Google phone to reach Germany in two weeks

Google phone to reach Germany in two weeks Hamburg  - Germany is to gain its first mobile phone using Google's Android operating system in two weeks' time, wireless company T-Mobile said in Hamburg on Monday.

The G1 phone, which is manufactured by HTC of Taiwan, is a direct competitor to Apple's iPhone, which is sold in Germany exclusively by T-Mobile. Both phones have touch screens. The G1 has the added feature of a tiny fold-inside keyboard.

Software designers have created more than 700 applications for the Google Android phones, which are optimized for internet access including Google's various search and community websites.

The G1 went on sale in the United States last October and in Britain in November.

T-Mobile, a unit of Deutsche Telekom, is to subsidize the G1, selling it for a token 1 euro (1.30 dollars) in its own shops from February 2, but requiring buyers to contract for two years of T-Mobile service, T-Mobile chief executive Hamid Akhavan said.

The Open Handset Alliance, established by Google to develop Android, now embraces 40 manufacturers and wireless service companies. (dpa)

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