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T-Mobile G1 Sales to Hit 100,000 as New Features Launch

Operator also confirms a second T-Mobile Android phone will be unveiled later this year

London, 28 April 2009: The news comes as the groundbreaking phone is about to receive a raft of brand new features, including a touch-screen keyboard and video record and playback, which will be available in May thanks to the comprehensive Android 1.5 update.

Since it launched in October 2008, the T-Mobile G1 has proved a hit with UK consumers, outstripping sales of all other T-Mobile handsets with sales rapidly approaching 100,000 units. G1 owners have praised its slide-out QWERTY keyboard and the ability to switch easily between functions like text, email, instant messaging or social networking. Customers have also commended the G1's high-speed data connection and full internet browser which makes the most of T-Mobile's award-winning 3G Broadband network. In fact, recent independent research shows that 90% of G1 owners are extremely satisfied with the device and the value they get with their price plan and would recommend the G1 to a friend1.

The T-Mobile G1 is available for free from just £30 per month and includes unlimited* internet browsing on all 12 and 18 month contracts.

The T-Mobile G1 is set to get even better in May when all new and existing G1 owners will receive the ‘Cupcake' update over the air. This is made possible by the G1's Android operating system, which means that customers receive updates whenever new features become available, so that their phone is always running on the latest software.

Another new feature is the touch-screen keyboard, giving T-Mobile G1 owners a choice between the touch-screen keyboard for writing short bursts of text such as Twitter updates and the slide-out QWERTY keyboard for writing longer messages such as emails.

1Customer satisfaction results from research conducted by Simpson Carpenter, 1st April 2009

The software update allows G1 owners to use the 3.2 megapixel camera to film videos and upload them straight to YouTube™, as well as uploading photos straight to their personal Picasa Web Album™.

There are numerous other new features and improvements with the new update, including new widgets for the calendar and the music player, alongside new zoom functions on the G1's camera and improvements to the e-mail client and the web browser.

Richard Warmsley, Head of Internet and Entertainment, T-Mobile, said: "Sales of the T-Mobile G1 have exceeded our expectations – we are very excited to hit the milestone of 100,000 units sold in just over six months. Our customer research has shown us that nine out of ten G1 users would recommend it to a friend and this is down to the great user experience, web browsing via T-Mobile's award winning Broadband network, the value a customer receives on our 18 month price plans, and G1 features such as the slide-out QWERTY keyboard."

Richard continued: "We're committed to delivering a market leading internet service, and are excited that with the G1 and Android Market™ customers can tailor that experience to make it more relevant to how they want to use their phone. We're looking forward to launching another groundbreaking phone on Android later this year."

The T-Mobile G1 complete with the new features is available for free on T-Mobile Combi and Flext price plans. The most popular price plan is Combi30, including 700 minutes unlimited texts, and unlimited high speed internet powered by T-Mobile's award-winning broadband network all for just £35 per month.

Vital statistics: New features of T-Mobile G1

Vital Statistics: Existing features of the T-Mobile G1

G1 customer satisfaction:

When asked about their reasons for choosing the T-Mobile G1, 75% of G1 owners said that the value delivered by T-Mobile's price plans was important in their decision to buy the G1, whilst 52% named the fact that the device came free with the T-Mobile contract.

T-Mobile G1 Price Plans

* Terms and conditions apply

Contacts
Sophia Parviez, T-Mobile PR Manager
+44 (0) 7908 208 41
Brands2Life
+44 (0) 207 592 1200

About T-Mobile UK
T-Mobile is one of the world's largest mobile operators with more than 125 million customers worldwide and is the service provider of choice for 16.7 million customers in the UK, making it one of the largest networks. T-Mobile offers a range of innovative products and services, such as Solo, the SIM-only plan offering market-leading minutes and added value of unlimited texts on top from £15 per month on a 30-day rolling contract; Combi, a traditional minutes and text package, and Flext, the UK's first flexible tariff that now includes selected 08 numbers and 50 of the most popular international calling destinations in an allowance customers can chose to spend between calls, texts and MMS. High-speed internet access on the move is available through the award-winning Mobile Broadband service. T-Mobile continues to innovate with new devices such as the UK's first Android™-based smart phone, the T-Mobile G1. More than 1,000 applications are available through Android Market™, giving customers unrivalled scope for customising their phones to their lifestyles. 2G network coverage is among the best in the UK at over 99 per cent of the UK population. T-Mobile operates an advanced 3G HSDPA-enabled network capable of supporting effective mobile broadband speeds of up 4.5Mbps and was the first UK operator to provide a nationwide HSUPA capability for faster uploads. As a pioneer of deep network sharing in the UK, T-Mobile plans to deliver close to complete population coverage for 3G services in 2010.