Today Columbus day, Research in Motion the makers of the Blackberry and Tmobile announced that the Blackberry Pearl Flip Phone, the first ever Blackberry Flip phone will be available in the us from T-Mobile. The Blakberry Pearl Flip Phone, has all the features you would find in a traditional Blackberry, but in the popular Flip phone design.

“The flip phone remains the vastly dominant and preferred design for mobile phones in the United States,” said Leslie Grandy, vice president of product development, T-Mobile USA. “Being the first company in the U.S. to offer the unique BlackBerry experience on a flip phone is a huge benefit for T-Mobile customers.”

The Blackberry Pearl Flip Phone will have built in wi-fi capabilities, which will allow users to use the T-Mobile@home service which gives them unlimited Wi-Fi calling..

The phone is available now at T-Mobile.com and T-Mobile Stores.

Key features of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip from T-Mobile include the following**:

First BlackBerry smartphone to offer popular flip design
Wi-Fi-enabled (802.11 b/g) supporting Wi-Fi calling and fast Web browsing
Support for Unlimited HotSpot Calling, offering unlimited nationwide calling over accessible Wi-Fi networks
T-Mobile’s myFavesSM support to stay in touch with those who matter most, with quick, one-click access for instant messaging, e-mailing, texting or calling to your Fave 5SM from the Home Screen
Enhanced SureType® keyboard to support text messaging, picture messaging, instant messaging (six popular clients), personal e-mail (access up to 10 supported e-mail accounts), and corporate e-mail
2.0 megapixel camera with digital zoom, built-in flash and video recording (requires microSD card)
Advanced media player for pictures, music and video with full-screen video playback
Stereo Bluetooth® support (A2DP/AVRCP) and 3.5mm stereo headset jack
Media management software included on the BlackBerry Tools CD, which allows transfer of music files including sync of desktop iTunes music files***
Enhanced HTML browser for high-performance browsing with a more desktop-style depiction
Internal QVGA 2.4-inch diagonal screen, 320 x 240 pixels and supporting 65K colors
128 MB of flash memory, 256 MB microSD card included, and support for up to a 16 GB microSD/SDHC card
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi network including support for international roaming
Dimensions: 3.9” x 1.96” x 0.68”
Weight: 3.6 oz

With G1 the Google Android phone set to launch later this month, a lot of people are wondering can T-Mobile handle the onslaught of new subscribers, and will new subscribers enjoy the t-mobile service?

While I can’t tell you how well the service is around the US, I do have specific knowledge of the NYC area service as I live in NYC.

I personally have been a T-Mobile customer for nearly 2 years, signed up with them after a bad experience with at&t. But after being a T-Mobile customer for 2 to 3 months something bad happened.

A little less than 12 months ago something I started to notice a decline in the quality of my service. The was weird, you could be standing still with 5 Signal Bars and then all of a sudden you had no service. If you were in Manhattan your service was spotty at best. Your phone would beep with missed call alerts but your phone never rang. Calls would drop, or get crossed. I remember answering my phone once to hear some women yelling at me in Spanish.

I thought it was my phone going bad and even took it to a T-Mobile store to get checked, but then friends and business associates began complaining, so I knew it wasn’t just me. I remember once Microsoft was having a huge event on the west side of Manhattan and no one was getting T-Mobile service, not even the Wagner Edstrom Employees in fact it was so bad that Wagner Edstrom Employees and Edelman Employees were sharing each other’s phones. If you don’t know who these two companies are you probably don’t understand how amazing it was to witness that.

It was so bad that I honestly considered switching, but I was only a few months into my contact and I did not want to pay an ETF especially after paying one to get out of my at&t contract.
So I dealt with it, and maybe 2 to 3 months after the problems were at their worst, I get a little email in my inbox from T-Mobile. The email said they recently added a new tower in my area. Then a week later another, and another and since then the T-Mobiles service improved. It improved so much that I no longer wanted out. I was happy again.

Just recently I would say a little more than a month now; I have even been getting periodic 3G service with killer download speeds.
So I recently spoke with a T-Mobile Spokesperson and I asked what T-Mobile has done in the NYC area specifically to improve service?

I was simply told that they identified trouble spots and added more towers, and that they will continue to do so to make sure the network remains in the state it is in.
While the Spokesperson for T-Mobile did not acknowledge the bad service a year ago, I kind of got the feeling they wanted to prevent that from happening again, especially with the G1 on the horizon.

I then asked, with the 3G network being available in some major cities what phones are currently available to use the 3G network?

T-Mobile said “T-Mobile’s UMTS/HSDPA high-speed data network is currently available across 20 major metropolitan markets: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York (including northern New Jersey and Long Island), Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. T-Mobile plans to expand its service by the end of October to additional markets, including Memphis, Sacramento and Tampa. An additional four markets — Birmingham, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City— are expected to have the network available before the end of the year, increasing the number of markets with T-Mobile’s 3G network to 27 markets. The planned expansion is expected to deliver T-Mobile 3G services to more than two-thirds of T-Mobile’s current data customers, with meaningful expansion to additional customers and markets through.

T-Mobile is currently selling four handsets that make calls on both our current GSM network and our new 3G network. Similar to the experience with Wi-Fi and GSM handsets, these phones automatically connect with the best available network—3G or GSM. Customers using one of today’s 3G-capable handsets will experience a faster response for t-zones and downloading content. As of August 2008, T-Mobile’s 3G-capable handsets in 3G markets include Nokia 6263, Samsung t639, Samsung t819 and Nokia 3555, as well as the first HSDPA device - the Sony Ericsson TM506. We are anticipating the retail availability of the T-Mobile G1, also 3G compatible, later this month.”

I then asked, will customers who buy the G1 outside of the 3G network be notified that they will not experience the full potential of the 3G network?

The T-Mobile Spokesperson replied “Because customers will have the best data experience when using the device over our new 3G network, and because the mobile Web experience is so central to the device capabilities, we’ve chosen to promote and sell the phone at retail only in those markets where 3G is available.  Of course, if customers in other markets would like to purchase and use the phone they can purchase it online at www.t-mobileg1.com.  Customers can use our personal coverage check website to find out about T-Mobile coverage where it matters most to them.”

That really didn’t answer my question but que sera sera.

So G1 Customers, while I personally am not excited about the arrival of the G1, I do think you will enjoy the T-Mobile network at least in the NYC area. But if NYC is to serve as an example the rest of the country is only going to see good things from T-Mobile.

Check out this Emulator for the T-Mobile G1, and after playing with it for a while it leaves a lot to be desired and yes I know it’s an emulator with limited functionality but still it seems as it lacks a lot. So my question is, is this really T-Mobiles and Googles attempt to compete with the iPhone? If it is it is a poor one.

I kind of want to get the G1 but after that little emulator Demo, I am glad I wasn’t one of the hundreds or thousands that pre-ordered it.

T-Mobile has four features, the first being “Block All Chargeable Messages” and like the features name says it block all Chargeable Messages. The secound blocks chargeable IM messages, the third chargeable text messages and the fourt chargeable MMS messages.

Since T-Mobile offered very little information about these features on their website, many including my self thought that feature 3 - 4 would block messages after your 400th text/mms or 1000th text/mms.

But I quickly learned that was not the case when I could not send or recieve text and mms messages. In fact T-Mobile CS told me that those features override any plan you are in and block all Messages regardless of the plan you are in. So essentially I was told, if I enable those features I can’t send txt or receive them even though I am subscribing to a plan.

Today a T-Mobile spokesmen told me the following “T-Mobile has for years offered extensive filters built into the network to help detect and block spam text messages being sent to customer’s handsets that originate from internet IP addresses. These filters are updated on an ongoing basis, including monitoring for newly emerging schemes.

As a company committed to providing the best customer experience in wireless, T-Mobile also offers postpaid and FlexPay customers the ability to block chargeable text messages, MMS, IM and e-mail from being sent to their handsets at no additional charge. Customers can contact Customer Care or a retail sales representative for assistance and soon will be able to help themselves with tools on http://www.myt-mobile.com.”

So essentially they are spam filters, but then the T-Mobile spokesmen goes on to say Postpaid and FlexPay customers will have the ability to block chargeable text messages. So I am confused and will ask T-Mobile to clarify. 

HTC said they would sell 600,000 - 700,000 G1 phones by year end but with T-Mobile halting the sale of the phone due to overwhelming demand, will HTC be able to keep up and supply the phones, or is it a marketing ploy by T-Mobile to make people think its in high demand?

Personally I think it’s crap that there is such a high demand they have halted the sale, I think it’s a marketing tactic, but hey I haven’t seen the numbers and I doubt Google or T-Mobile will release the numbers. 

T-Mobile has a feature that allows you to block chargeable Text Messages, if you subscribe to the $4.99 plan 400 text messages or the $9.99 1000 text messages plans. When you enable three features they block chargeable text, instant messages and picture messages. You can not enable these features if you have the unlimited plan as none of your text messages are chargeable.

Now one would assume that it would block any message over 400 txt or 1000 txt depending on your plan, as the T-Mobile site doesn’t really say anything, it just says it will block chargeable messages, and it is what I assumed until I noticed that my text messages did not work at all. Apparently these features block every SINGLE message regardless if you are with in your plan limit or not.

So the question is. Why would T-mobile offer these features if it doesn’t block your chargeable messages but every message? Doesn’t make sense T-Mobile, and I was shocked when I was told this by T-Mobile on the phone. They simply said the Block Chargeable Message options overrides any messaging plan you have, but you are still billed for the subscription you selected. I was then told if a user is afraid of going over they should get the Unlimited plan.

Talking about treating their customers right, T-Mo is offering the G1 phone for $299 to their current customers that is $100 dollars more expensive than their new customers. In both instances they require a 2 year contract.

T-Mo should knock the price down 100 bucks if they want any takers, I for one would not pay 100 dollars more, I’d rather switch to Sprint pay my ETF which is probably 40 bucks now and get the Samsung Instinct for $199. Still a lot cheaper than sticking with T-Mo.

But for those T-Mobile customers interested, simply login to your accounts to take T-Mo up on the $299 offer.

So it has been announced, the T-Mobile G1 (notice how HTC is not mentioned in the name) and it looks like dear I say a iPhone with a cancerous growth.

The G1 will be sold for $179 with a 2 year contract which is cheaper than the iPhone, however don’t expect to use the services you can get with any T-Mobile phone with the G1. T-Mobile has created special plans for it and what is surprising there is a 1GB cap on the data plan. I wonder why.

What I personally like about the G1 is the fully retractable keyboard, but as a T-Mobile customer whose contract is up for renewal soon will I be getting one? Ummmmm no.

Google and T-Mobile tried their hardest to copy apple, as the G1 will have access to a Google Apps store but unlike Apple there doesn’t seem to be an approval process which could be a bad thing, because you will have to trust what you download unconditionally, but then again the approval process with Apple was so tuff a lot of developers ran the risk of their products not getting approved because the features were similar to those built into the iPhone or some other weird reason.

I do have to give T-Mobile and Google props though, the G1 phone will only be sold at Stores with in a 2.5 mile radius of 3G coverage, but I am upset at the 1 GB data cap.

Data: If your total data usage in any billing cycle is more than 1GB, your data throughput for the remainder of that cycle may be reduced to 50 kbps or less. Your data session, plan, or service may be suspended, terminated, or restricted for significant roaming or if you use your service in a way that interferes with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users. Some devices require specific data plans; if you do not have the right plan for your device, you may not be able to use data services. Some downloads, such as movies, music, and games, not included. Domestic use only.

HTC expects that 600-700,000 of these will be sold by years end, and I highly doubt it. Maybe T-Mobile is dumb enough to by over half a million of these phones by years end expecting that over the next 2 years they will sell them all and that is where HTC got their number from.

Fore more info visit: http://www.t-mobileg1.com/g1-learn-features-details.aspx

What is HTC smoking because I want some? Some people at HTC made the shocking claim in an interview with eWeek. Again what are they smoking? They must be dreaming if they think they will sell 600,000 - 700,000 units of the HTC Dream Smart phone that will be powered by the Google Android OS between late October 2008 and December 31s 2008.

Do they think they are Apple with a new iPhone? They are nothing but a white label cell phone maker that is only in the recent year or two trying to make a name for themselves, but more people are calling it the Google Phone than the HTC Dream. No one really cares that HTC made the phone or that it’s on T-Mobile all they care is that Google made the OS and people aren’t going to buy it for that especially at $199.

The HTC Dream will not sell 600,000 - 700,000 units between late October and December 31s 2008, most of the hype about the phone is the fact it is running Googles Android, and no one really gives a damn except for the tech community, and sure the tech community might buy it, if they already didn’t own iPhones. I predict that Android will sell 100,000 - 300,000 from the day it goes on sale in late October - December 31st 2008. Oh wait I forget I need to count every single Google Employee that would buy one, oh and maybe Google might buy one for every single Homeless Person in San Fransisco, since they recently gave them all phone numbers and voicemails. Maybe that is where HTC got the number, adding up all the Google Employees and th Homeless people they buy them for.

I go to events all the time with people from the tech community and there are so many iPhones present that when one rings everyone is reaching in their pockets to see if its theirs that is ringing, the people interested in the Google Android OS (because they aren’t really into the phone) aren’t going to switch to T-Mobile and get an HTC Dream when they are more than Happy with their iPhone. Plus the 200 dollar price point isn’t as attractive as one would hope.

HTC you will not sell 600,000 - 700,000 HTC Dream Smart Phones stop dreaming. T-Mobile your 3G network sucks, I know I beta tested it in the NYC area and I doubt any of the problems have been fixed especially in the areas out side of Manhattan, hell even in Manhattan it wasn’t that reliable. Google, you were better off sucking up to Palm and getting a Treo Powered by Android, I could see 600 - 700,000 Palm Treo Androids being sold in less then 3 months.

I personally just don’t see it, I don’t think the supposed Hype is that big and I think HTC, Google and T-Mobile will all be disappointed. I am a huge fan of HTC and T-Mobile but I just don’t see it.

Am I the only one who thinks that Google Android will be a failure? I honestly don’t see it as a worth adversary to Windows Mobile or the iPhone software.

I think using T-Mobile and HTC for the first phone instead of “Sprint” or “Verizon” with a “Sony” or “Samsung” phone was a bad idea. Why? Because I don’t see anyone switching from any provider to T-Mobile which in my opinion doesn’t have the greatest of service across the US, and HTC although they make phones for Sony and other companies doesn’t have that attraction a company like Apple does.

So I think Google Android will fail, and it may not fail after the launch later this month on T-mobile it may take a year or two maybe longer but I don’t see it going anywhere. But it can be salvaged if lets say Google Hooked up with Palm. Both companies are big names, and Palm could definitely use a boost.

So how about it Google and Palm.