T-Mobile has unveiled the
first phone powered by
Google Inc.’s Android software.
It was introduced Sept.
23 at a news conference and
hit shelves Oct. 22.
The T-Mobile G1, nicknamed
the Google phone, is
manufactured by the
Taiwanese company HTC. It’s
capturing many peoples’
attention because of the
much-anticipated Android
software, which is supposed
to make internet surfing on a
handset easier and more
thrilling. Google is so sure
the internet service will be
better than that on any other
phone, that a spokesman for
Google told Forbes, “the new
phone would beat any other
phone in a speed test
[online].”
The spokesman
also reassured
everyone, saying
there would be no
Google banners
when you surf the
Internet, and no
pop-up ads when
you make a call.
The new Android
software has a few
neat programs such
as “Compare
Everywhere,” which
uses the digital camera
on the phone to scan
barcodes of products in
stores.
There’s the “Cooking
Capsules” application
that lets you watch a
cooking videos, shows
you the location of the nearest
grocery store, tells you the
items to buy, then
gives you stepby-
step instructions
on how to
cook the meal
once you’re
back home.
A n o t h e r
application of
interest is
“Wertago,”
which uses
G o o g l e
maps to
s h o w
what’s happening
in
town, the
h o t t e s t
locations,
directions
to get
there, and provides
the means to coordinate
with friends.
The G1 is available in black,
brown and white. It comes
with a lot of programs like a
digital compass and the ability
to download MP3’s from
the Amazon store. The
QWERTY keyboard will
come in handy for those people
who thrive off text messaging
and it has a track ball
for fast navigation.
One of the main setbacks of
the G1 is that it doesn’t have a
headphone socket. The only
way to connect headphones
to the phone is by using a
USB adapter.
The T-Mobile G1 is said to
have a few advantages and a
few disadvantages to Apple’s
iPhone, and it’s going give
Apple a run for its money.
Most people are paying attention
to the price of the G1
because of the huge price tag
on the iPhone.
The G1 costs $179 with a 2-
year voice and data agreement.
Downloading a song is
89 cents, and a whole album
can be priced anywhere from
$5.99 to $9.99.
The Google phone’s competition,
the iPhone, recently
took $200 off its price tag,
lowering the price to $199
with a 2-year agreement.
Don’t be fooled by this price
drop. Apple customers are
not happy because they say
the cost of their plans went
up, so no money is actually
being saved.
Will the T-Mobile G1 give
Apple a run for its money? If
this phone turns out to be the
best yet, maybe all phones
will turn to the Android system.