T-Mobile reveals more details of the upcoming G2 Android device
Two years ago I was so excited about the launch of the first Android device, the T-Mobile G1, that I took a one day trip to New York to cover the launch event and then follow up with my most detailed review ever. A couple of weeks ago T-Mobile officially announced the G2, but revealed only a few select details and no photos of the upcoming device. Tonight, they rolled out all of the specification details and announced that the G2 will be available for pre-order for current T-Mobile customers later in September. This is the same way T-Mobile sold the G1, first to current T-Mobile customers, and then to everyone else. We still have no pricing information, most likely will be the now standard $199.99 smartphone price, and there is not yet any specific availability date.
The T-Mobile G2 will be the first HSPA+ device launched in the US and this offers a theoretical download speed of 14.4 Mbps. HTC makes the device, but it looks to have an updated Google interface and not one with the Sense UI. The updated interface has 7 home screen panels, integrated Google Voice with a Google Voice widget, and integrated Voice Actions in Google Search. Other pre-loaded applications include Google Maps with Places and Navigation, Google Talk, and Google Earth.
Specifications of the T-Mobile G2 include:
- Qualcomm MSM7230 Snapdragon processor running at 800 MHz
- Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system
- 3.7 inch capacitive touch display
- Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
- Integrated 4GB internal memory with pre-installed 8GB microSD card
- 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recording capability
- Swype text input keyboard
These are the specs many have been talking about for the last week or so and I have read many people questioning the use of an 800 MHz processor when there are 1 GHz models in current devices. We cannot judge this processor performance yet though since it is a new generation and may offer similar or faster speeds with better battery life so let's just wait and see how it performs when it is released.
I already have an HTC EVO 4G on Sprint that I am very happy with so I don't plan to pick up the G2 as I save up my T-Mobile upgrade eligibility for a Windows Phone 7 device that should be coming in the next couple of months.