T-Mobile
USA and Google Inc. unveiled the first
smart-phone powered by Google's Android
operating system, as the Internet giant hopes to
shake up the wireless industry.
The G1 represents the first direct attempt by
Google to link its name with cellphones. The
company, which dominates Internet search, has
struggled to break through the controls of the
wireless carriers and establish a strong
foothold in the mobile Web.
The phone arrives after months of speculation
and buzz surrounding a Google phone and its
prospects as a rival to Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
Cole Brodman, chief technology officer of
T-Mobile USA, called the device a game-changer.
"The mobile Internet experience hasn't been
compelling," he said. "We're going to change
that."
The device also means a lot for T-Mobile USA, a
unit of Deutsche Telekom AG, which needs a
flagship device to promote its burgeoning
third-generation network. The phone's maker,
Taiwan's HTC Corp., which has slowly built up
its brand as a premier smart-phone maker over
the past year, also has a stake in its success.
The G1 has a touch-screen that slides up to
reveal a full keypad underneath. The device is
compatible with T-Mobile's 3G network, which it
is early in the process of rolling out. Front
and centre on the handset is a Google search
interface.
The G1 will sell for $179 with a two-year
contract with T-Mobile in the US The device will
be available in the UK in November, and
throughout Europe in the first quarter.
The device also features a mobile Web browser
similar to Google's Chrome browser for the PC.
The iPhone's slick browser has made other
handset makers working to improve their
offerings.
"G1 is a milestone in bringing the open Internet
to the mobile platform," said Christopher
Schladder, group product and innovation officer
for Deutsche Telekom.
Google has been anxious to get into the mobile
arena to access potentially lucrative
opportunities from marrying its targeted ad
technology to the phone's ability to determine a
person's location. The company has said that
mobile advertising represents a huge source of
growth.
Google has already made ripples in the industry.
Its maneuvering during the last wireless license
auction forced Verizon Wireless - jointly owned
by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone
Group PLC - to commit to open standards for its
network.
Google isn't wholly relying on the G1. Another
Android device for Sprint Nextel Corp. is in the
works.
AT&T also says it is open to the idea of an
Android phone. "If it makes sense for our
customers, it's something we will consider
offering," said AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel.
