Google Phone T-Mobile G1, First Smartphone to use the Android Platform

The famed Google phone is now a reality, having taken form in the shape of T-Mobile&#39;s G1, a device developed by HTC and often referred to as the HTC Dream. People have been dreaming of this phone for quite a long time, it seems. Since the open source Android platform was announced a year ago, the industry landscape has changed quite a bit.<br> T-Mobile G1 is fairly simple and plain looking. It has very clean lines, and features no real design flourishes other than the simple bend at its base, where the main cluster of buttons and the trackball are located. That bend in the otherwise bar shaped phone is a bit of an oddity. It appears to offer no real ergonomic or aesthetic benefit, but seems to get in the way of users with smaller hands when it comes time to slide open the G1&#39;s 3.2&quot; capacitive touchscreen display to get down to business with the G1&#39;s QWERTY keyboard.<br> While certainly pocketable, the G1 is not exactly a small phone. At 117mm x 55mm x 15mm (4.6&quot; x 2.2&quot; x 0.6&quot;) in size and weighing 159g (5.6oz), it is a substantial device. It feels solidly built, and the display&#39;s sprung slider mechanism moves it around with a reassuring trunk as it nestles into place.<br> You can easily access the Internet using a single click, which makes it the quickest way to browse the web. You can even zoom in to expand any section of a web page by simply tapping on the screen.<br>The design of the G1 will not be a clear-cut winner for most people. It is a bit too plain looking, has a keyboard that is only acceptable, and requires a miniUSB to 3.5mm headset adapter (not included) to be used with regular stereo headphones. The trackball, however, is quite nice, and the display is large, bright, and very responsive. HTC didn&#39;t knock one out of the park with the G1&#39;s design, but they certainly did enough to get the job done.<br> T-Mobile G1 will be available in the US from October 22nd for $179 when taken out with a two-year contract. The UK will follow in November, with other T-Mobile regions following during early 2009.<br>