Google has finally announced its first ever mobile phone G1 on its own operating system Android this week. T-Mobile showed off its new G1 mobile phone at a press event in New York Tuesday, thus becoming the first carrier to offer a device run on Google’s Android open source mobile platform. The device, which was developed by device manufacturer HTC, has many of the features commonly seen on many of smartphones on the market, including a touchscreen with drop-and-drag capabilities, a pull-out QWERTY keyboard, and a host of Web-based applications for maps, music and instant messaging.
But the big reason that the phone has generated buzz in recent weeks is because it will be the first ever to run on Android, a Linux-based open source mobile platform that Google first debuted last November. One interesting item from the promotional video during the press conference appears to be a deeper integration of search into the mobile internet. It appears one can search from any page without launching a search app. There's also a dedicated search button on the physical keyboard.
Although it isnot available until November, we had the chance to get a quick look at the G1 at T-Mobile's launch event. The device is similar in size to the iPhone, but heavier at 158 grams, and has a 3.2in touch-driven display with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixel.
Cole Brodman, the chief technology and innovation officer for T-Mobile USA, said that T-Mobile is hoping to give its customers a mobile Internet experience comparable to the Web experience they get on their home computers. The phone will run best on local Wi-Fi networks or on T-Mobile’s GSM-based Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) 3G network. T-Mobile officially launched its first US-based 3G network in the New York this past spring, and the carrier has live 3G coverage in 16 major markets, Brodman said. The company plans to have 3G coverage in 22 major markets by mid-November, Brodman added.
-Ranjan
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