T-Mobile to introduce phone with Google's Android software

For those of you who have been anticipating the so-called Google Phone as if it were the next iPhone, the wait is almost over.

T-Mobile USA said today that it would unveil the much-anticipated mobile phone loaded with Google's Android software next Tuesday at a press conference in New York. The "G1," which is being manufactured by HTC, won't go on sale until October. But expect T-Mobile to finally divulge some key details such as pricing.

T-Mobile is just the first carrier to market the phone. Other cellphone manufacturers and carriers are expected to dial for dollars using the Google brand as bait, but they apparently have hit some snags. The Android phone is being positioned as a rival to Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's BlackBerry.

For Google, this seems like a no-lose proposition. The Internet search giant wants to make sure that all of its services, including its lucrative advertising, are available on all cellphones. So it created software for mobile phones that does that.

Pundits have been saying for years that the mobile Web will dwarf the non-mobile Web once enough people have access to so-called smartphones and all of the bells and whistles that come with them. Already Google is readying a store for downloadable mobile software similar to the one that has proven so successful for the iPhone.

Google showed off the handset at a developer conference in London this morning.

Next week, Google and T-Mobile should start to reveal whether Android will live up to the hype.

-- Jessica Guynn

Photo by Boris Roessler / EPA

Comments

[Rocky]

What, waiting for it as if it was an iphone?
Are you kidding?
So much more potential than that poor little rich kid the iphone. We're not really talking about a phone, or even an open source platform. We're talking about real Freedom for the user, not the hip-by-purchase apple crowd. Personally I hate being handcuffed by the iphone or other phones that seem more designed as cash generating devices for the carriers. Android will have its price, most certainly technical bumps in the road, but eventually these will be overcome.

Don't fence me in!

[Mike Moran]

Please Rocky... the only thing google can do better than Apple is charge for advertising. No other company can come close to Apple's music platform or technical engineering and support. I would however, love to see a viable competitor to the iphone, so Apple will genuisly design a phone update for us faster.

[ipat2007]

Google Android (HTC Dream) vs Apple iPhone 3G -A Comparision
http://androidgeek.blogspot.com/2008/09/google-android-htc-dream-vs-apple_9364.html

[Svetlana Gladkova]

I guess the best part with Android is that it will be available on multiple devices, not only on one handset as is the case with Blackberry or iPhone so the two famous devices will have to compete with lots of manufacturers enhancing their devices with Google's platform. And even if the first phone to start selling in October by T-Mobile is far from perfect, we will have plenty of new offers arriving for anyone to choose the perfect Android-based phone.

[Armond]

Is there a Google Android project to replace the Apples OS on the iPhone ?
Is Android open source ?

[jr]

Google wants phones to be more like a personal computer customize as you want, not like how it is now this is what you get stick with it for 3 years.

[Not a Moran]

You misspelled genius, Moran. Good job.

[zero]

"No other company can come close to Apple's music platform or technical engineering and support."

I am laughing too hard to type. But I'll try. EVERY first-series Apple product is a box of bugs, released to the user for too high a price. Being a proprietary hardware company, you can screw the user ... as long as that user feels as though they look cool.

Android = Google win. iPhone = Google win. How many people bought the iPhone and went to Google, checked their GMail, or used Google Maps?

[Nair]

When is Wimax coming?

[Free Xbox 360 Premium]

I guess this could turn into something interesting in the coming months. I still have yet to try Android.

[Ben Atkin]

ipat2007,

I learned a few things about the HTC Dream from that article you linked to, but the analysis is a bit biased. I concur with the commenter who said, "Really .. The blog Android Geek picked the Android phone .. holy s*** .. what a revelation."

[dex]

First off Apple's Music software sucks IMO I also had a I touch that I returned due to malfunctioning hardware. This software should really and could really bring down the price of the mobile tec toy so everyone get behind Google and there web based apps, there new Internet browse r"Chrome" and there new mobile UI, hell if we are lucky maybe they will make a run at windows lol.

Mike Moran, If you think for one second that it's hard to do anything better than apple you are living in the past.

Is Android open source? Yes.

[apip]

You misspelled "Moran" moron!

[Joshua]

I'm actually really excited by this news. I can see Android being a huge competitor to Apple.

http://blog.joshuamcginnis.com

[Izzy]

My camerea doesnt work.