T-Mobile released the new G1 Google phone here in the Netherlands. Already had a long standing plan with T-Mobile, so ordering this thing and extending my plan was a no-brainer (now that I know I will be in the Netherlands for the forseeable future).

It was a bit of a toss up between the Iphone and the G1.  Most compelling features for me in opposition here where:

– Multi-touch screen (Iphone)
– Full physical pullout keyboard (G1)
– Developer community.

Now that last point is a tough one, very topical, as the Android marketplace has just opened to payed applications. There is a discussion around which model will be more succesfull: The closed, silo’d world of Apple, vs the open, open-source, unrestricted and unvetted world of Android Java development.

Gigaom has a good article on this.

In the meantime, I made my choice based on the full keyboard, and my hope and confidence that the open marketplace of Android will, in the long term, spawn more interesting applications, an a more diverse array of them, than Apple would ever tolerate on the Iphone. Yes, you CAN Jailbrake an Iphone, I know this.. but you run the constant risk of incompatibility due to Apple clamping down and bricking your phone. This will remain for the foreseeable future. On the flipside, T-Mobile has even gone on record to say that they don’t care that much for the small minority of geeks that hack the Android phones, and that the will try to avoid braking that secondary market. What a refreshing point of view.
It makes the choice of the G1 feel –good- to my geek sensibility.

Anyway, now to the meat.

The UNBOXING video, which @Alachia insists I should call a “haul” video… whatever.

http://www.facebook.com/v/57549561699

If you cannot see the video above, click here. (youtube) or here (facebook)

Next, I activate the phone and run though the initial stuff.

http://www.facebook.com/v/57536456699

If you cannot see the video above, click here (Facebook)

Now for the pics: