Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile

T-Mobile G2: Everything We Know

Nick Mokey
By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For more information check out our article on T-Mobile’s G2 press announcement.

Sometimes, what you can’t see is more intriguing that what you can. Just watch the suggestive silhouettes traipsing around the title sequence of a James Bond film. T-Mobile reached for the same silhouette tease when it released just a vague outline of the upcoming T-Mobile G2 last week. While the rectangular blob doesn’t compete with Bond girls, it certainly managed to draw some attention to the mystery phone.

Recommended Videos

As a successor to the first Android phone ever – we’re not surprised. But will the T-Mobile G2 set the pattern for a revered Android dynasty… or merely tap into a vague sense of geek nostalgia to hawk yet another vanilla Android handset?

Related

T-Mobile hasn’t tipped its full hand just yet, but a few slips, leaks and downright speculation can help fill in the gaps. Here’s everything we know so far about the T-Mobile G2.

It will ride on T-Mobile’s speedy HSPA+ network.

The most solid bit of information we have to stand on for the G2 comes directly from T-Mobile, which is already hailing the G2 as the champion of its high-speed HSPA+ network. HSP-what? It’s a sort of evolved 3G network that T-Mobile has been rolling out all across the country with upgrades to existing towers. According to the carrier, HSPA+ can deliver speeds of up to 21mbps down and 5.7mbps up, rivaling early 4G networks like Sprint’s WiMax, which could make the G2 competitive with the likes of Sprint’s EVO 4G and Epic 4G – if it can deliver.

It will be a T-Mobile-branded version of the HTC Vision.

A leaked copy of the firmware for the upcoming G2 revealed all sorts of good tidbits on the upcoming device – including its real identity: the HTC Vision. While it comes as no surprise that HTC, which built the G1, is up to bat yet again for the sequel, equating the Vision with the G2 connects the dots with all sorts of other details. Leaked photos, for instance, suggest it will have a full QWERTY keyboard

It will be powered by a snappy 1GHz chip from Qualcomm.

While rumors that the G2 would run a new dual-core Qualcomm chip fizzled when we found out the G2 was the HTC Vision and not the HTC Glacier, the 1GHz Qualcomm MSM7230 that will power it instead should be no disappointment. Android and Me suggests the MSM7230 should fall in line with the Samsung Hummingbird in the Galaxy S and the TI OMAP in the Droid X – two of the fastest Android devices on the market today.

Specs on the chip also hint at other potential G2 capabilities, including 720p recording and decoding, 5.1-channel surround sound output, and support for cameras up to 12 megapixels.

It will launch September 29.

T-Mobile has always insisted on a fall release for the G2, and stating in mid-August that details would come forth “in coming weeks” certainly helped along that assertion. While a leaked roadmap once suggested a Sept. 9 release, lack of a formal announcement by late August certainly casts doubt on that speculation, and TMONews now claims and inside source has pegged the actual launch as Sept. 29, with presales occurring beforehand.

It will run Android 2.2 without HTC’ Sense UI.

Android 2.2 should come as no surprise for a device launching at this point in Android history, but the missing Sense user interface stands as marked a departure for HTC. The company’s Sense UI – maybe most notable for its flipping clock digits on the home screen – dates all the way back to its Windows Mobile phones, and has appeared on almost all of its Android devices, with the Nexus One and original G1 standing out as a rare exceptions. Why skip it on the G2? Rumor has it that Android 3.0 could axe third-party user interfaces when it drops later this year, so HTC could be cutting to the chase and dropping it ahead of time, rather than burning time working a soon-to-be-extinct feature into the G2. Could be.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Nick Mokey
Nick Mokey
Managing Editor
As Digital Trends’ Managing Editor, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team delivering definitive reviews, enlightening…
Google Pixel Fold 2: news, rumored price, release date, and more
A person holding the Google Pixel Fold.

Though Samsung is the brand that is best known for foldables in the U.S., that’s changed in recent years, with Google and other brands joining the fray. The Google Pixel Fold was Google’s first foldable, and it had a relatively strong start.

We’re expecting a second generation of Google’s Pixel Fold in 2024, and from the looks of things, it’s shaping up to be a strong sequel. Here’s everything we know about the Google Pixel Fold 2 so far.
Google Pixel Fold 2: release date

Read more
What is an eSIM? Here’s everything you need to know
eSIM page on the iPhone 14.

If you've purchased a new cell phone in the past decade or so, you're probably already familiar with the SIM—the little thumbnail-sized card that's used to connect to your your carrier's cellular network —but in recent years smartphone manufacturers and carriers have started replacing them with something called an eSIM.
The "e" in eSIM stands for "embedded," which makes sense as this is a SIM card that stays inside your phone and can't be removed. It performs the same function as a traditional SIM card but has the potential to make things a lot simpler for most smartphone users. Almost any new phone you buy nowadays features eSIM technology, including the new iPhone 15. In fact, the iPhone 15 doesn't even have a physical SIM card slot available, and all iPhone 15 users need to transfer to eSIM -- giving a hint at where the technology is going. Pretty soon eSIMs could become the standard, with physical SIM cards gradually fading out of use.

But if you're confused by the concept of an eSIM, don't worry -- we've got you covered. Read on as we get more specific about what eSIM technology truly is, and how it differs from its predecessor, the physical SIM card. 

Read more
The 10 best apps for a second phone number in 2024
OnePlus 5 soft gold with the phone app open.

Having a second phone number can be handy for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you want to separate your business and personal calls, or you want a junk second number that you can use to sign up for services so you can avoid giving out your personal number to so many places. That's particularly importance with the frequency of annoying spam calls and messages that can pile up when your phone number is made public. You might also want a second number to use in situations where you want to be able to contact people occasionally but you don't necessarily want them to be able to reach your personal device directly, like when internet dating or using an app like AirBnB. Whatever the reason, there are many situations where having a number that you can give out which you can make use of but isn't directly tied to your personal life like your main phone number is can be important for safety and security.

While you could get a second SIM card (or even an eSIM), an easier option for casual use is to use an app that lets you set up a second phone line. Whether you're after an Android app or an iPhone app, you'll find plenty of options to get a second phone line, including some which are free to use. We've hunted down some of the best options for apps that will give you a second phone number for whatever reason you need it, and we're sharing them with you below.
Vyke

Read more