T-Mobile G1 is no more

Those new to Android may not realise that the Nexus One wasn’t the first Android phone Google put its name to.

The G1 was where it all started.

The first phone to feature Google’s exciting (if rough around the edges) new mobile OS, the HTC-manufactured device set the pattern for subsequent handsets, leading right up to today’s Nexus Ones and Milestones.

While it felt a little plasticy in the hands, the G1 was a potent device for its time, featuring a 512MHz processor and 192MB of RAM. Best of all, it featured an excellent physical QWERTY keyboard that some would argue has yet to be bettered in subsequent Android devices.

Indeed, at least three members of the PG team have been known to declare their undying love for the G1. The rest are just idiots.

All of which leads us to the sorry news that T-Mobile has stopped offering the handset. The granddaddy of Android phones has slipped quietly from the roster with nary a peep.

While it was a capable device in its time, the signs of strain were apparent some time ago – particularly in the area we’re most concerned with. A lot of recent (and some not so recent) games run poorly on the device.

Sad as it may be, Android has moved on, and first-generation devices like the G1 were never going to be able to follow us into the promised land of 2.0-plus OS updates.

So goodbye, G1. Thanks for the memories, you old white (or black) lump of plastic.