T-Mobile G1 First Google Android Phone

The mobile phone company T-Mobile announced a first version of a new phone called T-Mobile G1 just a few days ago. The mobile phone will be the first to make use of the Google Android Open Source plattform. The G1 will be manufactured by Taiwanese company HTC and hit shelves on October 22 in the United States in colors white, black and brown. Europeans have to wait a little bit longer - as usual - before they can get their hands on the phone that is also known as the gphone.

British citizens will most likely be able to lay their hands on the phone in November while the rest of Europe will have to wait until 2009 to do the same.

The G1 phone has some strong arguments on its side. The phone uses an Open Source operating system which will win the Linux crowd over in no time. The QWERTY keyboard comes in handy for everyone who uses his phone regularly for writing.

T-Mobile G1 Specs:

• 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
• 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: AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MIDI, MP3, WMA, WMV
• Battery: 1150 mAh
• Special Features: Digital Compass, Motion Sensor

Not everything is that shiny however. One of the main disadvantages of the G1 phone is the missing headphone socket. The only way to connect headphones to the G1 is by using an USB adapter.

The T-Mobile G1 does a few things better than Apple’s iPhone namely the full QWERTY keyboard and the Open Source operating system. It’s not an iPhone killer but a worthy contender. One of the main selling points will be the applications which can be downloaded from the application shop.