Word on the street is that Google recently held a briefing where it discussed the coming of Android, which may be sooner than we thought. Apparently the world is set to get its first taste of Google’s mobile juice on September 17; actually, only T-Mobile US customers will be able to partake. T-Mobile has apparently scored highly-coveted exclusive rights to sell what has been dubbed the HTC G1, the first mobile handset that will ship with the Linux-based Android OS. The rub of course, is that it will only be a T-Mobile exclusive for a week as the G1 will supposedly become available to the rest of the world on September 24. That may seem a bit odd but it’s actually very smart; T-Mobile has essentially placed its name in any and all Android coverage between now and the release. Smooth. Alleged specs for the HTC G1 give it a massive 5″ x 3″ touchscreen display, a 3 megapixel camera, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and 3G connectivity though we can’t say which networks it will be compatible with. The logical guess might be T-Mobile 3G compatibility due to the launch schedule but then again, the carrier hardly has nationwide 3G coverage. T-Mobile might be the only choice however, if the G1 is to have any US 3G compatibility. AT&T has not yet officially signed on to peddle Android-powered devices, nor has Verizon Wireless for that matter. At the same time, we have to imagine it won’t be long before they jump on board. In terms of pricing, there will supposedly be a discounted price of $150 during the first week of availability through T-Mobile. After that, the price is expected to jump up to around $250. T-Mobile has not confirmed any of this but if it is true, expect the advertising to start rolling out very soon.
[Via Wired]
