After months of rumor and speculation, T-mobile and Google have officially launched the HTC-built G1 smartphone -- codename: Dream -- which is the first device to operate on the search giant's open Android platform. As expected, the quad-band GSM / HSPDA handset features a 480 x 320, 3.17-inch touchscreen -- the same resolution as the iPhone -- along with WiFi, a 3.1-megapixel camera, and pre-loaded 1GB microSD card. Many of the bundled applications were also known (as were both the T-mobile and Android Markets), though the demo highlighted certain options of the GPS-enabled Google Maps, such as the ability to dynamically orient the screen based on compass bearing, and unveiled others, like the built-in Amazon MP3 store. However, a question-and-answer session revealed that the $179 QWERTY slider would not ship with a desktop syncing application or Exchange support at its October 22nd release, and that either a $25- or $35-per-month data and messaging plan would be required on top of a two-year contract. Also, while the phone will indeed be SIM-locked in an attempt to restrict use to the T-mobile network, the provider assured consumers that 22 metro areas would be covered by its new 3G network at launch, with a total of 28 blanketed by year's end.

[Via Engadget and Gizmodo]