The first ever Android phone, the T-Mobile G1 by HTC, has finally been removed from T-Mobile’s online and brick-and-mortar stores, marking the end of an era.
Android’s first smartphone launched in September, 2008.
Frankly, it was only a matter of time before T-Mobile decided to drop the device as its 528 MHz processor, 3.2 inch display, and Android 1.6 OS are obsolete. The phone is also bulky.
While you can root your G1 to have Android 2.1 Eclair, it never ran as fast as you would hope, as the device was not made to handle the new software updates.
The G1’s likely replacement is the HTC G1 Blaze, which has an expected September 9th release date. The phone will have a 1GHz processor and a 3.7-inch screen, along with a full QWERTY keypad.
Result for: matter of time
Yesterday, we reported that four popular movie theaters in New York City had announced the ticket prices for the upcoming Shrek Forever After and for the first time ever, the IMAX 3D prices had reached the $20 threshold.
The theaters reported were the AMC Kips Bay, AMC Loews 34th street, AMC Loews Lincoln Square, and the AMC Empire 42nd street.
AMC now says the prices were incorrect, however, and the any online buyers who purchased for $20 can “visit guest services for a refund.”
Reads the company’s statement: “Unfortunately, a limited number of theaters posted incorrect pricing for ‘Shrek Forever After,’ which we immediately corrected. Any guest who purchased a ticket at the incorrect price can visit guest services for a refund.”
I can confirm the price retraction, as checking the Lincoln Square theater, I was told the price was $19 for the showing.
While we may have not hit the $20 price point yet, at $19 now and rising, it is only a matter of time.
Result for: matter of time
After just 18 months, the Android Market has hit its latest milestone, 50,000 apps available in the marketplace.
The company reported in December 2009 that it the store had reached 16,000 apps.
By mid-March 2010, the store had doubled its apps available to 30,000.
The stats site AndroLib says the breakdown of the 50,000 apps, in terms of free vs. paid, is 59 percent to 41 percent, the closest number is recent memory.
In comparison, the Apple App Store hit 50,000 in 12 months, and now sits at around 190,000.
Adds Asad Rafi of Android Spin: “With this rapid increase in the number of applications with in such a short time period, it will only a matter of time before the Android market will cross 100,000 application mark.”
