T-Mobile to launch new Google phone in August

Second Android-based smartphone will be touchscreen only, cost $199

NEW YORK - T-Mobile USA's follow-up to the first "Google phone" will go on sale in early August, the carrier said Monday.

The "T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google" will be a touchscreen phone and will lack the physical keyboard of the T-Mobile G1, the first phone that used Google's Android software. The G1 went on sale in October. T-Mobile has sold more than 1 million of the phones.

But Android phones are facing strong competition. BlackBerrys from Research In Motion are gaining ground among consumers. Apple launched a new iPhone model Friday and said that it sold more than a million units in the first three days. The Pre from Palm has gotten favorable reviews.

The myTouch looks much like an iPhone and has many of the same features, including a similarly sized screen. It will cost $199 with a two-year contract. It will ship with software that allows it to connect to corporate e-mail servers. Such software became available for download to the G1 some months after it launched.

By Peter Svensson

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