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"As expected, Google and T-Mobile announced the G1 handset today, the first cell phone to use the Android operating system.  At a press conference in New York, executives from Google, T-Mobile, and HTC \u2013 the device\u2019s manufacturer \u2013 showed off the device and detailed its features.  My initial reaction: the phone isn\u2019t pretty, but the software and strategy shows enormous vision that is just as disruptive to the mobile industry as many of us thought it was when we first learned of Google\u2019s plans last fall.  \nIf you\u2019ve been following the development of the iPhone ecosystem since Apple debuted its second generation device and app store earlier this year, many of the ideas behind Android and the G1 are similar.  The device is touch screen, there is an app store equivalent (\u201CAndroid Market\u201D), it\u2019s a full web browsing experience, and it\u2019s also designed to be a multimedia hub, featuring its own media player and integration with Amazon\u2019s MP3 store.  The huge difference: Android is open source and there is an (almost \u2026 there are default applications) completely level playing field for mobile application developers.  \nHere\u2019s a demo of the handset and some of the applications from Google, with initial summary and analysis below:\n\n\n\n\n\n\nApplications\nWhile most of the applications demoed at today\u2019s press conference were built by Google \u2013 including an impressive Maps app that integrates a version of Street View that updates as you\u2019re moving \u2013 the Android Market will give every developer an opportunity to achieve mobile success.  That\u2019s because as opposed to iPhone or RIM\u2019s business models where only certain applications are promoted, Android Market allows users to search all apps.  User ratings are also employed to help the cream rise to the top.\nThat said, the G1 would appear to have a better experience if you\u2019re a user of Google\u2019s web services.  For example, if you use Gmail, you get push email \u2013 like Blackberry - if you use something else, it\u2019s IMAP.  Additionally, other Google mobile apps like Calendar and Gtalk are all synced with the Web versions.  Finally, Google search \u2013 presumably where the company plans to make a ton of money \u2013 is tightly integrated into the G1, getting its own button on the device.  \nMusic\nAn application from Amazon comes default on G1, allowing users to purchase MP3s.   Like the web-version of Amazon\u2019s store, all tracks are DRM-free and can be ordered with \u201Cone click\u201D according to representatives at today\u2019s press conference.   Android includes its own media player, which is where users can play the tracks.  The drawback of the Amazon MP3 application is that at the moment, tracks can only be downloaded over a Wi-Fi connection. \nWeb Browsing\nGoogle defined the Webkit based browser that comes with G1 as \u201CChrome Light.\u201D  Similar to iPhone, the browsing experience is the \u201Creal\u201D Internet, with touch screen options for zooming in and out on Web pages.  Additionally, Android appears to have multi-tasking features akin to the Windows taskbar, allowing you to move quickly between the Web browser and other applications on the device.  \nPricing &amp; Availability\nThe G-Phone will sell for $179 USD and will launch initially next month in both North America and Europe.  Additionally, T-Mobile is offering a $35 all you can eat messaging and data plan.\nThe Opportunity\nExecutives from all of those represented at today\u2019s press conference took an opportunity to remind everyone how low mobile internet penetration is in the US and how Android can change that.  They indicated that mobile Web penetration in the US is still just 16 percent.  Meanwhile, in Europe, T-Mobile saw 43% growth in data revenue and 250% traffic growth on the mobile Web.  T-Mobile and Google clearly believe the reason for this is a lack of compelling mobile applications \u2013 something they hope to change through Android and its open ecosystem for developers.  \nInitial Conclusions\nIs the G1 going to sell like crazy?  The pricing on both the device and the data plan beats iPhone and many Blackberries, which will certainly make it compelling for some.  Plus, the pull out QWERTY keyboard makes the device easier to use for heavy email and text messaging users.  However, from a design perspective, G1 certainly does not meet the aesthetics of the iPhone \u2013 either in terms of the device or the UI of the software that the companies on-stage today demonstrated.  \nThe real story to watch will be the developer ecosystem that emerges around the device, how Apple, RIM, and other smartphone makers respond to it, and ultimately the second generation devices that launch in the months to come as Google, T-Mobile, and HTC analyze the response to the G1."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2008/09/23/google-g1/>