Android is here: T-Mobile G1 Introduction

T-Mobile introduced the first mobile device powered by Google's open source Android platform today. Recent rumors revealed many details of the handset, but information today confirmed that the G1 handset has a touchscreen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Missing from the handset is support for synchronization with your desktop computer or corporate Exchange servers, oversights that will likely put it at a disadvantage in the smart phone market. More after the break.

The supposed leaked pictures of the "HTC Dream" handset, now officially known as the G1, showed a plain white device dominated by a large touchscreen with full slide-out QWERTY. Those spy pics were spot-on and there are no surprises with the G1's hardware, though the official photos show a black version is available as well. It has a 3-megapixel camera with auto-focus, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth.

The G1 supports many of Google's online services; GMail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Talk will work seamlessly with the G1. If you are not a user of Google services you will feel the lack of desktop synchronization software, a staple of most smart devices.

The music software and web browser were shown in a demo video. The music software appears fully-featured, but not as visually appealing as what you'd find on the iPhone 3G. Without desktop synchronization software, music will need to be added to the device manually - it should appear as a mass storage device when connected to your computer. This means that there will be no synchronization of playlists, ratings and other information from your desktop music software, another feature that has been standard on other phones.

The web browser seems robust, with the ability to open multiple web pages at once and automatic linking to the Maps application for location information and more. Pictures on web pages can be sent via email straight from the browser. When asked if this was the Chrome browser, Google's response was "consider it Chrome Light."

The Q&A portion of the event yielded some very interesting information. Can the G1 act as a tethered modem for your computer? No. Can it work with Microsoft documents? It will be able to read PDF, Word, and Excel files, but it won't be able to edit them. Will it work with Exchange? No, but this is a "perfect opportunity for a 3rd-party developer." Is the G1 SIM-locked? Yes, it is SIM-locked to T-Mobile. Will it have stereo Bluetooth? Not yet, but it will have the headset and handsfree profiles. What are the push email capabilities? GMail will be push, all others will be fetch only. What's the target audience for this device? The G1 is more of a consumer device, not necessarily meant for enterprise use but some enterprise users are expected.

T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, on which the G1 will operate, is currently live in 16 markets and will be live in 22 markets at the launch of the G1. Beyond this, 3G will be available in 27 markets by the end of November.

The G1 will be available in the U.S. starting October 22 for $179 with a 2-year contract, and data plans start at $25. Current T-Mobile customers can pre-order it today. We're looking forward to receiving the handset for a thorough review.