Posted by Christa | Posted in OpenSource | Posted on 23-09-2008
The first Android phone was officially announced today at a T-Mobile press conference and is available for preorder by existing T-Mobile customers for shipping on October 22nd, the official public launch date. Announced price is $179 so I quickly signed into T-Mobile to order my G1 that I have desperately been waiting for. Clicking through the upgrade process I am quoted a *discounted* price of…. $299!!!? What?! T-Mobile says this is a special price just for T-Mobile customers. Apparently, T-Mobile only wants new customers. In case you mention that perhaps I haven’t had my contract long enough, I have seen more than a few Twitter posts about customers who are being told they are eligible for an upgrade and still being quoted $299.
I hope this is a mistake because I really would like to get a G1 but I am just not going to pay more for my T-Mobile loyalty. Another thing, if I am paying “full price” with only an online ordering discount, I shouldn’t be locked into a 2 year contract since I am not getting a discount for it. Dirty dealing T-Mobile.
Posted by Christa | Posted in OpenSource | Posted on 15-08-2008
The touch screen, the keyboard, the hotness, the open source. My long wait for a hot phone may be nearly over. CrunchGear is reporting that the video below of the alleged HTC Dream running Android may be the actual phone after all. So much for the haters.
“…the first version of the multimedia Google Phone will be released by HTC starting on September 17 for one week, for T-Mobile customers only. This offer will be immediately followed by a general release a week later. It will be called, ostensibly, the G1.”
T-Mobile offering a special early release to their current customers, with or without discount, would play perfectly into their customer base who tend to be faithful and loyal to the cellular provider.
While some may be wary of being an early adopter for a brand new mobile interface, I for one look at the potential of being able to work with something that isn’t locked down and closed source as the iPhone is. At least I won’t have to modify firmware to make it work.
Regardless as how it plays out, I am saving my lunch money in anticipation for the Android phone. Now I can stop scouring the market for an old beat up, overpriced iPhone to jailbreak & unlock while I wait for T-Mobile to release something better than their current Sidekick 2008 dud.
