Android, G1, T-Mobile and more...

Today's tech news has been totally about the Android based G1 , a mobile phone based on the new open source mobile operating platform from Google. T-Mobile (in partnership with HTC and of course, Google) launched the world's first Android Phone today.

Thought the rumor mills have been working overtime for more than a year, the launch that happened today morning in NYC didn't even live up to half the expectations. That is compared to all the hoopla that has been surrounding the launch of the iPhone and the iPhone 3G.

Though the phone is attractively priced at 179 bucks, there are quite a few short comings of a top-notch phone. It is closed sim with T-Mobile and calls for a contract with them. I'm already with the carrier, so it remains to be seen what is the package that they are offering me for the switch. There have been a couple of powerful clients for Maps, GTalk and YouTube combined with ChromeLite - the mobile version of the Google Chrome browser that launched with great fanfare a couple of weeks ago.

Although the Google techies carefully avoided questions on what are the special offerings from the GApplications that are not on the iPhone, I'm curious. The main reason for this being open source and the powerful AppStore that they are coming up with. One of the major shortcomings that has been discussed vastly is the absense of Bluetooth and Camera Flash. On the positive side, it offers a full "Qwerty" keyboard in addition to the touch screen.

As of now, it is wait and watch until all the details unfold.

On a sidenote, here is the WTF article of the day from none other than CNN-IBN.



LOL! Wonder what is the state of affairs when such is the quality of the tech news from a supposedly top-notch news channel!!