Verizon and Motorola finally lifted the curtain on their new Droid Android phone yesterday. Make no mistake, this is Android’s flagship product, and the first phone that will pose a significant threat to Apple’s iPhone. And it will be available very soon, possibly as early as the end of this month.

MobileCrunch has been tracking the phone, which has also been called the Tao or Sholes, for some time. Just about anyone who has come in contact with the phone can’t stop talking about it. And from what we hear, they have good reason.

The phone is a three-way effort between Motorola, Verizon and Google. It looks a lot like the iPhone, and may even be as thin or thinner than the iPhone 3GS.

***It also has two key advantages over the iPhone – a slide out physical keyboard, and use of the Verizon network.

Unlike previous Android phones, the Droid is rumored to be powered by the TI OMAP3430, the same core that the iPhone and Palm Pre use, and which significantly outperforms Qualcomm 528MHz ARM11 based Android phones that exist today (Engadget has a great overview article on mobile CPUs).

Droid will also be running v.2.0 of Android, with a significantly upgraded user interface.

The Droid poses a different and more significant challenge to the iPhone than any other phone to date. The Palm Pre could have been that challenger, but it lacked the Verizon network, and users were unimpressed with the hardware.

According to people who’ve handled the device, the Droid is the most sophisticated mobile device to hit the market to date from a hardware standpoint. When you combine that with the Verizon network, you’ve got something that is most definitely a challenger to the Jesus phone.

And the scary thing for Apple is, it may only be a few months before something even better than the Droid comes out. With the flood of Android devices that are hitting the market, a few are bound to be hits. No wonder Google CEO Eric Schmidt is so bullish on Android right now. Things are about to get very, very interesting.

Company:	Motorola
Website:	droiddoes.com

The Droid is an Android phone made by Motorola which will run on Verizon’s network. Rumored specs include a powerful OMAP3430 processor, 5 megapixel camera, slideout QWERTY keyboard and touch screen, all housed in a super-compact package and running… Learn More

Information provided by CrunchBase

CHECK THESE YOU TUBE VIDEOS FOR SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

Check out the Motorola Droid displaying the time, date, weather, photos, music, and more

Technorati Tags: Droid Does, Droid Phone, Motorola Droid Phone, New Cell Phone, Sholes phone, Tao phone, Verizon Droid Phone

Is the T-Mobile myTouch 3G the Google Phone to Beat?

by Thomas Houston — Aug 12th 2009 at 1:18PM

What it is:

The myTouch 3G, the second Android smartphone (aka “Googlephone”) to be introduced by T-Mobile, after the G1, is essentially a re-branded HTC Magic.

What’s different about it?

Unlike the G1 (the first “Googlephone”), the myTouch opts for a touchscreen-based interface, dropping the physical keyboard. The Android 1.5 (”Cupcake”) operating system and marketplace have come a long way (improved speed, more apps, better onscreen keyboard) since the G1 launched last year on T-Mobile.

What we like:

On the hardware front, HTC has built a sexier and sturdier phone, a marked improvement over the lackluster design and plastic feel of the G1 (perhaps a side-effect of removing the keyboard). The phone’s molded shell doesn’t pick up dirt like many next-gen smartphones, which is nice.

Activities like browsing Web pages, flicking through photos, and navigating maps are nearly as smooth as they are on the iPhone, despite the slightly smaller 3.2-inch screen. The battery life is decent; we usually had around a half-charge left after a day of heavy texting and e-mailing (without using Wi-Fi and GPS, which will drain the battery faster, of course).

Both GPS and Wi-Fi functions are well-integrated into the operating system; accessing Wi-Fi settings is simple (just a couple of taps and you’re ready to go) and GPS data informs multiple apps (travel and weather to social networking and photography).

Android’s elegant, built-in alert system, which reveals text messages, incoming calls, and more, is one of the phone’s strongest points. It’s much like Growl, an essential Mac app that notifies you of system updates and incoming messages. When you receive a text, for example, the menu at the top of the screen displays a subtle alert, revealing the sender and content of the message. A simple touch and drag at the top of the screen shows more information and previous updates.

If you’re a user of Google’s suite of Web services, then you’ll find phone setup to be an eye-opener. It typically involves frustrating transfer software, fixing broken contacts, and wrangling with e-mail services. Upon start-up, the phone asks you for your Google account, syncs up, and moments later will have effortlessly hooked into your e-mail, contacts, and calendar information. If you keep these organized (admittedly, no small feat), then the process is a godsend. Android’s dedicated Gmail app is a must-use, and setting up other accounts (like Yahoo! or AOL mail) is as simple as opening the e-mail app and plugging in your e-mail address (e.g. name@yahoo.com) and password.

The phone’s camera (the same as the G1’s) is elegantly intertwined with sharing; snap a shot and four taps later your picture will be uploaded to Picasa (or sent via Gmail, MMS, or Twitter). The auto-focusing 3.15-megapixel camera makes it easier to get sharper photos, and its low-light performance is better than that of most camera phones. (See sample photos in the gallery below.)

The myTouch comes with a 4-gigabyte (GB), removable SD memory card (upgradable to 16GB). Hooking up to your computer in order to transfer images, music, video, or other files is as simple as connecting the phone via USB — just like an external hard drive. (It will mount on your desktop.)

What we don’t like:

We’ve been using the device for a couple weeks now, and the on-screen keyboard simply hasn’t gotten much easier to use, despite Android’s pretty good word prediction. Our typing is faster, but we’re still making the types of simple mistakes (e.g. hitting the wrong keys) that usually disappear after several serious days of typing with a new keyboard. Also, as with all touchscreen phones, the screen is a fingerprint-magnet.

As does the G1, the myTouch curiously includes a trackball. If we’re moving between paragraphs on a BlackBerry, we’ll fling the trackball with our thumbs. Navigating text on the myTouch in the same way, though, leads to two issues. First, pushing the trackball hard and fast doesn’t result in the expected amount of onscreen cursor movement. Second, we often accidentally hit the touchscreen, leaving our notes littered with extra ‘p’ letters.

Perhaps it’s just our ears here at Switched, but the included huge earbuds may be the world’s most uncomfortable. (They make even Apple’s iconic, and notorious, white buds feel genuinely snug.) Similarly frustrating, the myTouch has a USB headphone jack — an obnoxious standard on HTC phones only partially remedied by the USB-to-3.5mm jack included in the phone’s case.

Unfortunately, there’s no hardware button for taking photos, which means you have to tap at least three times (if your phone is locked) to bring up the camera app. Similarly, the touch-based shutter button tends to lag a bit.

Video recording is not a strong point, either; the terribly compressed video is blurry at best, and it pixelates heavily with the slightest movement. Fortunately, video sharing (via MMS, Gmail, YouTube, and more) is just as easy as sharing photos.

T-Mobile is pushing the Sherpa app as a location-based recommendation engine for finding local coffee shops, bars, restaurants, etc. Sounds great, but the app proved slow and clunky to navigate. When searching for espresso shops or delis in New York, for example, the results were good. But it was usually easier and faster to use the Web for browsing Yelp or searching Google Maps.

Killer Apps:

Shazam (After just a few moments of “listening,” this seemingly from-the-future app will identify most songs playing.)
The Weather Channel (Weather junkies, here’s your fix. The blue channel migrates to Android with hourly, 36-hour, and 10-day forecasts without the annoying smooth jazz)
TaskKiller (Android does allow multi-tasking, so it’s possible to open too many apps. Cut the phone-slowing clutter by booting up AppKiller)

Is it worth the hype?

Android lives up to the hype in the sense that its Gmail, calendar, and contact integration alone make it worth an upgrade from a Sidekick or traditional “dumbphone.” On the other hand, while Sherpa’s results may help you discover new, interesting locations and shops, the app does need a serious speed and design overhaul before it’s ready for prime time.

The myTouch 3G is being advertised as custom-fitted to your lifestyle, meaning you can set it (via apps) to be your running mate, stock trading tool, or travel companion. While that may miss the point of how people use Internet-connected devices in real life (We tend to use a hodgepodge of apps spread across a variety of interests.), the Android marketplace is still stuck in Apple’s wake when it comes to selection. You aren’t going to find any stunningly innovative games like ‘Eliss,’ offline readers like Instapaper, or even an official Facebook app — yet.

Bottom line:

Keyboard and earbud issues aside, the hardware and OS package feel far more finished than those of the first Googlephone. If you’re on T-Mobile and looking for a touchscreen smartphone, the myTouch is a no-brainer, especially with the knowledge that the Android market will improve and enhance the phone’s value through new apps. If you’re an extremely heavy texter or e-mailer, a BlackBerry may be a better choice, but you’re not going to find a better set of applications and Google integration on T-Mobile’s service. While Android’s apps are still lagging behind the iPhone’s in terms of quality, quantity, and creativity, this phone still shines with a user interface to rival the iPhone, mobile maps, strong e-mail capabilities, and some of the best phone-based Web browsing we’ve seen.

Where to get it:

The myTouch 3G is currently available in stores and online for $199 (with a two-year contract) in white, merlot, and black.

_______________________________________________________________________

Here’s a short video from CNET showing the features of the phone:

Technorati Tags: my Touch 3G, my Touch cell phone, myTouch, newest Google phone, T-Mobile

Enjoy!

Check out this shopping app-Shop Savvy- Scan the Bar code and get prices from competitors!!!

Technorati Tags: Android phone, G1, G1 apps, Google Phone apps, Tmobile G1

Thanks to G4TV for the following news from a 11/27 post:

“Although the T-Mobile G1 has quickly become a techno-geek darling, some consumers aren’t happy with the color selection. The black is boring…the bronze is ugly…the white would be awesome except for the keyboard, etc. Thankfully, the fine folks at Colorware are here to save G1 users from drab colors. Android fanatics can send in their G1 and get a custom color job for $205. Alternatively, a new one can be purchased complete with a fresh paint job for an exorbitant sum of $755.

Colorware has been applying a crayon to numerous pieces of consumer electronics ranging from laptops, phones, Guitar Hero controllers, Dyson vacuums, and more. The company has a good reputation, so if you can stomach the high price for a bubblegum-pink G1, at least you know your product is in good hands.”

Sending in your existing G1 is a service only currently available to U.S. customers. Colorware’s website is interactive and you can view various color samples and apply different filters.

Dec 24^th delivery is available for ordering new and custom color paint job on your existing phone and but you had better hurry, the cut off is Dec 2, 2008. There is a rush delivery process for an additional fee and that cut off is Dec 15, 2008

Colorware, as mentioned above, also does custom branding for products for an additional fee, so you can have your company or personal logo all over your G1 or your laptop, etc.

You can order color samples from them to view before buying for $5.00 each.

From their website: “ColorWare Inc., established in 2000, is an industry leader in altering the color of existing products. ColorWare began with the concept of transforming the ubiquitous beige computer into a custom-colored work of art. The idea began with an attempt to color a late-model cell phone in 1999. After a year of testing and experimenting, the ColorWare high-gloss, scratch-resistant polymer-based coating was perfected. ColorWare’s initial offerings included 22 standard colors available on two mp3 players, three gaming consoles, and four computers, and many new products as well as additional colors have been added in recent years.”

Downside: doing something like that with a 3^rd party vendor may void your warranties on the phone. (this disclosure is in their order form)

Technorati Tags: Colorware, custom colors, Google Android phone, new phone colors, T-mobile g1 custom colors

Rumors that Wal-Mart would soon carry the G1 in their stores spread like wildfire this week. Despite Wal-Mart claiming that they were only rumors, the story turned out to be true.

In no time at all people spotted the G1 in store desplays. Motorola’s Co-CEO Sajay Jha stated on a Q3 earnings conference call that there will be no Android-powered handset released by them until the Christmas season.

Update from Android News: Walmart began carrying the T-Mobile G1 on November 24. The top ten Wal-Mart locations in each market will be getting the T-Mobile G1 on the 24th of November just in time for Christmas. Big note here: Cheaper price!

UK News: On October 30th residents of the United Kingdom were able to finally get their hands on the T-Mobile G1. The UK however got a few changes that the US did not receive, the G1 in the UK comes in either Black or White while the US only got the Black and Bronze version of the G1. Other differences in the UK release is the price, you can purchase it overseas for free with a 2 year agreement, also the G1 comes a 2GB MicroSD card as opposed to the 1Gb that we received.

Technorati Tags: buy Google phone, buy T-Mobile G1, cell phone, G1, G1 at Walmart, Google phone, T-Mobile

Apps for the T-Mobile G1: Now available at Handango Handango, the company that offers software and game downloads for your mobile device is now offering 41 software titles available for download for the T-Mobile G1 (aka Google Phone), some free, the majority at some cost (some as low as $1.50). Most paid apps (26 of them) have a free trial. Includes games, productivity software (you know the kind that makes people thing you are working at some desk somewhere but you are really at the beach “working”), entertainment (movies, tv, music), travel (translators,etc) and much more…

***For a limited time save 20% on your order by typing in the coupon/promo code on check out SAVE20NOW. (This works for all smart phone apps in case you have another type of phone as well.)

Some interesting examples of what is now offered for the G1 include:

Mobiola Video Studio: Watch your favorite Videos, DVD, YouTube, iTunes on mobile

Tetris: The global hit Tetris comes to Android! A touch screen lets you spin, flick and move Minos in three challenging modes. Clear lines and rows fast and score in wild 40 Lines mode.

Par 72 Golf: a realistic 3D golf game with three 18 hole courses. The game features hills, water, sand traps, and sloping greens.

Vegas Pool Sharks: a 3D pool game played against four predatory casino hustlers with increasing skill levels.

Fit Sync: Download and log FREE workouts on your device. Real-time charts analyze your performance. Connect, compare and share with FitSync® Widgets and Facebook feeds.

EasyTranslator is the fastest and easiest way to translate from one language to another. It allows you to perform any translation within seconds.

EasyTipper is the easiest way to split a bill and calculate the amount of tip per person. It can also calculate the amount of tip for drinkers and teetotalers

Apps for the T-Mobile G1: Now available at Handango

Free apps include:

Mobeegal - mobile search. redefined

aDialCode- tells you how to dial to a city from another city

A-Shopper: Manage your shopping list on Internet or on your Android device

mShare for Android: is a mobile file sharing application allow you to share files from mobile to mobile, mobile to computer, or computer to mobile. Free for first 2500 users***Note here- get in quickly as this free offer will not last.

Apps for the T-Mobile G1: Now available at Handango

Technorati Tags: Google phone, Gphone applications, smartphone applications, T-Mobile G1 applications

Her overall rating- She liked it.

First Person User Review by Eve Guo, courtesy of Alibaba.com

17 Oct 2008 02:36:13 GMT

T-Mobile G1, it goes on sale Wednesday.

The Google phone is now the second phone I’ve forced myself to put down so I could get some sleep.

The first was Apple’s game-changing iPhone.

What remains to be seen is if the Google phone will have the same impact that Steve Jobs’ beauty has had. I can say this: It deserves to be part of the same conversation as the iPhone.

The phone’s debut is significant because Google, like Apple, has the muscle to change an industry. The G1 is the first of what is expected to be many phones using Google’s Android open-source platform.

Is this G1 better than the iPhone? Well, are the Cubs better than the Sox?

The G1 is better if you like a physical keypad to tap out messages. If you’re enamored by the iPhone’s multitouch controls, the G1 may not impress you.

The G1 is an attractive phone, even if it is thicker and heavier than the iPhone. It’s intuitive too. In the week I’ve been testing it, I have yet to open the manual.

The G1 runs on T-Mobile’s new 3G network and is largely controlled by a touch screen, but not exclusively. There are three ways to navigate: touch, a keypad and a trackball. I completely overlooked the trackball at first. But when I handed the phone to my wife, a BlackBerry user, the first thing she did was use the trackball.

“BlackBerry users gravitate toward the trackball,” said Rhone Rarick, T-Mobile’s senior brand manager. “Younger consumers gravitate toward the keypad because they like to text a lot.”Four hard keys sit on the bottom of the phone. The keys are for making and ending a call, one for the home screen and a back button.

Activation was a snap: You’ll be prompted for a Google account if you don’t have one. My phone was activated and my contacts were downloaded onto the G1 in minutes.

The iPhone remains the sexier product. You won’t buy the G1 because it wins the beauty contest. But as Google’s first phone, it’s impressive.

THE GOOD

Touch screen: It’s very responsive and the best I’ve used outside of Apple’s multitouch screen.

Mulitimedia: It’s easy to add music, pictures and videos.

Browsing: The Web browser has a neat feature, called Window (hmmm), that shows four open Web pages at once. Tap on one to enlarge. Also, you can increase or decrease the size of a Web page with the touch of a finger.

The Android market: Like Apple’s App Store, it shows promise: There will be 50 third-party programs available at launch with more to come. I’ve downloaded several applications, including a faithful version of Pac-Man and one to watch the preparation of a recipe.

Compatibility: Works with Macs and PCs (but not iTunes) for media downloads.

THE BAD

Privacy: You need a Google account, which worries some privacy advocates.

Software: It cannot access Microsoft’s Exchange software, widely used in corporate America. Expect that to change as it did with the iPhone.

Headphone jack: The G1 does not include a standard headphone jack. You must attach the included headphones into a mini-USB port, the same one used to charge the phone. If you’re charging, you can’t listen to music. Plus, you can’t use third-party headphones to improve the average sound, a very un-Googly approach.

Technorati Tags: G1 price, G1 review, Google G1, Google phone, GPhone, smart phones, T-Mobile G1, tech highlight

Here is the skinny on the new Google G1 Phone. Take a look also at a companion post following this one, labeled Part 2 , which is a review from an editor at Alibaba.com who had a chance to use the phone and give her opinion on it (she liked it).

As many of you already know, Wednesday, October 22, the much anticipated T-Mobile G1 with Google, the first phone powered by Android, an innovative mobile software platform will be available to the public. T-Mobile is the exclusive service provider and existing T-Mobile are able to order their new G1 phone now.

The T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes popular Google services such as Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube and others.

Dimensions: 4.60” x 2.16” x 0.62”; Weight: 5.6 ounces; Display: 3.17 inches

Bluetooth enabled, GPS capabilities, voice recognition, voice dialing, speakerphone, GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi and UMTS/HSDPA, 850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100Mhz

Priced at $179.00 plus taxes and fees with 2 year T-Mobile plan

Check T-Mobile’s site for the 92 cities currently in the 3G network.

If you are not in one of those areas, your G1 phone will still work for most functions.

What it looks like:

Key Features of the T-Mobile G1 include:

* Intuitive user interface and hinged touch screen that slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard

* Convenient trackball for one-handed navigation

* Three color options in the U.S. - white, brown and black

* One-click contextual search to instantly find relevant information with a touch of a finger

* Full HTML Web browser and zoom function that expands any page section by simply tapping on the screen

* One-touch access to popular Google applications including Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube and others

* Google Maps provides map information, satellite imagery, local business info and driving directions as well as MyLocation to let users know where they are; Google Maps Street View syncs with the built-in compass on the phone – an industry first – to allow users to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with their hand

* Google Maps Street View for virtual street-level exploration while on the go

* Rich HTML email client, which seamlessly syncs e-mail from most other POP3 or IMAP mail services, including Gmail; displays photos and graphics right along with the text

* A beta version of Android Market for access to new, innovative software applications to personalize your device to fit your life from games, music and on-the-go shopping

· At-Launch Applications:

o ShopSavvy: designed to help people do comparative shopping

o Ecorio: developed to help people keep track of their daily travels and view what their carbon footprint looks like

o BreadCrumbz: enables people to create a step-by-step visual map using photos; customers can create their own routes, share them with friends or with the world

o Amazon MP3 Store (pre-installed on device): enables people to search DRM-free, full-track MP3 music and download that music from Amazon directly to their device using a Wi-Fi connection

· Built-in support for T-Mobile’s 3G (HSDPA) and EDGE network as well as Wi-Fi; T-Mobile G1 will seamlessly transfer between 3G and accessible Wi-Fi networks including T-Mobile HotSpot locations worldwide

· Built-in support for YouTube allows customers to enjoy the website’s originally-created content, easily navigate through YouTube’s familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos

· Built-in instant messaging client with support for Google Talk, AOL, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger

· Support for advanced text messaging features to easily flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of group conversations through threaded text messaging

· 3-megapixel camera with photo-sharing capabilities

· Music player supports MP3, M4A (iTunes AAC, DRM-free), AMR, WMA, MIDI, WAV, OGG Vorbis

· Pre-installed 1 GB Micro SD memory card that can hold approximately 500 songs (device supports up to an 8GB memory card)

· 11 pre-loaded songs including tracks from The Helio Sequence, Kinski and Flight of the Conchords

Embedded Video

See the next post for the Review of the G1 Phone courtesy of Eve Guo as published today on Alibaba.com.

Technorati Tags: cell phone, G1 price, G1 review, Google G1, Google phone, GPhone, smart phones, T-Mobile G1, tech highlights