Wireless & Mobile
T-Mobile, Google and HTC introduce first Android phone
The first Android phone looks a lot like the fuzzy pictures that have surfaced online for months, with a touch screen similar to the iPhone and a full slide-out keyboard.
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T-Mobile, Google and HTC unveiled the long-awaited Android phone at an event in New York on Tuesday, revealing pricing, availability and some of the initial applications and emphasizing that the software is open source.
The phone will first become available in the U.S. but a U.K. launch will follow shortly after. Starting Oct. 22, U.S. consumers will be able to buy the G1 for US$179. Users can subscribe to a limited data plan for $25 a month or $35 for unlimited data access.
The G1 will go on sale in the U.K. in early November and other T-Mobile European markets in the first quarter next year.
"We believe open will drive the future of the mobile Internet," said Cole Brodman, chief technology and innovation officer, T-Mobile USA. "From garages to graduate schools, from small towns to big cities, we believe third parties will drive the innovation and future of the mobile Net, along with partnerships with carriers and key manufacturers."
A demonstration of the phone showed a user flicking the screen to scroll through items, much like the gestures used with the iPhone. The G1, however, also supports the "long press," where a user holds a finger to the screen to open up a menu. For example, holding a finger on a photograph opens a menu offering options such as the ability to send the photo to someone else.
The phone includes a browser built on Webkit, the same technology that drives Apple's Safari browser, said Andy Rubin, senior director of mobile platforms for Google, who is credited with leading the Android development. He called it "Chrome-light," comparing it to the Chrome browser that Google recently introduced.
In a browser window, a user can drag a small box around the Web site and the content behind the box is magnified for easier viewing on the small screen.
The phone, which the executives referred to as "G1 with Google", features many Google applications, including Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Flickr and GTalk. It is also integrated with the Amazon MP3 store, allowing users to easily buy digital music, and features the Android store where users can browse and buy new applications.
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