The most awaited phone of the last six months, or better, the most awaited mobile phone operating system of the last six months, Google Android has been launched in a mobile phone, which is the HTC Dream G1.
The 3.2" touchscreen device with HVGA (320 X 480 pixels) resolution will have a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Google Search, Maps with Street View, GMail, Calendar, Talk, and YouTube applications enhanced by the web search leader, especially for its operating system. The device will be available from the 22nd of October in the US, and besides the exclusive Google tailored applications, there will be a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, 3G and HSDPA, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and a microSD memory card slot.
In technical terms, the G1 will be powered by a Qualcomm® MSM7201A™ processor with 528 MHz, have 256MB of ROM, and 192 of RAM. It will weigh a hefty 158g, and measure 117.7 mm x 55.7 mm x 17.1 mm. The Dream will also feature HSUPA at 2mbps besides the HSDPA at 7.2mbps, trackball navigation, and Mozilla browser with Apple WebKit. Special features include the GPS, accelerometer (motion sensor), and a compass. The battery has 1150mAh of capacity, which will give you talk time of up to 350 minutes for WCDMA, up to 406 minutes for GSM, and standby time of up to 402 hours for WCDMA and up to 319 hours for GSM.
Contrary to what people might think, the Dream G1 might not bring a great revolution in the market just because it is made by Google, or because it is Open Source. It won't affect mobile network operators either. The range of applications and hardware features present on the phone is what will trigger competition, and in this case, it's the variety of Google Applications, nothing else.
Press release and more pictures after the break.
NEW YORK – Sept. 23, 2008 – T-Mobile today announced the international launch of the world’s first Android™-powered mobile phone in partnership with Google. Available soon only for T-Mobile customers spanning two continents, the T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes the popular Google products that millions have enjoyed on the desktop, including Google Maps Street View™, Gmail™, YouTube™
and others."We are proud that T-Mobile is the first operator in the world to launch an Android-powered mobile device," said Christopher Schläffer, group product and innovation officer of Deutsche Telekom. "Since 2005, Google has been an established partner in T-Mobile’s groundbreaking approach to bringing the open mobile Internet to the mass market. With the T-Mobile G1, we are continuing our strong tradition of being pioneers in the world of the open Internet."
Cole Brodman, chief technology and innovation officer, T-Mobile USA, said, "The Internet and the mobile phone are both indispensable tools for our hectic lives, but only a fraction of us access the Web on our phones. The T-Mobile G1 is our opportunity in the U.S. to accelerate the mass adoption of the mobile Web, by unleashing Google innovation with a unique software experience that mobilizes the Google services hundreds of millions of consumers rely on every day."
"Increasingly, connectivity does not just mean a phone call, but rather access to the world’s information," said Andy Rubin, senior director of mobile platforms for Google. "Today’s news signifies an important first step for the Open Handset Alliance: With Android, we’ve opened the mobile Web not only for millions of users, but also to mobilize the developer community that understands the next most important platform in the world rests in the palm of our hand."
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.
T-Mobile customers in the U.S. have the opportunity to pre-order the T-Mobile G1, in limited quantities, beginning today at www.T-MobileG1.com and be among the first to experience this game-changing phone. The device will be available at select T-Mobile retail stores and online in the U.S. beginning Oct. 22, for a price of $179 with a two-year voice and data agreement. The T-Mobile G1 will also be available in the United Kingdom beginning in November, and across Europe in the first quarter of 2009. Countries include Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and the Netherlands.
Delivering the Familiarity of Google for a Superior Mobile Internet Experience:
The T-Mobile G1 with Google delivers a premium, easy-to-use mobile Web and communications experience in one device. Working together, T-Mobile, Google and HTC integrated Android and T-Mobile services into the phone’s form and function. The T-Mobile G1’s vibrant, high-quality screen slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, great for communicating with friends online or using the phone’s e-mail, IM and mobile messaging capabilities. As another option for accessing the device, the T-Mobile G1 comes equipped with a convenient trackball for more precise, one-handed navigation."T-Mobile, Google and HTC share a similar vision for making the mobile Internet practical, relevant and fun," said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corp. "The T-Mobile G1 represents the culmination of this vision by offering a variety of services, applications and content that introduces an Internet experience that everyone can enjoy. We are honored to be joining T-Mobile and Google today for this historic unveiling of the T-Mobile G1."
With one-click contextual search, T-Mobile G1 customers in a flash can search for relevant information with a touch of a finger. A full HTML Web browser allows users to see any Web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on the screen. With built-in support for T-Mobile’s 3G and EDGE network as well as Wi-Fi, the T-Mobile G1 can connect to the best available high-speed data connection for surfing the Web and downloading information quickly and effortlessly.
Google Maps Street View:
With Google Maps, Google’s groundbreaking maps service, T-Mobile G1 users can instantly view maps and satellite imagery, as well as find local business and get driving directions, all from the phone’s easy-to-use touch interface. The T-Mobile G1 also includes Google Maps Street View, allowing customers to explore cities at street-level virtually while on the go. Without taking a step, customers can tour a far-away place as if they were there — standing on the street corner. Even better, the Google Maps feature syncs with the built-in compass on the phone — an industry first — to allow users to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with their hand. Google Maps Street View is available today in many U.S. locations and soon in European countries.Communicating on the Go:
The T-Mobile G1 features a rich HTML e-mail client, which seamlessly syncs your e-mail, calendar and contacts from Gmail as well as most other POP3 or IMAP e-mail services. The T-Mobile G1 multitasks, so you can read a Web page while also downloading your e-mail in the background. It combines Instant Messaging support for Google Talk™, as well as AOL®, Yahoo! Messenger ® and Windows Live Messenger in the U.S. With access to high-speed Web browsing and a 3-megapixel camera with photo-sharing capabilities, the T-Mobile G1 is ideal for balancing a busy lifestyle, whether sharing pictures, checking the latest sports scores or accessing social networking sites.Embracing User-Generated Content:
Customers can use the T-Mobile G1's 3G and Wi-Fi connection to attach and share pictures over email and MMS or download music from their favorite Web sites, and soon, upload and post pictures to their personal blog. Built-in support for YouTube allows customers to enjoy YouTube's originally-created content, easily navigate through YouTube's familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos.Music at Your Fingertips:
The T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with a new application developed by Amazon.com that gives customers easy access to Amazon MP3, Amazon.com’s digital music download store with more than 6 million DRM-free MP3 tracks. Using the new application, T-Mobile G1 customers are able to search, sample, purchase and download music from Amazon MP3 directly to their device (downloading music from Amazon MP3 using the T-Mobile G1 requires a Wi-Fi connection; searching, sampling and purchasing music can be done anywhere with a cellular connection). The T-Mobile G1 will be the first device with the Amazon MP3 mobile application pre-loaded.Android Market:
The T-Mobile G1 is the first phone to offer access to Android Market, which hosts unique applications and mash ups of existing and new services from developers around the world. With just a couple of short clicks, customers can find and download a wide range of innovative software applications — from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping — to personalize their phone and enhance their mobile lifestyle. When the phone launches next month, dozens of unique, first-of-a-kind Android applications will be available for download on Android Market, including:
- ShopSavvy: an application designed to help people do comparative shopping. Users scan the UPC code of a product with their phone’s camera while they are shopping, and can instantly compare prices from online merchants and nearby local stores.
- Ecorio: a new application developed to help people keep track of their daily travels and view what their carbon footprint looks like. With access to tips and tricks, Ecorio allows users to record the steps they take throughout their day to help offset their impact on the environment.
- BreadCrumbz: a new application that enables people to create a step-by-step visual map using photos. Customers can create their own routes, share them with friends or with the world.
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