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, Wireless

With Sprint snagging the vast majority of the WiMAX limelight of late, we aren’t going to complain with a similar network halfway across the globe yanking it back. Out of absolutely nowhere comes HTC’s first WiMAX-enabled handset, the sure-to-be-delightful T8290. Reportedly, this bugger packs a 3.8-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, 802.11g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, GSM and WiMAX radios and is expected to launch soon on Russia’s Yota. Granted, we can’t take this as hard truth or anything quite yet, but the images that reside in the read link are more than convincing. Oh, and HTC — given that you’re passing on the US with the Touch HD, do you think it’d be possible to get this over here for use with XOHM? We’d really, really appreciate it.

[Via Slashphone, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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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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Filed under: Cellphones

There’s really no denying it — T-Mobile’s G1 and Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 are two of the hottest mobiles around right now, and as predicted, all sorts of sparks flew when the two sat down for a side-by-side photo session. In a Dutch comparison of the two handsets, reviewers pointed out that the G1 was “significantly larger” than the SE counterpart, and while it’s completely subjective, they also asserted that the X1 was a “true piece of art in comparison to the dusty look of the G1 [nice one, Google Translator].” Do yourself a favor and check out the whole thing in the read link.

[Via CoolSmartphone]

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Filed under: Cellphones

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/tech_news/HTC_not_bringing_Touch_HD_to_the_States’; This shouldn’t be surprising at all to anyone even remotely familiar with HTC’s tendencies, but the Touch HD is officially not ever shipping to America (unless you import, obviously). The news was dropped via a Tweet (of all things), but evidently, the outcry over what we figured was common knowledge has caused some windows to be rattled in the penthouse offices. Another official Tweet followed to thank everyone for “expressing their desire for the HD,” with the author noting that “US management now knows there’s a grassroots demand for high-end HTCs here.” Really, HTC? You needed a flood of angry Twitter comments to understand that Americans would give their second born for a phone like the Touch HD?

[Via WMExperts, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: We’ve received official word from HTC that they’ve been really overwhelmed by the “strong” demand for the HD in the States and other markets where no launch has been planned (with that insane display, it seemed like a no-brainer to us!). Sadly, due to the engineering time required to get a North American 3G version in the pipeline, they say they’re better off just waiting until the next round of products launches — hopefully with some extra bands in the radio this time, eh?

Read - Touch HD not coming to the US
Read - Thanks for the concern

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Filed under: Cellphones

Not even a fortnight after HTC’s Touch HD went official in Germany, out pops a review from Deutschland calling it the best thing since sliced bread. Okay, so maybe our translation skills are a bit off, but one thing’s for sure — it was hailed as the first “iPhone killer to deserve that name.” Right off the bat, reviewers praised the TouchFLO 3D interface for masking Windows Mobile, and of course, the expansive display was drooled upon numerous times. Additionally, critics praised the Opera browser while scolding Internet Explorer, and while it’s hard to say for certain whether the battery life was remarkable, it definitely seemed to get their vote of approval. Of note, the 3.5-millimeter headphone jack was also loved, making us weep while thinking of what could have been with the T-Mobile G1. At any rate, it seems pretty clear that the Touch HD is going to rock some socks off, but we’re trying to push it out of our minds until it becomes available on this side of the drink. Too bad that approach isn’t working at all.

[Via WMPowerUser]

Read - Early Touch HD review
Read - Video showing off Stocks tab

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

So the good news is that T-Mobile has decided to keep right on taking pre-orders for the G1 through October 21, just one day before the handset’s official launch. The bad news, though, is that it doesn’t mean you’ll be getting your Android on come October 22. Turns out that the initial allotment of G1s set aside for pre-orders is now sold out completely, and any names taken between now and launch will be allotted phones being shipped “at a later date.” It’s not clear if a “later date” means a week, a month, or a decade after the 22nd, but for the sake of everyone involved, we hope its the former.

Update: T-Mobile’s site says that pre-orders taken from here on out will be delivered “as early as November 10,” so it looks like you early birds are going to have a nice little period of exclusivity. Thanks, everyone!

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Filed under: Cellphones

Ah yes, the natural progression of a release. First comes the hands-on at the introduction, then comes the leaked user manual, then comes the pre-order fiasco — now, it’s time for those always titillating in the wild shots. The box and handset are nothing out of the ordinary / surprising (respectively), but at least you now know that bona fide unboxing images are just around the bend.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

If you’re a T-Mobile customer who’s been dozing off for the past few days, you’ve already missed your chance to pre-order yourself a G1. With any luck, that won’t be a problem and you’ll just be able to march into a store on or around October 22 and pick one up the old-fashioned way, but the window of opportunity for an utterly stress-free Android buying experience is closed. We don’t have hard numbers on just how many units were being offered through the pre-order program, but 60,000 is getting tossed around as a rumor, which would work out to about 10 percent of the total outlay HTC is said to be aiming for by year’s end. Of course, if you’re not a T-Mobile customer, this is all business as usual and you’re just chuckling under your breath that everyone’s stuck in the same boat now, aren’t you, you sick puppy?

[Via TmoNews]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

If you’re a T-Mobile customer who’s been dozing off for the past few days, you’ve already missed your chance to pre-order yourself a G1. With any luck, that won’t be a problem and you’ll just be able to march into a store on or around October 22 and pick one up the old-fashioned way, but the window of opportunity for an utterly stress-free Android buying experience is closed. We don’t have hard numbers on just how many units were being offered through the pre-order program, but 60,000 is getting tossed around as a rumor, which would work out to about 10 percent of the total outlay HTC is said to be aiming for by year’s end. Of course, if you’re not a T-Mobile customer, this is all business as usual and you’re just chuckling under your breath that everyone’s stuck in the same boat now, aren’t you, you sick puppy?

[Via TmoNews]

Update: Well, that was quick — the “Log in to order” button is working once again. Any bets on how long until they’re out a second time?

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Filed under: Cellphones

Let’s do a quick recap, shall we? So we pretty much know everything there is to know about Verizon’s forthcoming BlackBerry Storm save for the price and release date, and so far as we can tell, Verizon’s version of the Touch Diamond is still expected to be totally underpowered compared to Sprint’s iteration. Now that we’ve rounded the tables, let’s have a look at this image above. This here is Verizon’s internal training schedule, and given that employees have to complete their Storm courses before November 2nd and their Touch Diamond courses before December 3rd, we’d say you now have a pretty good idea of when these two will be landing. Hey VZW — think you could make that “Blocking Features Assessment” available to the public? We’re guessing it’d be a real hit.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

It’s going to be a few weeks yet until your unwashed hands are touching an actual G1, so how’d you like some reading material to pass the days in the meantime? T-Mobile has trotted out its first Android phone’s user’s manual — probably not on purpose, if we had to guess — and there are some interesting little morsels in there that’d be even more interesting if you actually had the phone in front of you. For example, did you know the G1 had a status light? Don’t see those too often these days. You’ve also got a full rundown of the notification icons, apps (including the Android flavor of T-Mobile’s myFaves app), and — get this — procedure for battery removal. Fancy that! [Warning: PDF link]

[Via TmoNews, thanks Jose]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

How many Google and HTC engineers does it take to build an Android phone? We don’t have the punchline to that one, exactly — but at least we have a pretty good idea of how long it takes. HTC’s Chief Marketing Officer has revealed that it kicked off negotiations with Google some five years ago — before it had even acquired Android, interestingly — and has been deeply embedded in the Android team for the past three years. That’s a long frickin’ time, but we figure the first model’s probably ten times harder to throw together than its successors are, so hopefully we’ll see a nice cadence of “HTC Innovation” from here on out. We know it’s been said many times before, but it probably bears repeating: Touch Pro and Touch HD with Android, guys. Please.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/design/T_Mobile_G1_impressions_Engadget’; T-Mobile, HTC and Google stood hand in hand yesterday to debut the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. It felt a bit like a new era for the mobile industry — though the rollerblading seemed a tad out of place — with high-profile companies backing a Linux-based, touch-driven mobile OS, and spouting the word “open” every two sentences. But, naturally, high aims alone don’t build a killer phone; there are a lot details to get right, and a lot more that Google and company have seen fit to leave in the hands of developers. Let’s take a look at what’s working so far, and what might need some more time in the oven:

Continue reading T-Mobile G1 impressions: what we love, what we don’t

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Filed under: Cellphones

While there was a flurry (actually, a full on snowstorm) of news today about the G1, there’s a few bits of info you might not have heard, largely because no one is reporting them. We had a chance to speak with T-Mobile CTO Cole Brodman after the event today, and he had some illuminating — and frankly refreshing — takes on some of our more pressing questions. When asked about what T-Mobile’s reaction would be to users creating tethering or unlocking apps for the phone, he was surprisingly even-keeled, noting that while the company didn’t encourage the practice, they wouldn’t lock down the OS or update the software to break those applications. Our impression was that as long as their use was relegated to a small percentage of owners, T-Mobile likely wouldn’t take action, though he did voice concerns over tethering apps and their effect on the network, with a clearly guarded eye to letting users have free reign. More interestingly, buyers would be able to have access to a “contract free” G1 (with a price point of $399), and could unlock the device with T-Mobile’s blessing after 90 days. Brodman also said that the company’s policy of unlocking phones for customers in good standing wouldn’t change for this phone.

Continue reading T-Mobile’s CTO on G1 unlocking and tethering — plus a few details you might have missed

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Audio

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/T_Mobile_G1_doesn_t_have_a_headphone_jack’; Hey, that’s pretty awesome that Amazon’s thrown together an MP3 store app for the G1, isn’t it? What would be even cooler still, though, is if you could actually listen to those tracks without a crazy dongle hanging off your phone. Like many recent HTCs (Touch HD notably excepted), the G1 eschews a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for its proprietary ExtUSB connector, meaning you’ll need custom headphones or an adapter to plug in your own. What’s worse, the adapter won’t be available immediately at launch, just a bundled headset. Why, HTC? Why?

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Filed under: Cellphones

The T-Mobile G1 web site went up with a bunch of placeholders late last night, but it’s finally fully live after this morning’s big unveiling, and while it’s not exactly bursting with detailed info, there’s plenty of new pictures and details, including updated 3G coverage information. The first G1 ad has also surfaced — if you were tearing your hair out over Apple’s grammatically-questionable “funnest iPod ever” pitch, wait’ll you get a load of how “smarterer,” “connecteder,” and yes, “funnerer” the “most exciting phone in the history of phones” will make you. Video after the break.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Continue reading T-Mobile G1 site goes live for real, first ad appears

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Filed under: Cellphones

It’s one thing to appear on a website before being officially outed. It’s another to have a web portal designed specifically for a handset. On the eve of its official debut in the Big Apple, T-Mobile has launched the definitive G1 website, complete with a G1 logo, the time and date of tomorrow’s press event, a few tabs sure to be chock full of juicy details just as soon as said event closes, and most importantly, a pre-order button (of sorts) in order to sign up for what we can only fathom to be a notification of availability. 10:30AM tomorrow morning — we’ll be there, you’ll be there.

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