After a fairly long delay, the first major publicly available implementation of Google’s [GOOG] Android SDK on a phone (the GPhone format) is finally unveiled as T-Mobile’s [DT] G1, also known as the HTC Dream.
In addition to the G1 itself, there’s also the Android Market, a software depot very similar to Apple’s [AAPL] App Store. Because the Android SDK has been available since its release as open source, plenty of developers have been able to muck with it for quite some time in fairly unrestricted ways. And, the usual suspects of Google software will be bundled or downloadable to the G1.
Even more enticing, at least for the Amazon Music Store fans out there, Amazon has announced that they will be making the ‘Music Store available on the G1. Cool beans!
Also reported is the mention that the G1 will be using Qualcomm’s dual-core MSM7201A chipset. Earlier, there were reports that some of the delay in producing any viable Android-based phone was somehow associated with chipset problems.
Is this the much-vaunted iPhone killer that everybody (other than Apple and its fans) has been seeking? Unfortunately, no. The photos of the G1 clearly show that it is a slider, but it lacks the sophisticated lines and styling that consumers expect from an advanced smartphone. For developers, hackers, and tinkers, though, the G1 is going to be a must-see.
But as the success of open source development and Google’s muscle has already shown us, there’s certainly an opportunity here. Especially if the copy-paste functionality is included and third party software support is alive and well. 
N.B.
Hey, is that “G1″, as in “Google-1″, perhaps? Who won that naming contest? 
Other external news articles associated with this post:
- CNET News – live blog coverage of the announcement
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