The Android handset unveiled by T-Mobile, Google and High Tech Computer (HTC) in New York on Tuesday is only available in English, but will be available in most other languages within the next six months, an indication of how long it will take to reach new markets.
Engineers from Google and High Tech Computer (HTC) spent three years developing Android software and handsets before the launch of the G1 by T-Mobile on Tuesday, an executive from HTC said.
The first Android phone looks a lot like the fuzzy pictures that have surfaced online for months, with a touch screen similar to the iPhone and a full slide-out keyboard.
Even though three companies hosted the launch event and the software is backed by a consortium, the introduction of the first Android phone made it very clear that Android is about one company: Google.
The new T-Mobile G1 wireless phone, announced Tuesday by T-Mobile USA, Google and HTC, generated attention for its use of the open Android platform, but it will be locked to the T-Mobile USA network and it doesn't appear to be heavily focused on business users.
Tuesday marks the long-awaited introduction for US customers of the first phone running Google's Android software, but some experts warn phone users not to get their hopes up too high.
In yet another example of Google's expanding influence, the search company's co-founder, Sergey Brin, said he expects the new Chrome browser to eventually become part of the Android wireless phone platform, which is under separate development by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google.
Google unveiled on Thursday its plans for a store where mobile users can find Android applications, a concept similar to the iPhone's App Store.
Google dropped Bluetooth and the GTalkService instant messaging APIs (application program interfaces) from the set of tools for the first version of the mobile phone OS, Android 1.0, according to the Android Developers <a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>.
While developers have been hard at work building Android applications that can use GPS (Global Positioning System), Wi-Fi and cameras, they just discovered they likely won't be able to offer applications that use one common mobile phone feature: Bluetooth.
Developers of Android, the Linux mobile platform spearheaded by Google, are asking security experts for input.