Android-equipped G1 phone confirmed for European spread

by Stevie Smith - Jan 20 2009, 13:00

Having initially made the trans-Atlantic jump from the United States to the United Kingdom in October of 2008, Google’s new G1 handset is now set to make more of an impression across mainland Europe.

More specifically, German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom’s has announced it will begin selling the Android-equipped phone through its T-Mobile wireless unit in the next few weeks, according to a Reuters report.

In outlining the imminent European spread of the G1, T-Mobile CEO Hamid Akhavan explained that the HTC-made handset will be introduced in Holland, the Czech Republic and Austria from January 30, while Germany will take stock on February 02 and Poland will receive units before March.

In adding a little polish to the imminent European launches, Akhavan hailed the G1 as the most successful phone ever sold in the United States, adding that T-Mobile has already sold “several hundred thousand” units since release and that sales “have clearly exceeded our expectations.”

Presently, the G1 sells in the United States for $179 USD alongside a mandatory two-year service contract. According to T-Mobile USA, it had sold approximately 400,000 units of the phone by the close of 2008.

In something of a marked reduction when compared to its pricing in the U.S. market, the G1 will go on sale in Germany for a single Euro when combined with a two-year service contract.

Engineered by Google and the Open Handset Alliance, the open-source Android software platform has been designed so that developers and designers can create applications and services that don’t need to be rewritten to obtain compatibility with different hardware. 

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