The smart phone, the first to use Google’s Android operating system, was introduced at a press conference in New York by executives of Google, T-Mobile and HTC, and will reach stores in October. It is set to cost $179 with a two-year contract, plus a data package costing $25 per month on top of calling fees.
The phone sports an iPhone-like touchscreen, as well as a slide-out keyboard reminiscent of LG’s Voyager phone. It also provides easy access to Google-branded applications such as Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube and Google Street View. There will also be an App Store-like store called Android Market.
The G1, with hardware from HTC, is the first phone to come out of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium formed nearly a year ago by Google along with T-Mobile, Sprint, HTC, Motorola, Qualcomm, LG and various other industry heavyweights. The Android operating system is open to third-party developers.
The G1 will be available from T-Mobile stores in markets where the provider offers 3G services; it will also be available for online ordering in some areas.
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