Employees over at Google didn’t experience a swell in their paycheck, but rather a “Dream Phone.” How many presents can you buy your family with a T-Mobile G1? Of course these G1s are not just your everyday run of the mill handsets, these have a special “droid” on the back to sweeten the deal. You can probably expect a lot of these “special edition phones” on Ebay in the next few weeks. This must be Google’s way of converting their team.

Google did manage to at least make these handsets unlocked so that team members can use any carrier they would like. There are a few countries that Google’s legal team could not “work their magic.” These countries include India, China, Brazil, Korea, Israel, Russia, Argentina, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Turkey, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Egypt, Chile, and the Ukraine. The employees in those countries will receive the cash equivalent (about $400) in their December paycheck. Google has even attached a Q&A to the letter for anyone who has any more questions.

The full employee letter:

Googlers,

The holiday bonus is a Google tradition – it’s a great way to thank everyone for their hard work. In the past, we’ve done this in cash. This year, we’ve decided to give Googlers a different kind of present – a Dream phone (this is the same device T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) markets as the G1). We’re really excited about getting the phone to more Googlers in more countries, and also seeing all the cool new things you do with it.

Shipping these special edition phones in such a short time frame (they were designed especially for Googlers with a ‘droid’ on the back) and making sure they would work anywhere in the world was no small feat. So a big thank you to the Android and Legal teams for making this happen. While these phones do not have SIM cards, they are unlocked so they can be used with the network provider of your choice. Plus – thanks to more fancy footwork from the Android team – they’ll work immediately as WiFi devices!

Sadly, despite all our best efforts, there are some countries – India, China, Brazil, Korea, Israel, Russia, Argentina, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Turkey, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Egypt, Chile, and the Ukraine – where even our legal team could not work their magic. Googlers in these countries will receive the cash equivalent of the phone in their December paychecks, which is about $400 USD. Overall though almost 85% of Googlers globally will be able to receive the phone – including the United States, Western and Central Europe, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and Japan.

The holiday gift team in your office will be sending out an email with logistical information on distribution shortly. We know that some of you are already on your holidays – don’t worry – your phones will be waiting for you when you come back! For more information, check out the FAQ here.

Some of you will of course be wondering why we decided to change from a cash bonus to the Dream phone. Here are the reasons. First, we’ve never developed anything like the Android software before and this represented a unique opportunity to celebrate that achievement. Googlers globally have been asking for the Dream phone and we’re looking forward to seeing all the different things that you do with them. This is a chance for us to once again dogfood a product and make it even better! Second, as we discussed in our email this week, the current economic crisis requires us to be more conservative about how we spend our money. We felt that giving the Dream phone would be a great holiday present – something we could all celebrate.

Thank you for all that you do to make Google the company that it is. We hope that you will enjoy using your Dream phone in 2009 and have a very happy holiday!

…and the Q&A that followed:

Q: What is the holiday bonus for 2008?
The holiday bonus is a Google tradition. In the past, we have chosen to make this a monetary gift. This year we decided to try something different: on December 19th, we will begin distributing free Dream phones to Googlers worldwide.

Q: I already have an Android phone. What happens to my holiday bonus?
These phones are a personal gift. We hope you will put them to good use! Please do not resell them as this is against Google [policy link removed].

Q: Why did we decide to give Dream phones as our holiday bonus this year?
The launch of Android was one of this year’s highlights for the company. When the Android phone was announced, Googler interest was extremely high – we had scores of TGIF questions, misc threads, and just general buzz about how Googlers could get a phone of their own. After seeing the amount of interest in the Android phones from Googlers, we agreed that every Googler should have one.

Q: Will all Googlers get phones?
It was a huge task to ensure that the phones would work around the world and we want to thank the Android team and Legal team for making this happen. We’re proud to say that almost 85% of Googlers globally will receive Dream phones, including Googlers in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and Japan.

Q: I’m not getting a Dream phone because I don’t live in an eligible country. Do I still get a holiday bonus?
Yes, Googlers who live in countries where it was not currently feasible to distribute Dream devices will be getting a cash equivalent gift in your paycheck in December. This includes people in India, China, Brazil, Korea, Israel, Russia, Argentina, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Turkey, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Egypt, Chile, and Ukraine. For more information, please see [removed].

Q: I do live in an eligible country. Can I opt for the cash equivalent gift instead?
Only those Googlers in countries where it was not currently feasible to distribute Dream devices will be getting the cash equivalent gift. All other Googlers will receive a Dream phone.

Q: Can I resell my phone?
Googlers should not resell any item given to them by Google. Please review our Personal Transactions policy [removed].

Q: Will I be able to take my SIM from my Google managed Corporate Mobile device (BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM)) and use it in my new Dream phone?
No, this is against policy and Google could incur significant overage charges. Placing a Blackberry SIM into a Dream device may cause the data plans to be disabled and break data for both the Dream and the Blackberry. Please review [link removed] for more info.

Q: Are there tax implications to this?
Google is covering the taxes for this gift; there will be an extra payroll run before the end of the year to cover the taxes. If you have further payroll or HR-related questions about this gift please email [address removed].

Given the great anticipation and the heavy pre-sale demand for the T-Mobile G1 with Google, we nearly tripled the number of phones initially available for delivery on our Oct. 22 launch date, and have sold through them all.  However, to accommodate additional T-Mobile customers who want to pre-order a device, they now have the opportunity to place a pre-order through Oct. 21, for delivery at a later date.

Also, people can still pre-register on the T-Mobile G1 Web site to be notified prior to launch where they can purchase the device beginning Oct. 22.  Details are available on the T-Mobile G1 Web site, www.T-MobileG1.com.

UPDATE: T-Mobile customers who want to pre-order a device, they now have the opportunity to place a pre-order through Oct. 21, for delivery sometime in early November 10th time frame.

Thanks Kristen, T-Mobile Spokesperson

“We have completed tests, and the new SanDisk 16GB card will run on the current version of Android.  No new firmware required.” -Google Spokesperson

SanDisk’s 16GB microSDHC card has an MSRP of $99.99 and will be available at Best Buy Mobile stores in October and Verizon Wireless stores in November – the only major retailers in the United States to carry this mobile storage capacity in 2008.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_JAehcnKYQ[/youtube]

The G1 phone was quick and responsive as when we played with it at the launch event last week. We were able to get hands on time with the full version of ShopSavvy. We scanned a barcode (for demonstration purposes, a Logitech webcam) and were able to compare prices online as well as at many stores in the area.

No word on when the application will be released, or if it will be a free application or one in which you must purchase. We can imagine it would be particularly useful for all the Christmas shopping coming up over the next few months.  One particularly useful feature is price alert, allowing you to save products to a wish-list that updates you when the product is discounted into your pre-set price range. Check out the video interview we did with Big In Japan here.

Android comes full of much loved features such as Youtube, and the Android equivalent to iTunes “Amazon MP3″. The clean interface on these applications give them the edge over competitors applications of the same nature. Google’s new mobile version of Street View is a feature that all people will find useful. Visa has been at work creating an application that will offer account notifications, merchant offers and ATM locations.

It appears that the white G1 was held back from pre-orders, rumor is the white paint used to coat the device was chipping. The white version was even scarcely seen at T-Mobile’s G1 announcement. The G1 “Getting Started” guide got out a few weeks early revealing a lot more about the device including the box contents. Also released this week was the long awaited official Android SDK 1.0. Not much new to see in this polished version.

Photo of the dressed up Android is courtesy of Android Community’s member htc_dreamer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kngcp0ooDig[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3omdLHn6YM[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSCOGxh5LEk[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZoxIqZtYJ4[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POI1n0v-GDA[/youtube]

“The T-Mobile G1 microsite experienced a technical glitch this morning, and is now back up and running.  Since Tuesday’s announcement, we’ve experienced heavy demand for the device.  A small quantity of T-Mobile G1s are still available at this time for T-Mobile customers. Please visit http://www.T-MobileG1.com for details.” -thanks Kristen!

Note that there are only a small quantity of the T-Mobile G1s are available.  That means if you want a G1, you better hurry because T-Mobile is running out!

With the overwhelming response to the announcement of the T-Mobile has run out of available devices for the G1 pre-order. Hundreds of people immediately jumped on T-Mobile’s site to pre-order their device. So many in fact that the site was down for several hours.

Very quickly users came forth reporting that customer service representatives were stating there was a very limited supply. Three days after pre-orders started it has been confirmed that there are no more devices available for a pre-order. There is no word on production levels, nor whether dealers will have any models on hand come the official release. Rumors of the white G1 experiencing paint chipping seem very possible with the lack of the white model for pre-order.

Those who have not yet pre-ordered their T-Mobile G1 may not be able to purchase the device from their local T-Mobile store if they are not within the 3Gcoverage area. It seems many dealers do not know any more than anyone else about the situation. I wonder if the G1 will be plagued with short supply.

When users call in to try and order the white G1 not only are they told there are under 1,000 devices left for pre-order, but the white model is not for sale as of yet due to paint chipping. Sounds like we are having another Helio Kickflip issue. Ironically the device’s paint would start to chip and peel to reveal a white plastic.

Hopefully the white model will be available for purchase very soon as its popularity raises. This issue must have dramatically reduced pre-order supplies. For those who are planning on ordering the G1 before October 22nd and don’t mind black or brown act now, supplies are very limited and you haven’t much time.

[Via Android Community]

There does not seem to be too much to rave about the settings menu other than the clear settings descriptions helping the user know what each setting category is about. The layout includes a symbol to the right of each option that quickly and easily informs the user as to wither a specific settings is on or not. The “about” page includes a lot of detailed information about your device and usage including Battery Status, Battery Level, Signal Strength, Network and Kernel Version to name just a few.

Similar to iTunes for the iPhone, Google is offering a vast library of songs for download while on the go thanks to a collaboration with Amazon. Users who currently use Amazon will find the interface familiar; the layout is very simple in comparison to iTunes. Song descriptions include the artist, album cover art, album, song name rating. Amazon even allows a brief preview of each song before you purchase.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kngcp0ooDig[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSCOGxh5LEk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3omdLHn6YM[/youtube]

The G1 includes GPS and AGPS. It does not currently support walking directions, but that feature is “very forthcoming”. Google has redefined navigation on handsets with the drag and drop directions feature as well as Street View. Being able to see an unfamiliar location before you get there is a dramatic improvement on the way we use our phones to navigate the streets. Street View also allows you to look down the street, move down the street and also zoom in and out with amazing clarity.

Perhaps the most amazing feature of Street View if the compass feature that allows you to look around the street view in full 360 degrees by simply turning your body. This is truly something that one must experience for themselves to fully get the realization of how advanced this is. It is almost like looking through a spyglass.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZoxIqZtYJ4[/youtube]

I, as did most of our forum users, hoped for a brown G1 similar to the early brown Zune. This was not the case here. The brown is a very light, faded shade, almost a grey in fact. It has the same soft touch casing as the black version. It is unclear as to weather the keyboard is a different color, as we saw in the black and white model.

I’m curious to know which your color favorite is.  The black looks slick, but the white has been surprisingly popular too.  Let me know in the comments.

The first core is a speciality core dedicated solely to phone functionality such as making phone calls.
The second core is a general purpose core intended for applications, in order to accommodate more application processing load. The end result should be less lag due to overloaded phone processors.

According to the tip, clock speed for both cores will be the same. Because of this, overclocking the G1 will not have much of an increase in performance. There are reportedly still some problems with the multi-core setup that, under specific situations, may cause the phone to crash; Qualcomm is apparently “working around the clock” to fix the drivers at the root of this.

At the top is a navigation bar including “T-Mobile Sites”, “Shop”, “locate” and “Support”. While the site does not actually give you any details it does hint at a lot. The information as well as full announcement coverage is not up yet. The tabs read:

• Overview
• Announcement
• Features
• Headlines
• About 3G
• FAQ’S

As you click on the different buttons a message reads, “All site content and information about the T-Mobile G1™ with Google™ will be available shortly after the press conference is complete allowing just enough time for media to break the story..” It appears no one will be able to view anything in detail till the end of the event.

About 3g will most likely display a map of T-Mobile’s new 3G coverage area, including more to come. T-Mobile has been working tirelessly at getting up a large 3G network in preparation for this very phone. As the hours of the announcement draws ever nearer we all will be tuning in to see the premier of the first Android powered handset to be released into the world.

To be in with a chance of winning, you’ll need to be a registered user and logged into the forum during the live blog. (http://live.androidcommunity.com). Sound simple? The winner will be selected at random and announced via the Live Blog. A notification will be sent out to the registered email of the user account, making it very important that the email address listed in your profile is correct. The winner then has 5 minutes to post in this forum to claim their prize.

If the first winner doesn’t speak up within five minutes (based on the forum clock), we’ll pick another member at random and the process will start again. We’ll continue until we have a winner!

T&Cs: Android Community’s decision is final, no correspondence will be entered into and there is no cash alternative. Android handset is dependent on availability; winner may be responsible for charges,
subscriptions or taxes in connection with service. Competition limited to the US only. Prize includes cost of the T-Mobile G1 Device only. Does not include service or discounts, and you must be of legal age to sign relevant carrier contracts.

Winner agrees to participate in publicity on, but not limited to, Android Community, which could include name and photographic likeness. If you do not wish to take part in the competition, please send a message to Community Manager Shawn Brown with the text “T-Mobile G1 Competition OPT OUT.

It also confirms the handset’s name – the T-Mobile G1.  Up until now the device had been referred to as “T-Mobile’s first Android-based device”.

There is still no word on pricing; the current rumors suggest $199, but that may not necessarily refer to the pre-registration price for existing subscribers.  T-Mobile have scheduled a launch event for the G1 on September 23rd, which Android Community will be Live Blogging at http://Live.AndroidCommunity.com/

[via Engadget]

The cellphone we expect to see officially unveiled is HTC’s Dream, which is believed to be branded the T-Mobile G1.  The September 23rd event ties in with the previously leaked suggestion that the carrier would be announcing their Android handset on this date, with availability by the end of October.

Both T-Mobile and Google executives will be presenting the G1, and we’ll have all the details as they happen.  The Live Blog address is http://Live.AndroidCommunity.com/ so join us on September 23rd!

No suggestion has been made of the handset’s price, or whether specific tariffs will be rolled out for data access. T-Mobile UK currently offer a “web’n'walk” package for unlimited on-device mobile internet access, priced from £7.50 a month ($13). T-Mobile USA is rumored to offer two plans for the G1, one at $35 providing unlimited data & messaging, and a cheaper $25 plan that includes 400 messages.

[via Talk Android]

Looking over the images, I’m not terribly surprised by it’s appearance since we’ve already seen a leak diagram a few days back.  Just as expected, the G1 phone will come in white with T-Mobile brand across the top.  The display slides up to reveal a five row full QWERTY keyboard.  There’s a dedicated Menu button, a phone button, home, back and end call button.  As expected the G1 features a jogball similar to what we’d find on a Sidekick.

The G1′s specs and features are still unknown but it is rumored to sport a 528Mhz Qualcomm 7201 processor; Data kit for USB connectivity in the box; 64128MB Internal RAM; 128256MB Internal ROM, 1GB MicroSD card; Dedicated camera button; 3.1MP camera (no flash) 2048 x 1536; Video playback files – H.264, streaming, 3GPP, MPEG4, and Codec 3GP and a Dedicated YouTube Player.  Yes, I agree the memory is really low, but this is still a rumor so take it with a grain of salt.

Also, the rumor going around the Internet is that T-Mobile is set to launch in less than 8 weeks. On October 13th, 2008 you can get the G1 phone for the subsidized price of $199; this price is instant with no mail in rebates.  Furthermore, existing T-Mobile subscribers “should” expect to be able to pre-order the G1 phone on September 17th. Customers who pre-order the G1 will receive it on launch day! Unfortunately, only postpaid customers with 22 months of tenure for people on a 2-year contract or 11 months of tenure for people on a 1-year contract will be able to pre-order it. Employees, FlexPay or Prepaid customers will not be able to pre-order it either.

[Engadget Via Gizmodo]

The cellphone we expect to see officially unveiled is HTC’s Dream, which is believed to be branded the T-Mobile G1.  The September 23rd event ties in with the previously leaked suggestion that the carrier would be announcing their Android handset on this date, with availability by the end of October.

Both T-Mobile and Google executives will be presenting the G1, and we’ll have all the details as they happen.  The Live Blog address is http://Live.AndroidCommunity.com/ so join us on September 23rd!

Sept 16, 2008 -Vincent Nguyen

—

The Android Guys managed to get their mitts on the first real drawings of the T-Mobile G1. The images reveal a lot more information that we’ve only been able to speculate on up until now.

The most notable part of the T-Mobile G1 is the “chin”. It’s located towards the bottom of the handset where the jogball and buttons are located. This design doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever. The slide up display and the chin alone will drive case makers mad! I hope for the sake of the G1′s longevity that the outer shell is well-built from scratch-resistant material.

Other exterior markings include “with Google” located on the back of the G1, while the HTC logo and the T-Mobile myFaves logo live underneath the slide up display. As the Android Guys pointed out, I’m happy to see HTC branded on the Dream phone since they’re the first to go to market so heck yes, they deserve to show off their brand.

The most important part of the engineering diagram is the sizing. Based on the dimensions given, we can calculate that the thickness of the G1 is approximately 0.64-inches or 16.35mm. This isn’t bad considering the iPhone is 12.3mm thick, without a flip-out screen section. We’re still unsure of the display’s dimensions, but we can hope that it’ll at least match the iPhoneís 3.5-inch screen.

T-Mobile G1 specs/feature update – NOTE: the list is speculative and can change at anytime.

Other specs AndroidGuys reported later via anonymous sources said the device will sport a 528Mhz Qualcomm 7201 processor; Data kit for USB connectivity in the box; 64128MB Internal RAM; 128256MB Internal ROM, 1GB MicroSD card; Dedicated camera button; 3.1MP camera (no flash) 2048 x 1536; Video playback files – H.264, streaming, 3GPP, MPEG4, and Codec 3GP and a Dedicated YouTube Player.

So, what’s the connection?  T-MobileAtHome.com, Sidekick.com, T-MobileShadow.com, among others is all hosted by LogicWorks.  By adding the Name Servers to the domain T-MobileG1.com, I believe it’s only a matter of time before T-Mobile officially announces the G1 Android phone.

Another conclusion I’ve arrived at: T-Mobile plans to offer at least four more generations of gPhones after the G1.

The cellphone we expect to see officially unveiled is HTC’s Dream, which is believed to be branded the T-Mobile G1.  The September 23rd event ties in with the previously leaked suggestion that the carrier would be announcing their Android handset on this date, with availability by the end of October.

Both T-Mobile and Google executives will be presenting the G1, and we’ll have all the details as they happen.  The Live Blog address is http://Live.AndroidCommunity.com/ so join us on September 23rd!

Sept 16, 2008 -Vincent Nguyen

—

Further details about how T-Mobile’s preorder system for the Android-powered HTC Dream – aka T-Mobile G1 – have leaked, courtesy of some internal carrier documents that TmoWorld claim to have received.  They apparently confirm several dates, including an official HTC Dream launch on October 13th.  However, on October 17th T-Mobile will begin taking pre-orders from existing customers, using an exclusive online site.

Only postpaid customers will be eligible to preorder; FlexPay, Prepaid or T-Mobile employees will have to wait for the Dream to go to general availability.  Existing customers must be at least 22 months into a 2-year contract, or 11 months into a 1-year contract, in order to upgrade.  The preorder period will end on October 3rd at 5pm, and buyers will receive their HTC Dream (aka G1) on October 13th.

Preorder price is an apparently confirmed $199 (following an instant rebate) and will be billed to customers’ accounts; an $18 upgrade fee will also be charged. A new 2-year contract will be required, together with an unlimited data plan similar to that on the iPhone.  T-Mobile will offer two such plans, one at $35 providing unlimited data & messaging, and a cheaper $25 plan that includes 400 messages.  As rumored, customers will also need a GMail account in order to set up the phone.

TmoWorld’s documentation lists the following specifications for the handset, which will be available in black, white or brown.  GPS is an obvious omission, but hopefully “Maps” is a less than clear way of referring to that.  Previous versions of the HTC Dream prototype have included GPS functionality.

- Touch Screen
- Full Qwerty keyboard
- 3G/ WiFi
- Full HTML internet capabilities
- Easy access to all Google applications (Gmail, Gtalk, search)
- Maps
- Street view
- You Tube
- Phone
- IM/Text
- Email
- Camera 3.0mp
- Video (playback only, no recording)
- Music player & 1GB memory card pre-loaded
- Applications, all available in Google marketplace (icon on the homescreen)