August 5th, 2009
T-Mobile myTouch 3G available today for $199.99
T-Mobile today announced the national retail availability of the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Google Android smartphone, which can be had for $199.99 with two-year contract.
“National retail availability” as in T-Mobile retail and partner stores, as well as online.
In many ways, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G addresses the issues of the first Google Android-based smartphone, the T-Mobile G1 (which is also manufactured by HTC).
[Read Matthew Miller's hands-on review of the T-Mobile myTouch 3G]
The phone is highly customizable, both in look (skins, graphics, accessory bundles; hence “myTouch”) and in terms of software (widgets, wallpapers, icons and apps via Android Market), in part thanks to Google’s open-source Android mobile operating system.
[Read more reviews of the myTouch 3G on ZDNet Reviews]
T-Mobile has also launched AppPack, which is an app sampler that includes:
- Sherpa, created by Geodelic, Sherpa learns a person’s likes and dislikes through behavior and user feedback, prioritizing recommended retailers, restaurants and attractions. Sherpa features a learning machine that automatically customizes itself to the user’s preferences.
- imeem Mobile streams music customized to your tastes, recommending new songs and artists based on which songs you identify as your favorites.
- WorldTour offers live webcams from around the world.
- Phonebook offers an upgraded, more personalized phonebook for Android.
- FreshFace is a theme engine to further customize your myTouch.
- Movies by Flixster allows you to find friends who also want to see a movie or read reviews from friends who have already seen it.
Three T-Mobile applications will also be featured: T-Mobile My Account; T-Mobile Visual Voicemail; and T-Mobile Mobile Backup.
And naturally, Google’s Android offers one-touch Google service access, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, YouTube and Picasa.
The myTouch 3G is available in black, white and merlot.
Andrew J. Nusca is an associate editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet.
See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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