Filed under: Cellphones

Well, now isn’t this something? Best Buy has its fancy little iPhone 3G, but it’ll be Wally World offering up the G1 outside of official T-Mobile outlets. As we’d heard yesterday, 550 Walmart stores across the country will begin selling the Android-powered handset beginning tomorrow, and folks who opt to pick one up here versus a traditional T-Mob store will save $31.11. Yep — according to company spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien, the new / upgrade-eligible customer price for a Walmart-sourced G1 will be just $148.88 with a 2-year agreement. Wait, what? You already purchased your G1 at the full price? They always said the early bird pays the premium… or something along those lines.

T-Mobile G1 coming to Walmart for $148.88 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cellphones

While many of you are still waiting for T-Mobile’s RC28 update to hit your G1, at least one reader has trumped us all. KoSoVaR is sitting on fresh, over-the-air software after receiving an update notice a few minutes ago. The process rebooted his G1 “a few times” only to stabilize at RC29. Hard to say what’s new at this point but we’ll get back to you if we hear about anything more than bug fixes.

P.S. For what it’s worth, we’re still kicking it old skool back at RC19 — waiting… and waiting… for the automagic to begin.

Update: Another reader is up on RC29 now as well. Took 5 minutes start to finish and required a single reboot. Snap of the update screens after the break.

[Thanks, KoSoVaR and David]

Continue reading Mystery RC29 update hits T-Mobile’s G1

Mystery RC29 update hits T-Mobile’s G1 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cellphones

G1s said to be “pouring into China,” selling for big bucks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cellphones

With all sorts of outlandish figures being bandied about regarding sales / expectations for the T-Mobile G1, someone intimately close to the situation has finally chimed in with his take. Peter Chou, chief executive and co-founder of HTC, stated in a recent interview that it expects to ship over 600,000 G1s this year, and while he wouldn’t come clean on an exact figure for 2009, he did proclaim that “in general, we think we can do more next year.” We aren’t betting the farm that his prediction will come true or anything, but it certainly falls within the realm of feasibility. Oh, and if you were wondering how Mr. Chou planned on convincing potential iPhone buyers to opt for the G1 instead, he reckons that the full QWERTY keypad will handle that for him — after all, “Americans are very keyboard-oriented.”

[Via mocoNews]

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Filed under: Cellphones

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Filed under: Cellphones

The G1 certainly has a lot going for it, but we were a bit taken aback by its lack of an on-screen keyboard — even a short text requires you to flip the screen out and hit the physical keys. That looks like it might change soon, though — a rough roadmap posted on the new Android source repository has soft keyboard support penciled in for the the first three months of next year. It’s not a lot to go on — the timeline is described as “initial thoughts” and subject to change as the community gets involved — but it’s good to see that El Goog is already thinking about improving the Android user experience. Now, any coders out there want to pitch in and make this happen even sooner?

[Via HTC Source]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Well, it looks like G1 owners (or some, at least) will be getting a bit of an unexpected surprise when they turn on their brand new device tomorrow, as T-Mobile is apparently already set to start pushing out the very first OTA software update for the phone. Nothing too major, it seems, but the update will include a fix for a bug that has prevented folks from listening to songs on Amazon, as well as a number of other unspecified “enhancements.” As with all OTA updates, however, it’s likely everyone won’t get their fix at once, and T-Mobile helpfully recommends that you simply just “wait,” or “wait a little longer” to make sure you get yours, or check your software version to see if you may have gotten the update without noticing (the new release is version RC28).

[Via TmoNews]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Being that the T-Mobile G1 launched officially today in the US of A, it makes sense that the phone’s marketplace for applications would open its doors as well. A recent post over at the Android Developers Blog has affirmed that users can now indulge in over 50 apps, and moreover, it has laid out details surrounding the process for getting your own app in there. Beginning on Monday, prospective devs will be forced to “register and pay a one time $25 application fee” in order to ensure that they’re “authenticated and responsible for their apps.” After that, the programs will be “made available to users without further validation or approval.” Starting in Q1, developers will be able to distribute paid apps in addition to free apps, and similar to Apple’s revenue model, devs will get 70% of the revenue, though it should be noted that Google won’t be taking a percentage of the remainder; apparently, it all goes to settling bills with the carriers (T-Mobile’s really insistent about getting some dues for app bandwidth usage, isn’t it?) and payment processing systems. Go at it, you eager developer you — we fully expect a gratis app showing off your handiwork to emerge on the 27th.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/T_Mobile_G1_now_available’; Now that T-Mobile’s systematic discrimination against non-T-Mobile customers (how dare they?) has come to an end, we can all exhale, pull out our credit cards and get to maxin’ out the plastic. That’s right — the Android-powered G1 is now available for sale from T-Mob’s website to all comers, though we’re only seeing the black and bronze models listed at the moment and both are tagged with an ominous “extremely limited availability” label which tells us they probably won’t be there long. $179.99’s the price on two-year contract, and if they do sell out online, don’t sweat it just yet — sweep your local stores today.

[Thanks, Elisha]

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Filed under: Cellphones

We really, really like where this is going. First came the Zune puppet rap vid, followed by the equally astounding Large Hadron Collider joint. Now, we’ve got a video for all you G1 pre-orderers that’s sure to get your noggin’ bobbin’ as you patiently await the arrival of Android. And just as any true rap should, it unashamedly bashes the iPhone, Instinct and most every other “rival” on the market today. The best 3 minutes and 56 seconds of your day are about to occur — click on past the break and get it going. Word?

[Via Phandroid, thanks Rob]

Continue reading Android rap shows the G1 love, gives Google some street cred

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Prior to the G1’s stealth launch, Google’s on-device Android Market was a busy place, teeming with some 50-plus apps seemingly ready to win the hearts and minds of early adopters anxious to outfit their G1s with… oh, you know, simple pleasures like a video player or the ability to change the UI’s font size. We guess that wasn’t part of Mountain View’s strategy, though, with all but 13 applications having been removed today — presumably a knee-jerk response to the knowledge that phones were starting to make their way into paying customers’ hands. Truth be told, this was probably the plan all along; the Market had gotten a little dirty from both developer and Google testing, and we’re figuring they were just looking to tidy things up a bit to make it presentable on launch day before it got nasty dirty with a flood of developers outside the confines of Google’s own Android Developer Challenge. Either that, or there’s some deep, dark conspiracy lurking involving the unceremonious removal of any content that upsets Schmidt, Brin, or Page.

Update: We’re hearing this is all due to an update to the Market — older apps that haven’t been updated to meet the Market’s specs aren’t available at the moment. Thanks, everyone!

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

October 22 was supposed to be the date, but you know, when you add in the shipping fudge factor, buffoonery was destined to ensue — and sure enough, G1s are already showing up on some buyers’ doorsteps days ahead of the official release. These pre-orders were only open to existing T-Mobile customers, which means us AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and Alltel types are gritting our teeth and shaking our fists at merciless gods right about now. Wednesday, here we come. Anyone else nab theirs?

[Thanks, cWj]

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Filed under: Podcasts

Desirous of more of that enlightening Engadget banter? You’re in luck! We’ve got another installment of the newly-minted Engadget Podcast on tap, featuring an in-depth exploration of thoughts, feelings, and thoughts about feelings. This week Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, and Nilay Patel take you thorough a breathtaking range of topics, with a thorough dissection of the new MacBooks / MacBook Pros, a little Windows 7 talk, and an extra deep look at the T-Mobile G1 with the help of Engadget Mobile super-editor Chris Ziegler. Prepare for extreme geek-craft… now.

Note: We had some minor audio trouble with this one, so don’t be alarmed if you hear a little crosstalk — we’ll make sure things are as magically pristine as usual next week. Also, iTunes should be back properly soon, so stay tuned.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, and Nilay Patel
Guest: Chris Ziegler
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Dr. Teeth — The Interview Is Over

00:00:42 - Apple’s “spotlight turns to notebooks” event roundup
00:38:43 - T-Mobile G1 review
01:10:59 - Motorola Krave ZN4 officially launches on Verizon for $149.99
01:18:10 - Windows 7 to be officially named… Windows 7
01:21:18 - Engadget: now the Official Blog Partner of CES

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Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

A source close to the situation has chimed in to tell us that T-Mobile’s G1 presales — while very strong, and seemingly making the carrier and HTC very happy campers — are nowhere near the 1.5 million figure being randomly spouted off by Motley Fool. We don’t have an exact figure, but to put things in perspective, it took 74 days of real, actual sales for Apple to hit a million iPhones — which like the G1 numbers here, counted the US market alone. Real question is, what percentage of the presales have been for that crazy brown model, eh?

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/T_Mobile_G1_The_Engadget_Review’; It’s hard to believe, but rumors of a “Googlephone” have been floating around since 2006. To put it in perspective, the first Gphone post on Engadget was written by Peter Rojas. Needless to say, it’s been a long, slow ride to get to Android, the Open Handset Alliance, and ultimately the T-Mobile G1. If we said expectations were high for the introduction of this device, it would be an understatement. It’s not every day that a company with the stature of Google announces it’s getting into the phone game, and it’s certainly not every day that an honest-to-goodness innovator comes along. That last time the team at Engadget got this stoked for a device, it was a little something called the iPhone — and you know how that turned out. Will Android and the G1 live up to the hype? Is this the first coming of a serious new contender in the mobile space, or has the triple threat of Google, HTC, and T-Mobile not delivered on their promises? We’ve put both the device and the software through its paces to bring you the definitive review of the T-Mobile G1 and Android, so read on to get your answers.

As we’ve really gone to great lengths to dissect the phone and OS, we’re splitting the review into two, easy to digest parts. Enjoy!

Part 1: Hardware
Part 2: Software and wrap-up

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Filed under: Podcasts

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Filed under: Cellphones

T-Mobile sold right out of its original allotment of G1 pre-orders quick, fast and in a hurry, and even the second round has been claimed in a flash. What’s it all mean? It means that someone at T-Mobile and Google are sitting in a fancy restaurant in France sipping on the good stuff, and it also means that 1.5 million G1s have already been reserved for eager early adopters. In addition to that, another couple of million are all set to take the retail scene by storm later this month. In other words, folks are genuinely stoked about the possibilities of Android, and scads of ‘em have already committed to the OS (and HTC’s design, by extension) before even having a chance to toy around with it in person. No pressure at all, Google.

[Via Pulse2]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Oh sure, you’ve already read over our (and Ryan Block’s) brief one-day impressions of T-Mobile’s G1, but one lucky (lucky!) user over at AndroidCommunity has been able to handle one for more than just a few hours. As a precious gift to the world, he’s penned a nice list of pros and cons along with a Q&A, and it seems that the “review” is actually growing with time. Right from the top, he notes that the G1 is lke a “SideKick on massive steriods,” albeit one with a minty fresh OS. Speaking of, he also states that the handset “doesn’t run as smoothly as you would think,” asserting that some of the applications “suttered” upon opening. We’re also told that it requires a reboot from time to time just to keep things humming along, but we’re hoping all of these quirks are just part of the Rev. A rigamarole. It’s glaringly obvious that the user adores Android (and the phone, too), but we can’t help but hope these niggles he speaks of are addressed in short order.

[Thanks, Oscar]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

We were sorta hoping HTC was going to get straight to work on its next batch of Android handsets post haste after getting the G1 out of the door — you know, just to close the fashion gap with its WinMo line, if nothing else — but the word on the street is that it’d like to spread the first-gen love just a little further and wider by hooking up its Dopod subsidiary in China. According to an unnamed Dopod source, the current plan has the G1 going to the Far East “possibly” in the first quarter of ‘09, featuring radios better suited for China’s airwaves — possibly TD-SCDMA, possibly just EDGE. For what it’s worth, Dopod’s corporate logo will up the G1’s rugged good looks by a factor of ten — seriously, isn’t it awesome? [Warning: Subscription required]

[Via Talk Android]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment.

As Switched On exemplified in the frenzy of mobile Ts and primary Gs last week, much of the attention focused on the involvement of Google and comparisons to the iPhone. Searching Google for “‘T-Mobile G1′ Apple” yields over 6.7 million results on Google. Searching for “‘T-Mobile G1′ HTC” yields only 3.4 million.

Given that the phone is being branded “T-Mobile G1 with Google,” the temptation is to say that HTC, which has long vowed to step into the white light from behind the white label, has failed to capitalize on one of the best branding opportunities in handset history. However, there would have been limits as to how much spotlight it could have stolen in the wake of media fascination with Google and one can have only so many brands listed in the name of a phone. Wireless carriers are among the biggest television advertisers, and Google is the biggest advertising powerhouse online. Together they will fund the G1 marketing push. The stakes were just too high for HTC to significantly advance its branding status with T-Mobile, which has used its carrier brand for such HTC handsets as the Dash, Wing and Shadow.

But there are more paradoxes in HTC’s first Android handset.

Continue reading Switched On: The T-Mobile G1 — by Google and what’s-their-names

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