T-Mobile introduced the first Google Phone, the HTC-made G1, Tuesday morning at Guastavino's, a cavernous banquet and wedding space on New York City's Upper East Side. We were there to record the event, capturing 23 pictures with our iPhone.

Scene from New York City's Guastavino's, site of the T-Mobile press conference launching the G1 Google phone.
(click for image gallery)

On hand to introduce the device, which will be rolled out across the United States by T-Mobile and soon in Europe, were four executives: Cole Brodman, chief technology and innovation officer at T-Mobile USA; Christopher Schlaffer, group product and innovation officer at Deutsche Telekom; Andy Rubin, Google's senior director of mobile platforms, and Peter Chou, chief executive officer of Taiwanese handset maker HTC, which is manufacturing the G1.

Midway through the press conference, Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page put in a surprise appearance, adding star power to the event.

Following the intro, the scrum of reporters and bloggers were invited downstairs to view the G1 phones close up. Multiple handsets -- in black and in white -- were scattered throughout the space. In-person demos were hard to secure, however, since the lucky few who were first to the phones were loath to give up their spaces.

T-Mobile CTO Brodman emphasized that the G1 would sell for $179 on a two-year contract. A staged roll-out is planned across the United States, with initial availability on Oct. 22.

For additional coverage, see How Does T-Mobile's Google G1 Stack Up?.