product teams -- one for lower-end, voice-only phones, and the other for feature and smart phones -- that each combine hardware and software specialists. Previously, hardware and software specialists worked in different groups.

In a statement issued at the time of the OHA launch last year, Ed Zander -- who was later replaced as Motorola's CEO by Greg Brown -- gave a ringing endorsement from Motorola to the Linux-enabled Android platform.

"Motorola has long been an advocate of open software for mobile platforms. Today, we're excited to continue this support by joining Google and others in the announcement of the Open Handset Alliance and Android platform. Motorola plans to leverage the Android platform to enable seamless, connected services and rich consumer experiences in future Motorola products," according to Zander.

Since then, Motorola began moving into the Linux phone market early this year with the announcement of the Motorola U9, a phone supporting the Linux Mobile Foundation (LiMo) platform. Yet it continues to sell phones phones such as the Motorola Q which use Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform.

Meanwhile, Motorola rival Nokia is now rumored to be exploring Android, despite its acquisition of mobile OS maker Symbian earlier this year, In buying Symbian, Nokia also turned over Symbian development to a multi-vendor group called the Symbian Foundation.

The full text of Motorola's statement to BetaNews follows:

Motorola is pleased to see the industry enthusiasm and support of the Android operating system. As a pioneer in mobile Linux and a founder of OHA, Motorola believes Android is it promises to be one of the most powerful, flexible and customizable open platforms, enabling truly integrated mobile hardware, software and web experiences. We're excited about the innovation possibilities on Android, and look forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google and the Open Handset Alliance community.

The G1 gets a near-complete unboxing, we get totally jealous

2008-10-04T03:49:00.000-07:00

Android Market will offer free trials, but not free bandwidth

2008-10-04T03:46:00.000-07:00

Andy Rubin, who heads up Google’s Android efforts, spoke to me yesterday about his vision for the Android Market. In particular, we talked about how the market will be different from Apple’s iTunes App Store and some other efforts, which also peddle software for cell phones.

Rubin’s message: Google won’t impose many of the restrictions Apple developers have been grumbling about. Unlike iPhone aficionados, developers using Android Market will, for example, be able to allow consumers to try their applications for free before they buy them. This may seem like a small thing, but developers name lack of free trial as one of the biggest reasons behind their lukewarm App Store sales.

Android Market also won’t place limits on how much bandwidth a given application may use up. T-Mobile G1 phone launch partner, T-Mobile USA, just announced that it will ask developers whose free apps take up more than 15 Megabytes of bandwidth per user per month to pay it a $2 monthly fee. Since G1 users will be downloading apps from the Android Market, which offers no such restrictions, that policy, it seems to me, may be difficult to enforce.

As a result, I wouldn't be surprised if some Apple developers migrate over. Android Market could end up being a bigger hotbed of innovation than even the App Store. "We want the next killer application to be written for cell phones, not the Internet," Rubin said.

Source:businessweek.com

T-Mobile still taking G1 pre-orders, but you won't get it on October 22

2008-10-04T03:43:00.000-07:00

So the good news is that T-Mobile has decided to keep right on taking pre-orders for the G1 through October 21, just one day before the handset's official launch. The bad news, though, is that it doesn't mean you'll be getting your Android on come October 22. Turns out that the initial allotment of G1s set aside for pre-orders is now sold out completely, and any names taken between now and launch will be allotted phones being shipped "at a later date." It's not clear if a "later date" means a week, a month, or a decade after the 22nd, but for the sake of everyone involved, we hope its the former.

Update: T-Mobile's site says that pre-orders taken from here on out will be delivered "as early as November 10," so it looks like you early birds are going to have a nice little period of exclusivity. Thanks, everyone!

T-Mobile G1 User's Guide Leaked

2008-09-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

When a tipster passed us the link to T-Mo's G1 ~~User Guide~~ quick-start guide and I read over the 48-page PDF, the first thing I noticed was a misspelling of Google as "Goggle." The second thing I noticed was that when I do end up checking out the phone, I'm definitely going to need the "Getting Started" guide—things seem quite overly complicated. Come, take a look at the interface decisions made by the designers, and judge for yourself.

As you can see, there are so many new things to learn just to perform standard phone functions, and as Jesus warned, it's done inconsistently from music player to web browser to email to quick dial. As far as functionality goes, the manual didn't contain any surprises. I was annoyed not to see any mention of the camera or photo gallery, nor any kind of video playback, even though the phone is capable of all that. (I also didn't see any of the business-friendly features (VPN, for one) that I presumed were absent based on our initial flyover.) The good news is, they fixed the clock.

You can download the G1 User's Guide PDF here, but first, skim through the screen and product shots below, and tell us what you think. [T-Mobile G1 - Thanks Shiron!]

Road to G1 has been a three-year endeavor for Google, HTC

2008-09-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

How many Google and HTC engineers does it take to build an Android phone? We don't have the punchline to that one, exactly -- but at least we have a pretty good idea of how long it takes. HTC's Chief Marketing Officer has revealed that it kicked off negotiations with Google some five years ago -- before it had even acquired Android, interestingly -- and has been deeply embedded in the Android team for the past three years. That's a long frickin' time, but we figure the first model's probably ten times harder to throw together than its successors are, so hopefully we'll see a nice cadence of "HTC Innovation" from here on out. We know it's been said many times before, but it probably bears repeating: Touch Pro and Touch HD with Android, guys. Please.

Ex-Google Manager Criticizes Android

2008-09-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Bitter and somewhat justified, Ulf Washbusch (we bet he never heard the end of it in high school) has decided to criticize Google Android and the phone on which it will be making its debut. You see, Ulf is now the ex-Google Mobile Product Manager who now works in MySpace’s mobile product operations. We think Ulf is just embarrassing himself like telling a girlfriend who just dumped you, “Well, your cooking stinks and I never liked the way you dressed, anyway,” when he says:

It’s funny - but the first time I heard about Android was about 2.5 years ago, when Eric Schmidt told me about the device at Stanford after I got a job offer from Google (yet before I accepted it!). Since then I have seen many iterations of the software. The software. Not the device itself, because sadly it hasn’t changed in many years. The reason many people see the phone as ugly and old-fashioned is simply… because it IS! It’s a design unchanged for at least two years, without iterations on it besides color schemas (it’s now available in Zune-brown along with white and black) and the silly ‘with Google’ description on the back. Don’t ask me what ‘with Google’ means. I didn’t understand it back then and still don’t understand it today.

Well then, it seems someone wasn’t happy with his department during his tenure at Google. We see his point - the phone could have been a little sexier. We take that back, it could have been a hellofalot sexier, but there isn’t much to be done at this point. Apparently, this guy is not stopping just at his blog when his Facebook status read, “Ulf is disappointed but not surprised about the ‘G1′. Where’s the cheap data plan? Where do I plug in my headphones? No video player? How do I get contacts in it?”

Be careful, MySpace, you’ve a feisty one on your hands! That’s right, pour gasoline on the bridge, light match, and watch it burn. Burn!

Android - why art thou?

2008-09-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Instead of writing a yay-or-nay post about Android, I decided to start a series of posts about it. Now that I finally can talk about it.

It’s funny - but the first time I heard about Android was about 2.5 years ago, when Eric Schmidt told me about the device at Stanford after I got a job offer from Google (yet before I accepted it!). Since then I have seen many iterations of the software. The software. Not the device itself, because sadly it hasn’t changed much in a while. (Not sure how long). The reason many people see the G1 as ugly and old-fashioned is simply… because it IS! It’s a design unchanged for a while (it’s now available in Zune-brown along with white and black). The hardware itself though went through many iterations I am sure, as it’s top-notch (3G on AWS, GPS, 3MP autofocus camera etc.).

Let me emphasize that this is just my personal opinion about the device on my personal blog. None of these are Google’s, T-Mobile’s (my previous employers) nor MySpace’s opinions.

To my friends and colleagues at Google though, I would like to wish congratulations for launch. It’s been a long-time coming!

Stay tuned for more.

Update: Geez - I should have prefaced my comments more with what I had in mind. I did NOT want to criticize the hardware nor the Android OS itself which in fact you will see I am quite a fan of in my next posts. In terms of LOOKS, compared to other HTC devices (such as the Touch or Touch HD) and competitive devices, such as the iPhone I believe the look of the G1 Hardware is somewhat…well…dated.

I am being portrayed as the disgruntled-ex-googler who wants to bring the hard work of my old employer down. Which is far from being the case. It has nothing to do with my being an ex-Googler, nor a MySpacer now nor did and do I not value the efforts of hundreds of my former colleagues. I just don’t like the design/looks of the device, which I doubt is even Google’s work. I think the team did an awesome job over the last few years building a whole new platform from the ground up.

I realize that product cycles take many years and I realize that future Android devices will certainly come in more interesting form factors. Again - I wish the whole team that worked hard on this best of luck.

T-Mobile G1 impressions: what we love, what we don't

2008-09-25T05:11:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile, HTC and Google stood hand in hand yesterday to debut the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. It felt a bit like a new era for the mobile industry -- though the rollerblading seemed a tad out of place -- with high-profile companies backing a Linux-based, touch-driven mobile OS, and spouting the word "open" every two sentences. But, naturally, high aims alone don't build a killer phone; there are a lot details to get right, and a lot more that Google and company have seen fit to leave in the hands of developers. Let's take a look at what's working so far, and what might need some more time in the oven:

Hardware

Code-named the HTC Dream, T-Mobile's G1 is an interesting phone from the Taiwanese manufacturer. Other than a fairly-familiar keyboard and that horribly annoying ExtUSB jack in lieu of an actual 3.5mm headphone plug, HTC seems to have started from a pretty clean slate. The phone doesn't look like anything special in photographs, but in person and in the hand it's a different story. The clean, simple lines, quality build and matte finish are understated but excellent. It doesn't hurt that the company is actually giving users some color options (black, white, and the totally odd but not unwelcome brown), either.

The capacitive screen feels a tad more fragile than Apple's bulletproof iPhone glass, but it's plenty responsive, bright and colorful, and should take its fair share of abuse. The lack of multi-touch is disappointing, but that sounds like more of an intellectual property limitation than a hardware failing, from what we hear. Little surprise, coming from HTC, but the sliding mechanism is solid and springy, though the phone is large enough that you might find yourself sliding it open with two hands at times. There is also a haptic response to certain actions, which we could take or leave.

HTC's keyboards have been getting increasingly shallow of late, and there's not much feel to this one -- the keys are pretty flat with the surface of the phone, to make way for that sliding screen, and aren't very "clicky" when pressed. Still, it's a large and and well-planned keyboard, and should easily best all but the most practiced iPhone typists. A perk of the hybrid nature of the phone is that you can easily tap out a phone number on the screen without sliding out the keypad.

With a touchscreen to handle most of its functionality, we don't expect to get much use out of the trackball, but it's friendly and usable, and it's kind of nice to have the option. Dedicated call buttons on the face are also welcome. The 3 megapixel camera is nothing special, though it performs well enough in daylight and is able to autofocus on objects at a surprisingly close range.

A major concern is what kind of cellular reception people are going to get. Being a "cloud-based" device, that 3G connection is rather vital for most services, and T-Mobile isn't exactly an old hand at that game. A trouble point here could be T-Mobile's 1GB soft data cap, but we hope that T-Mobile just means that as a stick to deter abuse of the network, and won't be leveled against regular folk. We're also hoping the 350 minutes of 3G talk, and 402 hours of 3G standby are conservative estimates, and not flat-out lies, though the phone's deemphasis on media might save a bit of that juice in regular usage scenarios.

Speaking of media, we appreciate the inclusion of a microSD slot (easily accessed to the right of the keyboard), but the 256MB of built-in memory is a little stifling, even in conjunction with the included 1GB card. The good news is that we're hearing deep down the phone sports microSDHC compatibility, which means the sky's the limit for capacity.

Software

Despite all this focus on the actual HTC device, it's the software that really makes or breaks this thing, especially given the fact that Android boasts plenty of hardware and carrier partners that will have their very own devices to run the OS, many of which we can expect by early next year -- if the G1 isn't your style, you don't have long to wait for an alternative.

Let's not mess around: we really like Android. It's not just what it stands for, it's what it is. It really takes that Google simplicity -- which is often at the expense of aesthetics, depending upon your taste -- and turns it into a rather impressive phone OS.

The basic metaphor of a "drawer" for apps, with favorites being dragged to the "desktop" is fun and convenient, and might stand up to a 50+ app scenario better than the iPhone, though it's really all a matter of taste. The hardware home button bounces you back to the main screen with ease, and the inclusion of a hardware back button means applications can consume the entire screen -- though it can be disorienting at first. The hardware menu button is intuitively placed, and the icon-based menus it spawns are delicious, but sometimes it's hard to tell if we should hit back, tap and hold on the screen, or tap the menu button -- a learning curve that shouldn't be hard for the nerds among us, but might be more difficult to explain to mom.

Your desktop can also be populated with widgets, though strangely enough we were told that they weren't open for development now. We're sure (we hope) that will change, because the idea of having a little RSS ticker or some other handy micro-app always available would be a big help to our information-overload lifestyle. At launch you'll be able to add a clock, Google search box, or a "picture frame," which lets you plant bordered photos on your desktop.

One major criticism of the iPhone has been its icon-based notification method, supplemented by the sometimes-inconvenient method of pop-up messages. Android elegantly integrates notifications into a "drawer" at the top of the phone, meaning you can pull down the top status bar and see at a glance what's going on in your day, in your email and so forth, without leaving the app you're in. You can even see certain notifications without pulling it down at all, the text of the message will just hit the top white bar of the screen for a few seconds. This is one of our favorite parts of Android, and it's really beautifully implemented.

Speaking of the iPhone, one of Apple's biggest praises with that device has been the integration of solid and beautiful media playback and purchasing, and we'd say Android really missed an opportunity here. The music player is pretty disappointing, with a confusing method of selecting and playing songs, and a general "b team" look to it. We can't imagine browsing and enjoying a large music collection on the device, and given the lack of a desktop syncing app, it seems even less palatable. The Amazon MP3 stores seems nice enough, but buying songs on the phone and then manually pulling them into our jukebox of choice later on seems like a chore, and since you can't buy songs over 3G it's almost pointless. Google also didn't build a video player for the phone, outside of the YouTube app. You can already nab a free video player from the Android Market, but video playback on a modern device with a screen like this shouldn't be an afterthought, and we don't see how Android is ready in any way for the average consumer's media diet -- podcasts and Audible haven't even gotten a mention. (And don't get us started on that horrible lack of a headphone jack or even an adapter).

The browser is more of a mixed bag. WebKit naturally looks great and renders accurately, but the lack of multi-touch makes jumping around the page a tad more laborious, and the actual scrolling seems slow and stuttery. That said, Google has packed in some enhancements (check 'em out in the video up above) that really come in handy. You can tap and hold on images to save them or send them, tap and hold on the address bar to -- get this -- copy the URL, and the browser recognizes addresses and phone numbers, letting you tap them for use in another app like Google Maps or contacts. A lot of that functionality is hidden, however, so it could take a bit of learning, but it's good to have the options.

The "Google Apps" are all predictably good (Google's video on the topic is up above). Google has a universal login for the phone -- you enter it once when you buy it, and never have to worry about it again -- so that's a big win right out of the gate. Google also keeps all the apps synced, with Gmail messages, contacts and Gcal dates all available offline, in addition to Gtalk "presence" all of which will be clutch for the Google-addicted among us. In the apps themselves, the lack of visible options (remember that menu button!) might be a bit jarring at first, but leaves maximum room for those simple text-and-line Google interfaces. We did find the apps to be a bit sluggish at times, especially Gmail, which felt like it was "loading" messages that were already downloaded to the device. The maps app was also a tad choppy in standard view, though Street View is surprisingly smooth.

We elaborated on this elsewhere, but we have high hopes for the Android Marketplace, not because we think the apps will be sexier or more useful than the App Store, but because Google and T-Mobile seem to be very serious about staying "open" and letting apps come as they may. What we hope this means in the concrete is that apps like emulators and alternative mail clients aren't only allowed, they're embraced.

Wrap-up

Overall, we're very optimistic about this phone, and particularly the Android OS and what it represents. What's clear is that it's not for everybody. There's learning curve here -- it's rewarding, and not entirely geeky or pointless -- but it's there, and casual users might feel more comfortable with their Blackberry or iPhone for the time being, while power users might want to stick with more polished and complete operating systems. It's also clear that Google is putting a lot on the shoulders of 3rd party developers to release much-needed apps to the Marketplace. That's a good thing if we end up with killer apps, but it could turn into a sea of mediocrity, and we fear that third parties won't stick to similar design paradigms in designing their applications -- there's enough diversity even in the first party software to give pause. We haven't even gotten into business use here, because, frankly, your business probably isn't based around Google services. We can talk more about that when we get some Exchange to work with. We look forward to getting more time with the phone and testing out T-Mobile's NY 3G coverage -- which could make or break a purchasing decision -- but this is certainly a promising start.

You can find the rest of our T-Mobile G1 launch coverage here.

Update: We were told by T-Mobile reps that an ExtUSB to 3.5mm adapter would be included with the phone to allow for the use of regular earbuds / headphones, but that adapter wouldn't make it into the first shipments due to production constraints.

SanDisk's 16GB microSDHC card slips into retail, T-Mobile's G1

2008-09-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

Shhh, keep this on the down low: SanDisk's 16GB microSDHC card is now available for purchase -- the first to reach that capacity. At the moment, it's only been spotted at a few on-line shops in the UK for round-about £45 with VAT (about $70 pre-tax in the US). Exactly what you need for your new T-Mobile G1. Hey Sandisk, you want to chime in and make this official or what?

What Did Google Phone Say To The iPhone? (IMG)

2008-09-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Giz Explains: What's Good and Bad About Developing for Android and iPhone

2008-09-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Whether or not such a two-sided conflict will actually play out in the larger mobile-phone industry, today Android vs. iPhone is the battle raging in the mind of every fanboy, gadget geek—and software developer. Since it has all the right themes for a Tolkien-esque epic whose outcome largely rests with small, furry-footed but pure-hearted creatures—developers—we asked the developers of popular mobile apps such as Pandora, TuneWiki and Instinctiv Shuffle, mostly people working on both platforms, to tell us whether it's better to write for the no-strings-attached open Android or the more popular but catch-prone iPhone. Android may not be an overnight success, but iPhone had better watch its back.

Android: iPhone's Refugee Camp
While Android's open approach undoubtedly led some developers to pick it over the iPhone from the start, Apple's byzantine approval process and perhaps anti-competitive protection of its own apps—Podcaster and MailWrangler being two of the most prominent—have definitely driven some devs into Android's open arms, or at least made them stare longingly at it.

One such dev was the maker of the ridiculously popular Instictiv Shuffle app for jailbroken iPhones. Currently, iPhone apps aren't allowed to touch a user's music or iTunes functionality in any way. Instinctiv CEO Justin Smithline told us that "the minute we found out about the restrictions of the SDK...we started up an Android effort." Nevertheless it was clear in our interview that they loved the iPhone platform, using the word "amazing" more than once to talk about it.

Free But Not Equal
One of the original dustups around Android was that the 50 finalists in the Android Developer Challenge received early, privileged access to SDK updates that the rest of the developer community didn't get. While it makes sense that Google would want to fast-track Android's potential killer apps in time for the launch, it also goes against Android's atmosphere of openness.

It seems like there is some favoritism—whether it's toward specific devs or just toward the best apps is uncertain. TuneWiki is a finalist and one of Android's 10 most exciting apps. Amidst complaints about the lack of updates to Android's SDK until the recent 0.9 release and Google's secrecy, TuneWiki CEO Amnon Sarig told us that "I cannot say good enough things to say how [Google] treated us. They gave us whatever we wanted. They want us to succeed."

Since TuneWiki looks like it'll be a fantastic app, it's hard to argue with this—why shouldn't Google devote the most resources to the best and brightest, the stuff that'll make its platform shine? Logically, it should, given how much of the platform's success ultimately lies in the hands of developers. Depending on how you see Android's raison d'tre, that might be deeply troubling philosophically, on the other hand.

Nuts and Bolts
One thing that every developer we talked to pretty much agreed about is that coding for Android is not exactly warm robotic apple pie. While it's commonly assumed that Android development is done using run-of-the-mill Java, the developer of BreadCrumbz—a very cool image-based navigation app that's one of the 50 finalists, told us that the Android framework is actually "very different" from a regular Java stack, so that even "experienced Java developers still need to learn." TuneWiki's devs agreed that there's a learning curve, but both said that since it's still Java at the end of the day, it's a short one.

Instinctiv was more down on Android Java, compared to iPhone OS X, when it came to porting their app. When we talked to them before the release of the 0.9 SDK, they said that "Android is a mobile OS unlike the iPhone system, which is really kind of a desktop OS." Because of Java, they lamented that it'll be hard for Instinctiv Shuffle to do any really heavy lifting without bogging the system down, so they didn't think they'll be able to make it "as personalized" as the admittedly outlawed iPhone version.

Access to hardware appears to be much better than with the iPhone SDK, even though BreadCrumbz's Amos Yoffe says that Android "doesn't let you access the hardware directly, you go through Java APIs which are abstracted from the hardware." He still says that it's "pretty good." TuneWiki devs raved that "Android doesn't sandbox you like Apple does, so you have more flexibility." Apps run in the background just fine, battery drain issues aside. And conversely to this freedom, security policies and threats should be interesting (and maybe terrifying for nail-biter types) to watch develop, though at the start, Android seems to strike a good balance between security and freedom (insert current events political joke here).

Flexibility is a huge thing for Android. One of its strongest points—that it's going to run on a ton of phones with a rainbow of specs—might also prove to be one of its weak points, and perhaps the biggest challenge for developers. TuneWiki's Sarig said that since the Dev challenge only provided them with a single set of specs, no one's had to deal with the issue yet. It's definitely looming, however.

He admits that they're going to "have to scale back for less powerful handsets," though he doesn't know to what extent, since no one's seen the pile-of-rusted-bolts end of the Android hardware scale. BreadCrumbz's Yoffe says that "it's a bit early to say" if performance variance between handsets will be an issue, no one will really know "until we get our hands on real Android hardware." The G1's hodgepodge of interface methods—touchscreen, QWERTY and trackball—perhaps not so coincidentally gives developers a chance to experiment with multiple ways to interact with their app using a single device.

Android vs. iPhone: The Final Battle
Pandora CTO Tom Conrad, who famously said "I need Android like I need a hole in the head," actually takes a more measured approach to the platform war. He told us that "Generally, when I look at Android and the challenges we faced bringing Pandora to handsets," it doesn't seem to solve them. "It just adds another one to the mix."

Critical for Android's success is an easy-to-use app store and the killer apps to stock it. Conrad noted that while Pandora had been on a number of low-end phones for over two years, within 24 hours, their iPhone app had surpassed all of those users combined. They are currently taking a wait-and-see approach with Android, though he stressed that "absolutely, we want Pandora to be everywhere there are listeners." TuneWiki similarly wants to achieve multi-platform ubiquity, though they're much more juiced about both the iPhone and Android, saying, "We love them both."

Whoever wins, it looks like the carriers will lose. Every dev agreed that the iPhone sparked a revolution that is changing the way US carriers operate. Android is a part of that now, and the two, even locked in competition, will push that revolution further. In that sense, at least, we all win something.
Read More: Unlocking the T-Mobile G1: The Definitive Word , Why Android Is Bad For Business , How Many Google Phone Engineers Does It Take to Tell the Time? , T-Mobile Restricting 3G Data Usage to 1GB a Month Without Penalty

Unlocking the T-Mobile G1

2008-09-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

One of the G1's five most obnoxious flaws (okay, there were more than five) is that it's locked to T-Mobile, which seems antithetical to the whole openness deal. Since T-Mobile is subsidizing the phone so heavily, it originally sounded like T-Mobile's usual unlock policy wouldn't apply, and a spokesperson wasn't sure when we asked yesterday. Good news though: The official word from T-Mobile is if your account has been active for 90 days, they'll unlock the G1 for you, just like they would with any other phone.

T-Mobile branded phones operating on the T-Mobile network may only use T-Mobile SIM cards. To use a T-Mobile branded phone on another wireless carrier's network with a non-T-Mobile SIM card, you must first request a "SIM Unlock" code from T-Mobile. Conversely, if you have a phone from another North American wireless carrier, you may need to request a "SIM Unlock" code from that carrier before being able to use a T-Mobile SIM card on the T-Mobile network.

* SIM Unlock Codes will only be provided after your account has been active for 90 days. Only one unlock code may be provided per customer every 90 days.

Yes, even if you pay $399 for a contract-less phone, you've still gotta have an active account for 90 days to have T-Mobile unlock it.

Of course, as we noted before, if you're just interested in unlocking the G1 you really won't have to worry about this at all: Developers can (and probably will, we're betting within a couple of days after the launch) totally put an unlocking application in the Android Market—it won't be blocked or pulled down. Definitely a prudent and laudable move on T-Mobile's part, since trying to fight hackers on a phone almost explicitly designed for it would be retardo to the tenth degree. See, it really is up to devs to make

How Many Google Phone Engineers Does It Take to Tell the Time?

2008-09-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

So here I was, all excited about Android. Not because the G1's physical design is specially attractive. In fact, it's a gray design with no soul. Not because of the user interface, which at first glance reminded me of a mash-up between the Nintendo DS and a '90s Windows desktop manager. No, I was excited because this is the first post-iPhone smartphone that could be a serious challenger to Apple's mounting dominance. Then I looked closely at this image and realized the G1 will not pose a threat to Apple at all.

The problem in this promotional mock-up image is obvious: The analog clock says it's 9:10 but the digital clock says it's 2:47.

I know. It seems like a dumb problem. But it is an obvious one. This is one of their main promotional images—which incidentally shows a T-Mobile G1 with a screen that seems to be broken, something which is bad enough on its own—and they failed to get it right. The problem with the clocks would have never escaped Apple's ferocious attention to detail, but it is not the image itself that's so troubling. It is what it symbolizes, what is missing at Android's most fundamental level: Attention to detail.

If you compare these images or look at the walkthrough video, you will see what I'm talking about: Each of them seem taken from a completely different device.

Typefaces boldly change from place to place, giving a sense of randomness to the whole interface. The same thing happens with color schemes—going from color over white, to color over black, to browns combined with greens and blues, to green over white—and the way the graphic elements are treated—with solid colors or with gradients. Even the shape of the widgets and sizes look arbitrary. Finally, the icons themselves—which get different treatment from flat to fake 3D—add to the overall confusion.

Perhaps the explanation for this apparent lack of overall coherence is Android's Design by Committee nature, something that seems to plague many of Google's applications and most open-source projects. Hence the question: How many Google engineers does it take to tell the time?

Besides adding confusion, the UI problems make the whole experience ugly. A gray phone with an ugly interface with no attention to detail is not going to win over the consumers' eyes and hearts—no matter how cool Android Market or how open Android platform could be.

Whether we like it or not, the cellphone is now such a personal part of our lives that the emotional connection between a piece of plastic and the owner plays a huge part in the purchase decision process. Enough to make people camp out for days in front of a store to get a product. The proof is that the iPhone still lacks several things that consumers want—in theory—but they can live without them because of how polished Apple's cellphone is, because the attention to all those details, from packaging to user interface.

Would normal consumers buy into the lack of details and the apparently incoherent mess of Android's user interface? Or would they pass and continue to be dazzled by devices like the iPhone, which provide with most of the features they need in a tight, very attractive package? At the end, the fact is that this attention to detail is precisely what separates the awesome from the hhhhmmm-hookai products. I hope that the community of talented developers and designers makes some kick ass skins for this phone. But for me right now, Android is an absolute no-no.

T-Mobile G1 specification on HTC offical site

2008-09-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Processor

Qualcomm® MSM7201A™, 528 MHz

Operating System

Android

Memory

ROM:	256 MB
RAM:	192 MB

Dimensions (LxWxT)

117.7 mm x 55.7 mm x 17.1 mm
(4.60 in x 2.16 in x 0.62 in)

Weight

158 grams (5.57 ounces) with battery

Display

3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320 x 480 (HVGA) resolution

Network

HSDPA/WCDMA:

Europe: 2100 MHz
US:1700/2100 MHz
Up to 7.2 Mbps down-link (HSDPA) and 2 Mbps up-link (HSUPA) speeds

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

850/900/1800/1900 MHz

(Band frequency, HSUPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent.)

Device Control

Trackball with Enter button

Keyboard

Slide-out 5-row QWERTY keyboard

GPS

GPS navigation capability with built-in GPS receiver and map software

Connectivity

Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11b/g
HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)

Camera

3.2 megapixel color camera with fixed focus

Audio

Built-in microphone and speaker
Ring tone formats:

AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MIDI, MP3, WMA, WMV
40 polyphonic and standard MIDI format 0 and 1 (SMF)/SP MIDI

Battery

Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1150 mAh

Talk time:

Up to 350 minutes for WCDMA
Up to 406 minutes for GSM

Standby time:

Up to 402 hours for WCDMA
Up to 319 hours for GSM

(The above are subject to network and phone usage.)

Expansion Slot

microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)

AC Adapter

Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz
DC output: 5V and 1A

Special Features

Digital Compass, Motion Sensor

Note: Specifications are subject to change without prior notice.

What's missing from the G1? FIRST TAKE

2008-09-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

Like the iPhone did, the G1 comes to market missing a few things.

1. Open source is nice and will lead to adoption but G1 doesn't seem have the same level of application support that other platforms enjoy at the moment. This is likely to change over time

2. There is no support for editing Microsoft Office attachments. Limited Office docs viewing.

3. No direct support for the Exchange ActiveSync protocol

4. 3G support will be limited as T-Mobile builds out their network. WiFi will mitigage that somewhat.

5. No iTunes direct integration. Yes, the Amazon store is important and goes a long wayt but let's face it, iTunes is where the music is at and this device needs to be able to sync over that content for consumers easily and simply.

6. Device is SIM locked to T-Mobile, so not as open as some might have liked.

7. No tethering as a modem.

UPDATE

8. It's has no 3.5mm headphone jack. Maybe not an issue as there's no easy way to syn music or video to the device yet

Even with these issues, Google is now an important player in the mobile OS wars.

Source:www.mediabistro.com

T-Mobile G1 / Android bits you may not have caught

2008-09-24T03:50:00.000-07:00

Just a few bits on today’s monumental T-Mobile G1 / Android / HTC Googlephone / funnererest handset evar announcement that may have gone under the radar.

* T-Mobile claims G1s will be SIM-locked (no surprise). But hey, the software platform is completely open source; I can’t wait to see how they think they’ll protect against that.
* T-Mobile claims you can’t use the device as a tethered data modem. But again, the whole OS — networking stack, app layer, radio interfaces, etc. — is open. Try and stop us.
* Since T-Mobile’s US 3G network is 1700MHz-based, that means there could at some point be a second, dual (or hopefully tri) band version for the rest of the world. (The US version should work in Europe). That might mean an imported, unlocked unit could work on AT&T. That’s fairly speculative right now, though.
* HTC claims better 3G talk time compared to the iPhone 3G: 350 minutes 3G talk time (vs. 300 minutes). 2G talk time is apparently much worse though, 406 minutes to the iPhone’s supposed 600.
* It supports microSDHC — meaning you’re not capped at 4GB of storage. When 16 and 32GB cards show up, you can drop those in and keep growing your device, whereas your iPhone will stay static.
* They didn’t include a 3.5mm headphone jack — they’re using HTC’s combo USB / audio jack (ExtUSB), which requires an adapter. Bunk.
* Sync is done all over the air, and through Google services. It’s still unclear how many of these services you can elect not to use (i.e. can one have a contact list that ISN’T synced to their Gmail account?).
* We knew that the device has a capacitive touchscreen (like the iPhone), but not how they solved the problem of copy/paste, which has plagued Apple. Turns out they half-assed it, or so I understand. Seems that you can only copy/paste data in fields. If you’re on a web page, for example, you can’t select a string of text in a paragraph. The search continues for someone to commit to chasing down the fat-finger-touchscreen copy/paste unicorn.
* Although its browser runs on Webkit and some of the Chrome code base, they’re not officially dubbing it Chrome, or Chrome Mobile, or anything like that. Head Android Andy Rubin said it’s fair to think of it as “Chrome light,” though — just don’t call it that. Yet.
Source:www.ryanblock.com

Google on Android

2008-09-24T03:43:00.000-07:00

At Google, we develop products that we love to use ourselves. For example, we're avid users of Search, Gmail, Maps, and many others. But for those of us in mobile, it's tough. Not all products work the same on all devices, and although we try and optimize for each device, we often run into challenges specific to certain mobile phone platforms. I, for one, used to carry three devices with me all day. I love my iPhone for its powerful browser and music player. I use my BlackBerry for Gmail and Calendar (and occasionally Brick Breaker), and I carry a Nokia N-series phone because of its camera and YouTube application.

The first Android-powered phone, announced today by T-Mobile, comes 'with Google'. The following Google applications are preloaded on the device: Search, Maps, Gmail with Contacts, Calendar, Google Talk, and YouTube. There are a few things I'm particularly excited about:

Easy to use. It's never been easier to use Google on your phone. With single sign-in, you can log in to your Google account and have instant access to all your favorite Google products. No messing around with settings, your login never expires, and everything just works. If you don't have a Google account yet, you can set one up on your phone and be up and running in seconds.
Fully synchronized. Your emails, contacts, calendar entries, Google Talk chats are fully synchronized with Gmail and Calendar on the web. New events are pushed in real-time to your phone and any changes you make on-the-go are immediately available on the web. If you ever lose or break your phone, all your data is safe and secure in the cloud.
Designed to work together. Search is now available as a feature in many applications, including non-Google ones, such as the music player. While you're listening to a song -- like something from Depeche Mode -- just 'long-press' the artist's name. You'll see a menu pop up that let's you search Google for the Depeche Mode Wikipedia entry, or search YouTube for the music video. The contact application lets you see your friend's IM status, view his address on a map, and communicate with him using Gmail or Google Talk. And, of course, you can call or text him as well.

Check out the video below to see these features in action:

The Google applications on Android take full advantage of the features of the Android platform. Gmail is built on 'embedded WebViews', the real-time push features and synchronization use the multi-tasking capabilities of the platform, and the integration between applications relies on the 'Android Application Framework'.

We're kicking off a new blog series, called 'Google on Android'. Over the next couple of weeks, we will dig deeper into each one of the Google applications available for Android, and at the end of the series, I'll let you know whether I've decided to switch phones or switch to pants that let me carry four phones instead of three.

Posted by Marc Vanlerberghe, Product Marketing Director
Source:http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/

T-Mobile's CTO on G1 unlocking and tethering -- plus a few details you might have missed

2008-09-24T03:39:00.000-07:00

While there was a flurry (actually, a full on snowstorm) of news today about the G1, there's a few bits of info you might not have heard, largely because no one is reporting them. We had a chance to speak with T-Mobile CTO Cole Brodman after the event today, and he had some illuminating -- and frankly refreshing -- takes on some of our more pressing questions. When asked about what T-Mobile's reaction would be to users creating tethering or unlocking apps for the phone, he was surprisingly even-keeled, noting that while the company didn't encourage the practice, they wouldn't lock down the OS or update the software to break those applications. Our impression was that as long as their use was relegated to a small percentage of owners, T-Mobile likely wouldn't take action, though he did voice concerns over tethering apps and their effect on the network, with a clearly guarded eye to letting users have free reign. More interestingly, buyers would be able to have access to a "contract free" G1 (with a price point of $399), and could unlock the device with T-Mobile's blessing after 90 days. Brodman also said that the company's policy of unlocking phones for customers in good standing wouldn't change for this phone.

Another feature we got a more in-depth look at was the phone's copy and paste functionality. While it seems to be mainly connected to use of the trackball (you use a key press / trackball gesture to select text), you can't just grab any text -- it has to be from an editable text box. However, the browser is capable of detecting phone numbers and email addresses, and will allow you to grab that text and move to contacts. This would probably all be slightly more alarming if it weren't for the fact that Google is allowing developers to code extensions and add-ons for specific apps as well as system-wide functions, leading us to believe that it won't take very long before someone implements a more robust copy and paste scenario.

Besides the lack of a headphone jack, there's no included video application (there is a free player available to download), and there's an 8GB limit on storage space -- though according to our main man Ryan Block, the device is spec'd for microSDHC cards, thus allowing capacities up to 32GB. The G1 still doesn't present many syncing options, and there's certainly no iTunes love here (much to the chagrin of at least one industry analyst) -- you're pretty much stuck in the Google / T-Mobile / Amazon ecosystems.

T-Mobile almost seems to be positioning itself as the anti-Apple in the smartphone game. It's not an unusual move given their position in the market right now, but the fact that the company's CTO is willing to admit that the answer to the unlocking or tethering questions aren't as cut and dry as the folks in Cupertino have painted things is somewhat heartening to hear. Now let's just see if they can stick to that live-and-let-live attitude in the storm they're likely about to weather once the G1 hits store shelves.

Confirmed: T-Mobile G1 has no 3.5mm headphone jack

2008-09-23T10:24:00.001-07:00

Hey, that's pretty awesome that Amazon's thrown together an MP3 store app for the G1, isn't it? What would be even cooler still, though, is if you could actually listen to those tracks without a crazy dongle hanging off your phone. Like many recent HTCs (Touch HD notably excepted), the G1 eschews a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for its proprietary ExtUSB connector, meaning you'll need custom headphones or an adapter to plug in your own. What's worse, the adapter won't be available immediately at launch, just a bundled headset. Why, HTC? Why?

Video: Android walkthrough on T-Mobile G1

2008-09-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Google just posted a few videos showing all the Google applications loaded on the T-Mobile G1. This includes Seach, Maps, Gmail and Contacts, Calendar, Google Talk and You Tube all enabled with a single sign-on -- no further logins are required. The fact that these are fully synchronized to the web negates the need for a desktop application. Nice. Amazon MP3 store, IMing, Street View compass mode and plenty more highlighted in the videos posted after the break.

T-Mobile G1 video hands-on

2008-09-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

No, we're not done with this thing yet. Check out our hands-on video of the T-Mobile G1 after the break. Of note, scrolling around in the browser is a tad laggy, and everything feels very first-generation. There's an obligatory compare-o with the iPhone, but the G1 is obviously packing in a full-size keyboard, so the size doesn't seem too outlandish.

Video

Be one of the first to get the T-Mobile G1 delivered to your door

2008-09-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

As a T-Mobile customer you can reserve your G1 today and have it in your hand as soon as it's available. Not a T-Mobile customer yet? Register now and be one of the first to find out when it's available.

T-Mobile customers, order your G1 today while they last

Order the new T-Mobile G1 for as low as $179.99 (plus taxes and fees; two-year agreement required), exclusive to T-Mobile customers only, and be one of the first to get the T-Mobile G1 delivered right to your door as early as October 22, 2008.*

Supplies are limited, so order yours now without hassle. Without fuss. Without any long lines. After all, as a T-Mobile customer, you deserve to get what you want—when you want it.
http://t-mobileg1.com/pre-order-g1.aspx

The new T-Mobile G1 with Google cell phone – Official Site

2008-09-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile G1 first hands-on

2008-09-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Yep -- there it is. We finally, finally got our mitts all over the very first Android device, the T-Mobile G1 -- hanging out in the crowd, waiting for the official announce, naturally -- and so far we like what we see. The phone is surprisingly thinner than we thought it would be, and it feels pretty solid in your hand (though they've opted for an almost all plastic device, no metal here). The keyboard seems usable and reasonably well thought-out, and the slider action is like butter, with a nice little swoop for good effect. But really, the pictures tell the whole story, so check out the picture below!

Android fans, good news and some bad news…

2008-09-23T07:20:00.001-07:00

The good news is that this is today’s Android announcement but the bad news, is . . . well pretty bad. We get information regarding the Android launch and we take a lot of it at face value. We’ve always tried our best to be accurate and sure of our info, corroborate it and this time we’re confident enough. I must emphasize that none of this is 110% concrete and is of course subject to change.

According to sources, the PRESALE launch of the Android device will be to customers in 3G capable areas ONLY. Thats right, the morning of Sept 17th when you wake up and go to order that magical and mystical device, if you aren’t in a 3G area, you might not want to be around anything you can throw. Keep in mind that being in a 3G market, doesn’t mean your area will have 3G coverage as the entire market may not be covered. For example, being in the Miami market doesn’t guarantee 3G capability right away for the suburbs. As of right now, your home zip code will have to be in an area with 3G coverage to be eligible. We are NOT sure if this news is specific to the 25 launch cities we’ve discussed previously or to those cities that are already publicly launched. So again, take this with a grain of salt. Just know that we are working tirelessly to confirm this information and hopefully refute it. Right now its the most up to date info regarding the launch.

Update: There is nothing that says non 3G residents won’t be able to order the phone post presale. This news is presale ONLY.

On another note its looking like the pricing scheme for the device is still likely to be tiered with eligible customers only getting the best possible pricing. It was considered at one point that all customers were eligible ala 1st gen iPhone but new information points to otherwise. This morning Androidguys published a pricing scenario and it matches up with the best of our knowledge. We have been working closely with these guys trying to ensure that only the best information flows to you, the readers and we trust in these guys and you should too.

Invoice Price: $399
New customer price: $200 + $35 activation fee (2-year agreement, no mail-in rebates to mess with)
Full discount for upgrades: $200 + $18 standard upgrade fee
Partial upgrade cost: $350 + $18 standard upgrade fee
Pre-Sale upgrade for full discount: $150 + $18 UF
Pre-Sale upgrade for partial discount: $300 + $18 UF

T-Mobile-G1 Confirmed info leaks…

2008-09-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

“Available in all stores within 3G boundary area, regardless of whether or not store is in a 3G dead spot. Available in some locations directly outside of the 3G boundary area due to the fact that some customers who live in the 3G boundary area shop within a 2 - 5 mile radius and the store they would go to is outside of the 3G boundary area.
For those stores not in 3G markets, a demo unit and merchandising will be in store so rep can show customer what the experience on G1 is like on the 2G network. If customer is ok with experience, Rep can help them purchase a device on T-Mobile.com” Looks like we called that one.

One-click Google search and easy access to all Google Applications - Quick and easy access to the Internet in one click. One touch access to Google applications:
Maps (including satellite, traffic and street views)
Gmail
YouTube
Calendar
Google Talk

Size–4.6 x 2.16 x 0.63 in
Weight–5.6 ounces
Display–65K color screen, HVGA (480×320)
Talk Time–5 hours
Standby Time–130 hours

Expandable up to 8 gig memory…

No stereo bluetooth.

Gmail account required to sign in and use, no corporate access email available.

There is a required data plan associated with this device; it will not work without the data plan active, sorry no prepay.

GPS is confirmed. No video capture. 3.1 mp camera.

I’d like to thank everyone for ensuring this website got the pics first, but seriously…we’re all on the same team. Sorry Engadget, Gizmodo and Androidguys! Our readers are clearly just very very loyal! You guys like to ensure we get credit, I love it…but everyone wants the same thing so lets hold off on the credit war!

Update: I see the comment war is still going on, ENOUGH! Everyone is excited and this is great news that’s making everyone not think straight but Engadget has our utmost respect and admiration for being a leader in an industry we hope to craft our own small part in.

Meet the T-Mobile G1

2008-09-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Uh, c'mon guys -- this is a little ridiculous. Now typically, you want to keep this sort of thing under wraps until the day of your event, but it seems like the cats and kittens at T-Mobile can't contain themselves. Yes, you're looking at the first official product shot of the G1 Android phone ever. Enjoy it.

Update: TmoNews has just uncovered new specs and info on the phone. Here's what they've got so far: the phone is 4.6 x 2.16 x 0.63 inches, weighs 5.6 ounces, features a 480 x 320 HVGA display, sports 3G (obviously), GPS, has a 3.1-megapixel camera, supports up to 8GB of memory (though no format is mentioned), and will feature 5 hours of talktime with 130 hours of standby. Strangely, the phone won't do video capture (what?), won't have stereo Bluetooth, will require a Gmail account, and won't be sold at stores outside of a 2-5 mile radius of T-Mobile's 3G coverage areas. That last bit sounds a little odd to us, but we're guessing a lot of the functionality of this device will be shot in non-3G regions.

Amazon: 6 million DRM-free songs on T-Mobile G1

2008-09-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Customers Get Quick and Easy Access to Over 6 Million DRM-Free Songs from Amazon MP3 On New T-Mobile G1 Powered by Android Software

Amazon MP3 music store will be pre-loaded on the Android platform

that powers the T-Mobile G1

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 2008--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that the Amazon MP3 music store will be pre-loaded on the T-Mobile G1, the world's first Android(TM)-powered mobile phone in partnership with Google. T-Mobile G1 users can search, download, buy and play music from Amazon MP3, which offers over 6 million DRM-free MP3 songs from all four major music labels and thousands of independent labels that can be played on virtually any hardware device and managed with any music software.

"Amazon wants to make it easy for customers to discover, buy, and play their music wherever they happen to be--whether sitting at their computer or on the go," said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President for Digital Music and Video. "We look forward to the release of the T-Mobile G1, which will put Amazon MP3's vast selection of low-priced DRM-free music at the fingertips of even more customers in more places."

The T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with an Amazon MP3 application, giving customers a phone-optimized version of the Amazon MP3 store and the immediate gratification of buying and playing their favorite music. Amazon MP3 has worked to make its DRM-free music available through numerous products and services, such as Pandora MySpace Music, and now Android and T-Mobile G1.

Downloading music from Amazon MP3 using the T-Mobile G1 requires a Wi-Fi connection but searching, browsing, listening to samples and buying MP3s can be done wherever customers are connected to the T-Mobile network. Downloaded MP3s can be played anytime on the T-Mobile G1, PCs, Macs or any other MP3 music player.

Launched in September 2007, Amazon MP3 offers a massive selection of DRM-free MP3 music downloads with more than 6 million songs from thousands of record labels. Every song and album in the Amazon.com digital music store is available exclusively in the MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) software, enabling customers to play their music on virtually any personal digital music-capable device, including PCs, Macs(R), iPods(R), iPhones(R), Zunes(TM), Zens(TM), and to burn songs to CDs for these customers' personal use. Amazon MP3's 100 bestselling songs are 89 cents, unless otherwise marked, with over 1 million songs available at 89 cents. Amazon MP3's 100 bestselling albums are $8.99 or less, unless otherwise marked. Most albums are priced from $5.99 to $9.99, with more than 80 percent of Amazon MP3's album catalog priced at $8.99 or below.

The T-Mobile G1 is the world's first Android-powered mobile phone in an exclusive partnership with Google. The T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes the popular Google services that millions have enjoyed on the desktop, including Google Maps with StreetView, Gmail, YouTube and others. With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the T-Mobile G1 is also the first phone to provide access to Android Market, where customers can find and download unique applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle.

Android is an open, free mobile platform developed by the Open Handset Alliance. It includes everything a manufacturer or operator needs to build a mobile phone. Android was designed from the ground up to enable the best user experience possible on a mobile phone. It leverages web and Internet content to provide advanced services such as Mobile Mash-ups.

Songs and albums on Amazon MP3 are generally sold by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as books, movies, music & games, digital downloads, electronics & computers, home & garden, toys, kids & baby, grocery, apparel, shoes & jewelry, health & beauty, sports & outdoors, and tools, auto & industrial.

Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Examples of the services offered by Amazon Web Services are Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS), Amazon Flexible Payments Service (Amazon FPS), and Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and the Joyo Amazon websites at www.joyo.cn and www.amazon.cn.

As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and subsequent filings.

CONTACT: Amazon.com, Inc.
Amazon Media Hotline, 206-266-7180

SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

G1 appears on T-Mobile's site

2008-09-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Snap -- looks like the Android-powered T-Mobile G1 is peeking out a little early in the form of a non-working pre-registration link on the my.t-mobile.com customer portal. No specs or info, but if you had any doubt this thing was coming on Tuesday we'd say it just got cleared up. Get ready for the Googlephone, kids.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/19/g1-appears-on-t-mobiles-site/