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T-Mobile no longer accepting G2 pre-orders due to 'overwhelming demand'
Already got your pre-order in for the T-Mobile G2? Then you should count yourself lucky, as the carrier has updated its website for the phone with the short and sweet notice that "due to overwhelming demand, we're no longer accepting pre-orders for the T-Mobile G2." It does note, however, that you'll still be able to buy the phone online starting tomorrow (though there's no guarantee when it'll ship) or, of course, at your local T-Mobile store. Then again, you could also try your luck at a few stores today, considering that official October 6th launch date isn't exactly set in stone.
T-Mobile G2 on sale right now
West of the Rockies? Want a T-Mobile G2 before (practically) anyone else? You may be able to grab your HSPA+ handset right now. We had it on good authority that T-Mobile corporate decided to match Radio Shack and release the G2 three days early, but we got a pleasant surprise when we called to verify that fact -- several stores in California, Oregon and Washington state said we could buy one today if we wanted, and even those who didn't said they'd have it tomorrow if we could bear the wait. Of course, it's less than two hours to closing on the west coast and we can't guarantee the handsets are there -- so give them a call yourself -- and be sure to buckle up if you plan to rush out. It also couldn't hurt to read our full preview, of course, and if you grab one please do let us know how your hinges hold up. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
T-Mobile G2 gets an early unboxing
T-Mobile's official street date for the G2 is Wednesday next week, but we knew some pre-orderers would be getting the phone early, and it looks like we've already got an unboxing to show for it. Rugged, free-spirited tipster Silverwolfe did the honors, and even managed to size the phone up against the original G2 while he was at it. Check out a few shots below, or hit up the source link for the full gallery. %Gallery-103894%
RadioShack to sell T-Mobile G2 'first' starting on October 3rd
If you were proactive enough to pre-order a T-Mobile G2, there's a better-than-average chance that your shiny new smartphone is already en route to your abode. For those who slept in, it looks as if RadioShack will be the go-to place if you're looking to snag one early from the retail universe. According to the badly formatted flyer pictured above, The Shack will be the first B&M location to stock the US version of the HTC Desire Z, and it'll be hawking 'em for $149.99 on a two-year postpaid contract starting October 3rd. Got that penciled into your little black book? Good. [Thanks, Anonymous]
T-Mobile G2 preview
Well, well, well... would you look at what we found lounging around Best Buy's NYC holiday event! Yes, indeed, it's the T-Mobile G2 (the US version of the HTC Desire Z if you happen to think it looks familiar). After months of leaks and blurry shots we finally got to check out T-Mobile and HTC's G1 replacement, and it's got everything we've been waiting for -- a 3.7-inch display, Android 2.2, 4GB of internal memory, an 800MHz Snapdragon processor and a 5 megapixel cam with a flash. Oh, what's it like to use? That answer, dear friends, is after the break along with a hands-on video. %Gallery-103543%
T-Mobile G2 pre-orders go live for current customers, available to all on October 6
Just as promised, T-Mobile has started offering its subscribers that "exclusive access" to early G2 pre-orders. There have been a couple of early hiccups with the pre-order page for that select group, but they're being ironed out as we type and there's also word that the rest of us unwashed Android geeks will be able to join in on October 6. One of our tipsters forwarded along a bill for his purchase showing the phone to be valued at $249.99 and an estimated delivery date of September 30. That's quite the steep entry fee, considering Best Buy will have the phone on October 6 as well for just under $200 and Radio Shack is undercutting all with a $150 price on the typical two-year contract. [Thanks, Justin and Wei] Update: Our tipster's $250 levy is before the standard $50 mail-in rebate, making for the predictable $200 price when all's said and done.
HTC Desire Z hands-on (update: more pics and video)
We've just gotten to grips with HTC's luscious new Desire Z slider (you'll know it as the T-Mobile G2 in the US) and it is indeed a slab of finely crafted metal. That Z hinge that the company is touting feels pretty robust, requiring a reassuring amount of torque to get it to spring open. And it really is a spring, it flips from closed to open instantaneously. The QWERTY button array feels pretty terrific, giving us just the right amount of responsiveness, while separation between keys feels a lot more spacious than the images would lead you to believe. It's also worth noting that, exactly as HTC promised in its keynote, the Desire Z has one of the most accessible top rows in the slider smartphone business. We honestly didn't think there was a difference between typing on it versus any of the other rows. That's quite the feat, and easily positions this as the best competitor to Nokia's newly announced E7. Are we witnessing a QWERTY renaissance? We sure hope so. Check out the gallery below and hands-on video after the break. Update: Added a second video to demonstrate the Z's ridiculously fast startup and more under Android 2.2 Froyo.%Gallery-102286%
HTC finally throws T-Mobile G2 up on its site, lays out the final specifications
We've theoretically had nearly all of these numbers confirmed piece by piece, but there's something eerily comforting about HTC tossing it all together on a single page for our perusal. As anticipated, the HTC-built T-Mobile G2 will be powered by an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor, and it'll boast Android 2.2, 4GB of ROM, 512B of RAM, a 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen as well as a five megapixel camera with auto focus and flash. There's also aGPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and a 1300mAh battery, all of which may or may not cause you to drool. Hit the source link if you need to see for yourself. [Thanks, David]
T-Mobile G2 gets $150 price tag at Radio Shack
You didn't rush out and grab that Best Buy pre-order while it was still hot and steaming, did you? Radio Shack's decided to step up its charm offensive with any potential G2 owners in the best way possible: by chopping $50 off the upfront price for the handset via an instant rebate. So, Amazon et al, care to outbid this daring ploy for affection with your own discounts?
T-Mobile G2 retails for $199 on October 6th at Best Buy
Outside of confirming the phone's existence and predicting pre-orders this month, T-Mobile hasn't put out its own official price tag and launch date for the G2 yet, but that's apparently not stopping Best Buy from publishing its own version of upcoming events. Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile are accepting pre-orders for the phone as of today, and will launch the device in stores on October 6th for $199 with a two year contract. That doesn't rule out a higher price or some rebate shenanigans from T-Mobile's own retailing efforts (though $199 is the rumored official pricetag), but it's comforting to know that this phone, the great gray / white / black hope for QWERTY sliders running stock Android, will retail for the industry standard $199 at least somewhere.
T-Mobile G2 comes out from hiding, pre-orders begin later this month
At last, T-Mobile just went official with its G2 QWERTY slider. As expected, this Android 2.2 device ships with Qualcomm's MSM7230 Snapdragon silicon optimized for T-Mobile's HSPA+ network with an 800MHz CPU and second generation application co-processor. Other specs include a 3.7-inch screen, 4GB of internal memory with pre-installed 8GB microSD card (supporting up to 32GB cards), Swype keyboard, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and 720p HD video capabilities. Oh, and web browsing is supported by Adobe's Flash Player. Look for this successor of the T-Mobile G1 to go up for pre-orders sometime later this month. Update: T-Mobile has exposed a bit more of its G2. So, in addition to learning about a 1300mAh capacity battery and 4.7 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches / 6.5 ounce footprint, we're also seeing a footnote related to price: "†On approved credit. $125 down payment, plus 3 monthly payments of $125, required. 0% APR. Taxes & fees additional. Available only at T-Mobile-owned retail stores." Thing is, no pricing was announced so the footnote is premature to say the least. Nevertheless, it adds up to $500 before discounts and rebates. That alligns nicely with the rumored prices pegged at $199 with contract / $499 without. [Thanks, Ollie]
Confirmed: T-Mobile G2 will have Android 2.2, Flash and 800MHz CPU
T-Mobile is calling it "the fastest smartphone experience in America," but as it turns out, its Qualcomm Scorpion CPU is actually relatively slow -- the cellular carrier's insider newsletter T-Mobile Scoop says the phone's MSM7x30 chip will be clocked at 800MHz, rather than the 1GHz we'd hoped for. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that T-Mobile lying about speed, as anyone who's upgraded from Droid to Droid 2 very well knows -- bloatware can easily clog the pipes even on phones running Froyo, and we've heard that this particular HTC device is running a pure vanilla Android build. Speaking of delectable operating system revisions, T-Mobile confirms you'll indeed find Android 2.2 under the hood accompanied by Flash Player 10.1, as well as "one-touch quick keys" the carrier claims provide Speedy Gonzales-like access to apps and shortcuts. Still waiting to be confirmed: a $200 subsidized price, and the day we'll see it in stores. [Thanks, james_of_the_jungle] Editor's Note: It's important to keep in mind that the G2 seems to feature Qualcomm's next-gen MSM7x30 chipset, which can theoretically blaze. Of course, that all depends on firmware optimization, so let's keep our fingers crossed -- something tells us neither T-Mobile nor HTC have any interest in messing this one up.
T-Mobile G2 priced at $199 with contract, $499 without, by latest leak
Been wondering how much T-Mobile's first HSPA+ phone will set you back? Why, it's that most generic of all smartphone prices: $199 with a two-year commitment or $499 without. To be fair to T-Mo, the G2 was one phone that it could plausibly have upmarked to, say $249, as Sprint has done with the Epic 4G, but nope, it's landing squarely in the middle of the well beaten path to smartphone sales. There is the dreaded specter of a $50 mail-in rebate to deal with, but we doubt it'll be enough to dampen anticipation for what's looking like the next great Android slider phone.
T-Mobile G2 build flashes to other devices to great results, new widgets
Remember that T-Mobile G2 build that leaked out earlier this week? Even if you didn't, the ROM still managed to find its way onto other Android devices by way of some clever (if not elementary, dear Watson) hacking, and from that very binary comes some vivid imagery. Nothing too surprising or earth-shattering, unless of course you find a Google Voice widget absolutely mind-blowing. And if you do, well, you're welcome.
T-Mobile G2 build leaks out, points to potent MSM7x30 chipset?
What's inside the T-Mobile G2, aside from fancy hinges and an HSPA+ capable modem? We can't say for sure, but this week saw a zip file from China set the Android community astir with visions of vanilla frozen yogurt heaped high atop a stack of powerful silicon. Android Guys discovered an allegedly leaked G2 Android 2.2 build (sans Sense) at the website of one 911sniper, last seen outing supposed HTC specs left and right, and our old friend Cyanogen took it upon himself to have a peek inside. What should he find but references to Qualcomm's MSM7x30 chipset, with all the silky-smooth 720p multimedia playback that brings, as well as the remote possibility of dual-mode HSPA+ / LTE support if the "x" in "MSM7x30" turns out to be a "6." There's no telling whether any of this is legit at this point, but we dare to dream.
T-Mobile G2 gets a teaser site, will be network's first HSPA+ phone
It's called the G2, it'll run Android, and it's T-Mobile's first phone to ride those wannabe-4G HSPA+ airwaves. Those are the facts we have. As to the speculation, a previous roadmap leak and T-Mobile's own reps indicate it'll be a HTC-built handset set for a September release, while a careful eyeballing of that silhouette leads us to thinking it's the same device as the purported myTouch HD we've been seeing around here lately. Whatever it is, it's coming soon! [Thanks, Daniel]
