The first cell phone running Google Inc.’s mobile software looks something like Apple Inc.’s iPhone and has a large touch screen, but it also packs a trackball, a slide-out keyboard and easy access to Google’s e-mail and mapping programs. Google’s G1 may appeal more to technophiles than the average consumer because of its open-source platform, which allows anyone to develop programs for the device.

T-Mobile’s phone, an HTC Dream (a.k.a. G1), is expected to be available to consumers at the end of October. Its arrival after months of anticipation among technophiles promises to reinvigorate the smartphone market and to provide a mobile application platform to rival Apple’s iPhone.

The device, which was developed by device manufacturer HTC, has many of the features commonly seen on many of smartphones on the market, including a touchscreen with drop-and-drag capabilities, a pull-out QWERTY keyboard, and a host of Web-based applications for maps, music and instant messaging.

Google, owner of the world’s most-used Web-search engine, aims to capitalise on that popularity in mobile devices, whose ad sales may double in the US in the next year. Users must have a Google account to operate the phone.

Features:

Date and Pricing
$179 on October 22nd. (That’s with a two year contract.) Unlimited internet with “some messaging” will run $25/month. Unlimited internet and messaging is $35/month. Data plans will require voice plans.

Screen
The G1 sports a 3.17″ 65K color touchscreen with HVGA (480×320) resolution.

Battery Life
Talktime upto 5 hours, standby for 130 hours.

Camera
3.1MP, or right around 35mm 4×6 print quality.

Frequency Fun
GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi and UMTS/HSDPA
850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100Mhz

Dimensions
4.60” x 2.16” x 0.62”; Weight: 5.6 ounces. And available in white, black and brown colors.

Storage
1GB MicroSD card preinstalled. Supports 8GB MicroSD.

Google Maps
G1’s Maps application will integrate Street View so you can see where you are going. But in an industry first, a built-in compass orients the map to your position. North is always up!

The comparison to the iPhone is inevitable. Even though Andy Rubin, Google’s senior director of mobile platforms, refused to say the word “iPhone” at the launch, it was clear that people were thinking about the other phone from the Cupertino, Calif.-based company.

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