Android Developers Can Get A Completely Unlocked G1 Android Phone

If paying $180 to T-Mobile -- with a two-year contract -- for the HTC G1 isn't appealing, Android developers now have another option. For $399, they can order one that is SIM-unlocked and hardware-unlocked. In other words, it's totally open.Android developers looking for a handset on which to test their apps can now get their hands on the G1 completely free of T-Mobile's restrictions and that pesky two-year contract. Google recently announced the Android Dev Phone 1 for developers, and that's the hitch -- you have to be a registered developer. The cost to register with Google to be an Android developer is a piggy bank-breaking $25.

Once you're all registered, feel free to pick the Dev Phone 1 up from the Android Market. Developers can only buy one at a time. It is available in 18 total markets, including: Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the U.K. and the U.S. The $399 price point includes shipping costs in the U.S. Google said that the unlocked G1 will become available in more countries over time.

Also, Google wants it to be clear that this device is not intended for regular users. Google said, "Since the devices can be configured with system software not provided by or supported by Google or any other company, end users operate these devices at their own risk."

All those ifs, ands, and buts later, the joy of having a completely unlocked device that can be configured any way you (the developer) sees fit is a pretty sweet proposition.