Google Android G1 priced $179

G1 is out now. Difference with iPhone is only with a pop-out keyboard.

it has a big color screen and a flip out keyboard. You can navigate by a track ball, in addition to a touch screen.

The phone will be able to watch YouTube videos, send IMs on Google and several other instant message systems 

One of the key differences in the software is that it allows several applications to run at the same time. That means you can still receive an instant message from a friend while you surf the Internet. Apple said multi-tasking takes up too much system resource.

Not surprisingly, there is a lot of integration with Google. There is a button on the keyboard to bring up search. And Google Maps is woven through the service, including its Street View collection of photos. That means as you walk through a city, you can look at photos of where you are as well as simply looking around.

There is a different interface feature: if you hold the touchscreen down for several seconds, what Google calls a “long press” up pops a menu of other things you can do, much like the right mouse button on a PC. When shopping on the Amazon store, it brings up related merchandise. When surfing the web, it gives options for sharing the page. 

The hardware also has a music player, GPS navigation,Bluetooth connections, and aMicroSD slot for expansion. T-Mobile says it has five hours of talk time and 130 hours of 

standby time,3G support, a 3.1-megapixel camera, a 480x320 touchscreen, GPS mapping and up to 8GB of removable storage Five key Google apps are described as bundled with the phone and include quick access to Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Talk forIM and a YouTube client.New, however, are several 

limitations to the device. A Gmail account is necessary to sign in and use the device. Unlike the recent iPhone update, Google doesn't support Exchange or similar work e-mail formats. Certain hardware features are also currently limited by software: reflecting the unfinished state of Bluetooth for the Android platform, no stereo Bluetooth audio support will come out of the box with the G1. Video capture is likewise missing for the phone's camera.T-Mobile itself is also allegedly instituting limits of its own. 

According to the report, the phone itself will only be available at retail for T-Mobile stores within five miles or less of a 3G coverage area, which will include just 21 cities by the G1's anticipated October 22 launch. Other T-Mobile coverage areas will still have access to demo units but will require users to order online if they want the device. As with the iPhone, all G1 customers will also be required to bundle a new data plan with voice service.