Google unleashes unlocked G1 on developers
Good news if you're a developer itching to get your creative developer hands on a T-Mobile G1--and especially good news if you happen to be a developer who lives outside an area covered by T-Mobile. Google has announced a SIM- and hardware-unlocked version of the first Android smartphone.
To get an Android Dev Phone 1, you'll first need to register as an Android developer on the Android Market site, which entails a one-time setup fee of $25. Then the device will cost you $399 (free shipping here in the States). To accommodate demand, Google says it's one device per developer account--for now.
The device will be available for purchase in 18 international markets, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, Japan, India, Canada, France, Taiwan, Spain, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Poland, and Hungary. And more territories are on the way, Google says.
Now go build us some amazing apps, developers! Or if you're just pretending to be a developer to nab one of these, go enjoy your new unlocked smartphone!
The phone is $399, but shipping to Canada is $264 per phone!!
to Spain: $268
to India: $224
to France is a bargain at $183.
These are insane shipping rates for a phone!!!
If Google has it the way Google wants it, it seems, then let's see the list:
Google Home page.
Google Mail.
Google on-line word-processing.
Google 'phone ...
Plus other apps I'm not aware of ..
And all of this adding to the largest database in history ...
What's next?
Google credit cards?
And I used to think that MicroSoft was the elephant in the room ..
Mike.
What does it matter anyway. You aren't forced to use any of this stuff or locked into it even if you do. Meanwhile a smart phone will barely sell unless it can talk to Exchange and read Office documents as people have been silly enough to trust all email and electronic documents to MS...! It's mighty hypocritical to talk about Google which isn't even remotely in the same position unless you just and MS shill.
Just because all that is available from one company doesn't mean you're forced to use all those products from one company.
For devs, that means you can modify the Android OS and install it. I don't think you can do that with the commercial version.