T-Mobile Will Be First To Use Android

stoolpigeon writes to tell us that T-Mobile's upcoming phone will try to combine the best elements of many of the new smart phones, and will be using Google's Android software. "The HTC phone, which many gadget sites are calling the 'dream,' will have a touch screen, like the iPhone. But the screen also slides out to expose a full five-row keyboard. A video of the phone has been posted recently on YouTube. A person who has seen the HTC device said it matched the one in the video. The phone's release date depends on how soon the Federal Communications Commission certifies that the Google software and the HTC phone meet network standards. Executives at all three companies are hoping to announce the phone in September because they would benefit from holiday season sales."

Comments

Open markets.

[B5_geek]

Now that Google has a 'shipping' product I am excited about the future for these reasons:

1) Google can pull an Apple'ish move and push for carriers to open up the networks.
or (even better)
2) Google can open up all of that dark-fiber that it has bought in the past and become a telecommunications juggernaught.

Google already has data centers all over the planet, they can match these up with worldwide GSM coverage and beat the existing companies at their own game.

I currently pay $150 CDN per month for the 'privilege' of using my phone anywhere in North America to make phone calls. If I try to use any data features I get charged $0.05/kb + US Roaming + US Data Rates/kb. To view the /. home page costs me almost $1.00 without viewing any stories.

Canada has been crippled by our 3 colluding state-sponsored ogilopies and I am desperate for another option.

Googles' ability to offer North America a non-draconian cellular service coupled with content/location-based advertising would be a god-send.

Scenerio: Motorist stranded on side of the road; does a Google search via cell-phone for tow-truck. Built-in GPS can show you the closest mechanics, and contact info.

Google; please take my money and give an option to ditch the horrible choices that I currently have.

Re:I looked at the Android software.

[samkass]

I would have preferred Apple had adopted Java back in the late 90's and done all of Cocoa in it, personally. That being said, yes, Java as it stands today is more limiting for writing rich client apps than Apple's Objective-C UIKit.

It's not about the language. It's about the libraries. And Apple is currently second-to-none in that department for user interaction.

And really, the amount of Objective-C specific stuff you have to know to write compelling content for the iPhone isn't that huge. The most popular apps seem to be either 90% Interface Builder work, or 90% OpenGL ES work.