The era of the Google Android platform is finally upon us as T-Mobile, Google, and HTC formally introduced the new T-Mobile G1 handset today at a press conference in New York City. The first commercially available handset based on the Google Android platform, the G1 can be pre-ordered now for $179 (along with a two year voice/data agreement) with the release date set for October 22nd. The G1 will be available in the UK sometime in November and then in Europe in early 2009.
OK, let’s talk about the feature set. First off, the G1 has both a touch-based user interface as well as a QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard is hidden behind the screen which rotates out a la SideKick style. Kudos to HTC for developing a phone with multiple input options. As much as I love the touch interface of the iPhone, I still long for a real physical keyboard at times. Other features of the G1 include a 3 megapixel camera with auto-focus capabilities (a bit better than the paltry 2 megapixel iPhone cam), Quad-band GSM and 3G support (along with dual-band UMTS support), multimedia messaging, e-mail support (Gmail of course as well as POP3 and IMAP support), a full web browser, GPS functionality, a built-in
music player along with integrated support for the Amazon MP3 store, Bluetooth wireless, and of course, a slew of Google Apps including Search, Maps, YouTube, Calendar, and Talk. The screen is completely customizable thanks to drag and drop support for applications, photos, and folders. There’s even a built-in compass which will be extremely useful when working with Google Maps. There’s of course much more to get into but those are the major points for now.
Continuing the application side of things, Google announced their new Android Market (think iPhone App Store) where you’ll find third party applications for Android devices. The G1 will of course support the Android Market. The companies, of course, touted the open platform that is the Android system but it remains to be seen whether this will translate to quality applications for the handset. Sure, anyone can write applications for an Android device.. but if the apps suck.. who will care? I’d rather have 10 quality apps than 100 crappy ones.. don’t you agree? But hey.. maybe I’ll be wrong and maybe the Market will totally surprise me. This will definitely be a wait and see thing for me.
But then again.. this applies as a whole to the Android Platform. Having the Android Platform in the mobile handset mix certainly changes the landscape for smartphones and will hopefully continue to spur innovation across all vendors. I’m sure there are many of you out there who will be excited about the prospects of a Google-based mobile phone. Heck.. it’ll be somewhat cool to say that you have a Google phone (though somehow.. this isn’t as cool to me as saying, “I have an iPhone”.. sorry Apple still wins the coolness factor here). But let’s not forget one thing.. Google is still a business.. and it’s still about making money. Sure the company is pushing Android as an “open” alternative for customers and device manufacturers… but it’s the most convenient method for making sure Google is relevant in the mobile platform. A Google phone in your pocket means potentially more money for Google as you continue to use their services in every facet of your life. But hey.. if Google isn’t doing it.. then someone else will right?
In the meantime, I’ll stick with my iPhone 3G.. even if the 3G sucks
Here are some useful links from around the web..
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