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T-Mobile and Google Unveil the G1, the First Phone with Android
T-Mobile and Google just unveiled the G1, a rebranded HTC Dream that's the first phone to come out that comes loaded with Android, Google's open-source software, meaning anyone in the world will be able to design applications for this thing. Clearly taking aim squarely at the iPhone, the G1 is a touchscreen phone with a slide-out keyboard.
The Android platform will offer Google applications such as Google Maps with street view, push Gmail, and YouTube that's integrated into the device. There's also one-touch access to the Amazon MP3 store, allowing you to download music directly to the phone. We'll have a hands-on with it later today, but you'll be able to pick one of these bad boys up starting on October 22 for $179.
By markdmac at 11:12 AM ON 09/28/08
This looks good but also looks like it has the same flaw as the original iPhone. No mention of it supporting Microsoft Active Sync to sync email, calendar and contacts with Exchange server. Without that, you can forget about corporate adoption of this platform.
Apple learned the hard way they couldn't get into larger businesses without that and finally licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft for the 3g iPhone.
By CatDeville at 12:56 PM ON 09/28/08
I agree with Markdmac. I would *love* to support an open source phone, and consequently, I am a T-Mobile user and my contract just expired last month, so it's time for a new phone (which comes whenever you extend your contract.) I took a glance at this one before I knew all the details, and that's what stopped me... no ActiveSync, which means that I can't use it as a PDA, and I can't transfer my ebooks to it. Some of us *do* care about functionality and for me the big one is that I can access my calendar and my contacts more than my mail, on the go, and that I can carry my phone rather than a paperback, as it's smaller.
By Ironwolf at 1:01 PM ON 09/28/08
I doubt Google with do the active sinc being as they are competing with Microsoft regarding the email and calendar options they have online. I also read sometime ago that they are trying to get company's to accept their office software. So we will see
By sherpa at 1:04 PM ON 09/29/08
google might not, but there is nothing to stop anyone else from licensing it and writing their own sync and selling it. see.... that's what is good about FOSS.
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google might not, but there is nothing to stop anyone else from licensing it and writing their own sync and selling...More »