Throwback Thursday: T-Mobile G1/HTC Dream

By on Jan 6, 2011 at 5:18 PM
General January 6, 2011

We’re not going to travel too far back in time for this week’s installation of Throwback Thursday, but we think our selection is very appropriate. With this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in full gear, we’re seeing an unfathomable number of Android phones and tablets announced by dozens of electronics manufacturers. So here at BGR, we thought it would be appropriate to take a short moment to pay homage to the little handset that started it all. We’re talking about T-Mobile’s G1, also known as the HTC Dream.

Released on October 30, 2008 in the United States by GSM carrier T-Mobile, the G1 was the first smartphone to be marketed with Google’s new Android mobile operating system. The G1 — which retailed for $129.99 on-contract and $399.99 full retail — was a horizontal-sliding, full-QWERTY handset with a unique hinge. The G1 paired its keyboard with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro-SD card slot, and navigation trackball. The handsets Achilles heel was, undoubtedly, the humble 1150mAh battery — which proved to be inadequate for the device’s hardware. In April of 2009, T-Mobile officially announced that that it had sold 1 million G1s.

This week, as you see Android devices of all shapes and sizes announced, take some time to pour one out for the device that started it all… the G1.

BGR’s Throwback Thursday is a weekly series covering our (and your) favorite gadgets, games, and software of yesterday and yesteryear.

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GP2WYAHXS6CRUREISWBGPUSUGE Michael

    The Phone that started a movement. the Grand Father, the Android Sensei, The God Father, The Manager of Team Android….

    Thanks to the good people at T-Mobile N/A.

    And if it wasn’t for the phone, along with the HTC Magic/MyTouch3G/Google Ion, we wouldn’t have the awesome home brewed version of Android.

    Take a moment to reflect on this great piece of Android history.

  • Anonymous

    That 3.2-inch screen seems downright quaint compared to some of the beasts they’re launching now.

  • http://twitter.com/adamwolfgang Adam Wolfgang

    I stopped using my G1 2 months ago, it was a beast. Now I make my son use it!

  • http://twitter.com/D4mi4n1988 Damian Wozniak

    I had three of these phone from the day it was released. They all had so many problems it was ridiculous.

    • http://twitter.com/t1h5ta3 brian pyeatt

      i bought mine @ release, and its still alive and kicking… handed down to my son who arguably abuses it more than i did…

  • http://twitter.com/manozz manoj paudel

    This was awesome when first released.

  • Landongonsalves

    I passed mine down to my little sister. I went and loaded super D for her the other day. It felt good navigating my way around the g1 again. Good times! The Yoda of all things android!

  • Anonymous

    Youve just offended the thousands of Tmobile faithful that still cling on to their G1s with the hope and stubborness that they can have Android 2.1-2.3 with constant hacks cuz they cant afford a new phone.

  • CatatonicBug

    2008 technology on a Throwback Thursday?? Come on guys, lets dig a little deeper! At least back to the ’90s… Preferably the ’80s or older! Think “Speak ‘N Spell”!

  • lurch

    Hey, Andrew, why are some of the Throwback Thursday articles missing? Like, The Oregon Trail, Talkboy, etc?

    • lurch

      Much better. merci.

  • Anonymous

    I literally used my G1 as my main phone from getting it in December 2008, to just 2 weeks ago, when I upgraded to a brand new shiny G2 (HTC Vision).

    The G1 had some serious staying power. I was running 2.2 FroYo on it, without any problems at all.

    No idea what I’ll do with it now, but right now it’s just chilling on my shelf in my personal “phone museum” next to my Sidekick Slide and Sidekick 3.

    • Hate, Y U No Love?

      You can still get upwards of $80 on ebay for it. I know, I just sold mine, rooted and unlocked, for $75.

  • Maria

    It’s not really a throwback. I still use mine daily

  • Rats

    I loved my g1.. Best keyboard ever

    And it had CALL/END buttons!!

    Seriously is that so hard to put on a PHONE??

  • http://twitter.com/mikemimik Mike

    I think it’s a little on the humorous side that this device is already a ‘throwback’

  • Hate, Y U No Love?

    What did they say about this phone back in 08?
    Ugly?
    No Apps?
    Looks like a sidekick?
    Kids’ phone?
    iPhone wannabe?

    Now its revered as the one that ‘started it all’.

    Should make haters think twice before crapping on ANY new devices.

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