First look: G1

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. T-Mobile, Google and HTC unveiled the long-awaited Android phone at an event in New York on Tuesday, revealing pricing, availability and some of the initial applications and emphasizing that the software is open source. The phone will first become available in the US but a UK launch will follow shortly after. Starting October 22, US consumers will be able to buy the G1 for US$179. Users can subscribe to a limited data plan for US$25 a month or US$35 for unlimited data access. The G1 will go on sale in the UK in early November and other T-Mobile European markets in the first quarter next year.