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.

The future of mobile internet devices

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Mobile internet access has come of age. No more squinting at the tiny screen on your smartphone. No more flat batteries on your laptop.

With the mobile internet device (MID), you can enjoy an always-on connection, long battery life and a decent-sized screen, all in a package that will fit in your pocket. However, are the processors currently used in smartphones or the x86 chips that power laptops capable of providing all this, or will the MID require a totally new processor?

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5 best future mobile operating systems

A lot is going on in the mobile world right now, but as always, it is what's yet to come that is crucial in the long run.

The idea of mobile broadband combined with a smartphone has proved to be hard to live up to, and laptops now come with built-in mobile broadband to give you a real choice when connecting to the Internet on the road. It's slowly starting to look better though, as powerful smartphones with high-resolution displays are increasing in number. However, let's take a step back and look at how the operating systems will evolve in the years to come - the way we see it:

1. Windows Mobile

There's no other operating system we like to give a hard time than Windows Mobile, largely thanks to the Windows CE kernel. Microsoft's best friend is Qualcomm though, and smartphones with a Qualcomm chipset supporting larger RAM chips are now being released. When Silverlight 2 is rolled out on Windows Mobile sometime down the road, you'll get two things: Facebook in an even more interactive way on your smartphone and the need for even more RAM. But as long as Qualcomm can keep up with Microsoft's memory hunger, we won't complain too much.

2. Google Android

Everyone will eventually want a piece of Android in their lineup, and that's how Android will spread rapidly in the years ahead. Better yet, applications will spread just as rapidly, as Android will be like a playground for developers compared to the competing operating systems. While Windows Mobile is growing into becoming an even more advanced platform for the big players, Google Android will eventually offer a vast library of free mashup applications and services.

3. Symbian OS

Symbian is currently undergoing significant changes, and will become the future operating system for mass market cell phones. The recently announced Nokia 5800 touchscreen phone already gives a few clues, but there's a lot more to come. The operating system will receive further enhancements to carry out advanced tasks on cell phones while preserving battery life; and the phones won't cost you a dime with a contract.

4. BlackBerry OS

After getting a new distribution agreement with Brightpoint in place earlier this year, Research In Motion is set to spread BlackBerry OS to all corners of the world. The BlackBerry Storm (with all-touch interface), BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Pearl Flip will be released this fall, all representing something new and interesting. The only thing missing for the server-side specialist RIM is to team up with server-side specialist Skyfire to give BlackBerry OS an exciting edge out-of-box.

5. Mac OS X

It's still too early to say what Apple will achieve in the mobile / tablet market, but we think it'll remain a niche operating system mainly dedicated to Apple products and services. Just like every manufacturer will want a piece of Android in their lineup, we think every carrier will want an iPhone in their lineup. Apple is already working on improving its mobile hardware, and has even hinted at taking the matters into their own hands. With better hardware, Mac OS X could have a bright future in the mobile market.