T-Mobile G1 Now Shipping

According some Phandroid readers, T-Mobile is now shipping the G1 via UPS 3-day delivery. In case you just came from that five-year trip to Tierra del Fuego, the G1 is the first Google Android OS-based smartphone. This means that the phone will be in T-Mobile customer hands by, at the very latest, the 21st.

T-Mobile Has Already Sold 1.5 Million Android-Powered Smartphones

When Google, T-Mobile, and HTC unveiled the first smartphone running Android last month, Google's many fans were excited by the idea of a mobile phone tied to the online services they enjoy. Other were less enthusiastic, pointing out that Android is an untried operating system and the T-Mobile G1 is only going to be available from a single, relatively small wireless provider in the United States.

Nevertheless, there are enough optimists that 1.5 million G1's have already been pre-ordered, sight unseen. And this number would be higher, except that T-Mobile has sold all the devices it has available to ship by October 22, the launch day.

T-Mobile G1It had initially put in an order for 500 thousand units from the G1's manufacturer, HTC, for this purpose, but when those quickly sold out the order was tripped. This enlarged order has also already sold out.

iPhone-Type Numbers

As they are both aimed at consumers, many people are eagerly watching to see how Android is going to do against Apple's iPhone. So far, Google's offering seems to be holding its own.

Having 1.5 million people pre-order the T-Mobile G1 stands up well against the one million iPhone 3Gs sold during the launch weekend.

But the competition has just barely gotten started, and only time will tell how these two will stand up against each other and the other mobile operating systems, like Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Palm OS.

Don't Despair, Android Fans

There are two options available for those who want a T-Mobile G1 as soon as possible but who haven't already pre-ordered one.

When this smartphone launches later this month, there will be about 2 million units in T-Mobile stores across the U.S. Details on where to to find a store are available at www.T-MobileG1.com.

Those not interesting to braving the crowds can put in a pre-order for a unit now, but these won't be delivered until some time after the launch day.

More About the T-Mobile G1

The T-Mobile G1 will be a consumer-oriented smartphone with support for this carrier's new 3G network.

It will include an 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen, a QWERTY keyboard, GPS, and Wi-Fi. It will also sport a microSD card slot and a 3.2 megapixel camera.

The G1 will have a highly functional web browser, and will support many of Google's services, like Gmail and Google Maps.

Overall, it will be 4.60 inches by 2.2 inches by 0.60 inches, and weigh 5.6 ounces.

It costs $180 with a two-year voice and data agreement.

The G1 will be released in the United Kingdom in November.

Emulator gives you the T-Mobile G1 experience now

Yeah, the wait for October 22 (or after) is absolutely excruciating; trust us, we know. We'll take every scrap of information and imagery we can to hold us over until G1s start showing up on doorsteps in a few weeks, but T-Mobile's really gone above and beyond the call of duty here by setting up a surprisingly functional and feature-complete emulator to satisfy our urges to touch icons and click buttons. Obviously, you're not going to get a GPS lock, so don't get your hopes up that you're going to be playing around with Street View or anything wild like that -- in fact, most apps lead you to a "this screen is not fully functional" message -- but it's got more goodies than the Android SDK's emulator, and it's just enough to get you acquainted with the phone's personality by the time it's actually in your paws

Motorola Reportedly Showing a Strong Interest in Android

By now, most people should know that the first company releasing a smartphone running Google's Android operating system is HTC. But there are other phone makers in Google's Open Handset Alliance, and one of these, Motorola, is supposedly putting a great deal of effort into Android.

AndroidAccording to an unconfirmed report, Motorola currently has 50 people working in its Android team, and is actively hiring more to bring that number up to 350.

Whether this report is true or not, there can be no doubt that Motorola is interested in Android. It has been a member of the OHA since the day it was first announced.

When it is going to introduce a model with this new operating system is not yet known, however.

HTC Is Firmly On Board

HTC is behind the T-Mobile G1, the first Android-based device, but this company is best known for its Windows Mobile smartphones. John Wang, HTC's CMO, said his company thinks the two operating systems are complimentary, and will continue to use both in its products.

Wang told DigiTimes that Windows Mobile offers high performance and a large number of third-party software titles, while Android gives hardware and software developers more flexibility.

HTC has committed to releasing multiple Android-based models in short order.

What about Samsung and LG?

Two of the other handset makers in the OHA --Samsung and LG -- may be taking a "wait and see" approach.

Mirae Asset Securities, a market analyst firm based in Korea, says that these companies won't be coming out with Android-based devices before the second half of next year.

T-Mobile G1 Announced. Android On the Loose. Now What?

It's official. The Android-powered G1 will be hitting T-Mobile stores across the US on October 22, the UK in November, and elsewhere in Europe in early 2009. Being a Windows Mobile site, we'll spare you the fine details. Head over to the T-Mobile G1 site, and check out the videos after the break, if you're eager to learn more.

On to other matters: Android is one capable platform, and undoubtedly, one that users of Google services will love. Combined with Apple's continuing efforts to enhance the capabilities of the iPhone and Mac OS X, and the growth of heavyweights such as BlackBerry and Symbian, where does this leave Windows Mobile? Over the past year, we've perused multiple comments from readers suggesting that the platform is becoming increasingly stagnant and that efforts by HTC, Samsung, and other manufacturers to improve the usability of the platform are merely a band-aid solution.

As a result, you may have already jumped ship or are considering it. If you're in that group, just what would Microsoft have to do to Windows Mobile to win you back? If you're not in that group, what is it about Windows Mobile that's keeping you glued to the platform? The mobile war is on. And it's you, the consumer, who dictates the winners and the losers. Tell us what makes, or would make, Windows Mobile a winner for you.

Google Android hits the US at $199

The first "GooglePhone" will hit the streets of the US for $199 next week. It's a T-Mobile exclusive (For now) and will require a service agreement with T-Mobile. In simple UK speak: its on contract, not PAYG.

Despite that, it does appear the phone is going to cost a lot less than the iPhone - but that's dependant on what sort of contract you will be pushed into.

Oh and the HTC Dream / GooglePhone has now got a proper name - maybe. Rumours suggest 'T-Mobile G1' is the rather unoriginal name.

Android 1.0 Will Have Bluetooth, Won't Have GoogleTalk

Google and the Open Handset Alliance, the group behind the Android OS, have given a status update on two features in this upcoming mobile operating system.

Bluetooth

There have been some rumors going around the Web that the first Android-based devices won't offer support for Bluetooth.

Android

A post on the official Android Developers Blog tries to squash these. "The 1.0 version of Android and the first devices will include support for Bluetooth; for instance, Android will support Bluetooth headsets," writes Dan Morrill, Developer Advocate.

However, the initial version of the developer tools will not include a Bluetooth API. This means third-party software won't be able to directly access the Bluetooth functionality.

But that's not the end of the story. Morrill's post promises "We absolutely intend to support a Bluetooth API in a future release, although we don't know exactly when that will be."

GoogleTalk

Google is the driving force behind Android, so it's no surprise that smartphones running this operating system will be tied in to many of this company's services.

However, there will be one popular service that won't be included: GoogleTalk.

Morrill says the decision to cut this instant messaging app from Android was based on concerns about security. "GTalkService has some fundamental security problems... in the end, the Android team decided to pull the API instead of exposing users to risk and breaking compatibility with a future, more secure version of the feature."

More About Android

Android will be based on the open-source operating system Linux and offer robust multitasking.

Along with the OS will be a suite of mobile applications. The OHA will strongly encourage third-party development.

The initial smartphones running Android are scheduled for release later this year. The first of these will be from HTC and T-Mobile USA, but this will be followed up by devices from a variety of companies and wireless carriers.

First Android Release Will Have iPhone-Style Crippled Bluetooth, No Google Talk

Over on the official Android Developers Blog, Googler Dan Morrill has news of what won't be making it into Android 1.0—a full featured-Bluetooth stack and data messaging via Google Talk API. Android 1.0 will work with Bluetooth headsets, but won't do other things like send files or link up to a PoGo printer, just like the iPhone. Google Talk will be missing completely. Thankfully, the reasoning behind both decisions seems to make sense: Google Talk's security is nowhere near where it needs to be in order to function as the core IM service for a huge mobile platform as intended, and a full Bluetooth API simply isn't done yet, but both should show up in future iterations. Apparently any frameworks in the 1.0 SDK would be impossible to greatly change down the road, so it sounds like Google's taking the smart route and not rushing out inferior code.

Analyst says first Android phone will ship in November, possibly without Exchange

The HTC Dream may have already cleared the FCC, but at least one analyst that has actually seen the very first Android-based device, Moe Tanabian of IBB Consulting, says that it will only be hitting stores around Thanksgiving in November, and not September or October as many were expecting. He also says that its "unclear" whether the phone will support Microsoft Exchange or not (at least right out of the gate), and that users may have to rely on Gmail if they want to receive push email. Among other tidbits, he also confirms that the device will have access to T-Mobile's own App Store-like service, and that it'll come with Google's advertising software pre-installed, which he says could not only lower the cost of the phone, but allow for lower monthly service fees as well. Of course, you'll have to take that with all the usual analyst caveats for the time being, but we're sure we'll be hearing plenty more to back it up or shoot it down before the September / October / November launch.