T-Mobile on Tuesday launched the world's first Android-powered mobile phone in partnership with Google.

Available soon only for T-Mobile customers spanning two continents, the T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes the popular Google products that millions have enjoyed on the desktop, including Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube and others.
 
'We are proud that T-Mobile is the first operator in the world to launch an Android-powered mobile device,' said Christopher Schläffer, Group Product and Innovation Officer of Deutsche Telekom.

'Since 2005,Google has been an established partner in T-Mobile's groundbreaking approach to bringing the open mobile Internet to the mass market. With the T-Mobile G1 we are continuing our strong tradition of being pioneers in the world of the open Internet.'
 
Cole Brodman, chief technology and innovation officer, T-Mobile USA, said: 'The Internet and the mobile phone are both indispensable tools for our hectic lives, but only a fraction of us access the Web on our phones.

'The T-Mobile G1 is our opportunity in the US to accelerate the mass adoption of the mobile Web, by unleashing Google innovation with a unique software experience that mobilises the Google services hundreds of millions of consumers rely on every day.'
 
'Increasingly, connectivity does not just mean a phone call, but rather access to the world's information,' said Andy Rubin, senior director of mobile platforms for Google.

'Today's news signifies an important first step for the Open Handset Alliance: with Android, we've opened the mobile web not only for millions of users, but also to mobilise the developer community that understands the next most important platform in the world rests in the palm of our hand.'
 
With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the T-Mobile G1 is also the first phone to provide access to Android Market, where customers can find and download unique applications to expand and personalise their phone to fit their lifestyle.

T-Mobile customers in the US have the opportunity to pre-order the T-Mobile G1, in limited quantities, beginning today at www.T-MobileG1.com and be among the first to experience this game-changing phone.

The device will be available at select T-Mobile retail stores and online in the US beginning October 22, for a price of $179 with a two-year voice and data agreement.  The T-Mobile G1 will also be available in the United Kingdom beginning in November, and across Europe in the first quarter of 2009.

Countries include Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. - TradeArabia News Service