So, here we are, the waiting is over: the day after the press conference arranged by T-Mobile at new York, we can enjoy the official images and videos of the first "gphone" or, if you prefer, the first phone powered by Android, the platform proposed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. After the first impressions coming from the brillant show effectively arranged by the USA division of T-Mobile for the press and for all the techno fans which populate the online world, we can take a break and reflect on the impact of what was officially announced.
For sure, we are not just talking about a new model among the many conventional cellular phones that crowd the market. Why ? What are the special aspects of the T-Mobile G1 made by HTC (also kwnown as HTC Dream) ?
Absolutely nothing, if you look at the technical specifications offered by this device (by the way all the rumored characteristics which were speculated in the past weeks have been confirmed): all you can find in it should be considered as standard if you address a high-level mobile PDA. HTC itself makes available a lot of models with similar hardware characteristics. Or rather, if you look in depth at the features of G1, you can realize that something which we are used to consider as usual is missing: in primis the lack of support for bluetooth (due to some delays on the Android's API) but also the lack of support of the activesync protocol (are you really surprised that the first gphone does not consider a proprietary technology of Microsoft ? 
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So, definitely, nothing really special as far as the hardware is concerned, neither from the point of view of proprietary technologies of the mobile world. What make the G1 so appealing is the approach dealing with the presence of Android: it is an OPEN HANDSET; and it is open first of all because Android aimed to be the first widely supported operating system for mobile phones opensource (don't forget that the Open Handset Alliance is composed by many vendors, chip manufactures and mobile operators, spread worldwide). Moreover, Android is developers friendly, since the first day of its birth (SDK was released as soon as the platform was announced).
Are these two aspects really important ? yes they are.
People that will buy the G1 are people who are still searching for a phone suitable to host their preferred applications as well as a web browser that is able to support all the basic technologies which are considerd standard on the web browsers for desktop PCs (flash videos, widgets, etc.). Using the official slogans, G1 is for someone who needs or wants fast intenet access on the go, someone who wants an all-in-one device for music, Web and messaging, someone who wants the latest in mobile applications.
For all the rest, the phone seems to be enough appealing (not as much trendy and fashionable as the Apple iphone, we should admit) to find the consensus of the internet users, the same users which, don't forget, usually spend time away from their desktop PCs, and look for devices which are really usable for accessing the same applications and tools than the ones when online.
Carriers (or mobile operators, as named in Europe) are requested to do their part: by offering flat rates data plan cheap enough that everybody will be disposed to pay for it in order to be always online and always connected.
You can discuss about specific features and share information on T-Mobile G1 phone by taking advantage of the forum here. Developers are already exchanging ideas and advices on Android as well, on the other forums available.
In the meantime, you can find hereunder the official promotional videos of the HTC Dream.
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