T-Mobile really needed a new smart phone to stay in the 3G/4G game with AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. Now it has one, and a good one at that. The Google G2 uses T-Mobile’s recently expanded HSPA+ network. Made by HTC, which also produces Sprint’s EVO and Verizon’s Droid, the G2 also uses Google’s Android 2.2 operating system (OS) and offers a slew of new Google functions.

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A smart phone needs a fast network, and T-Mobile has one. Its recently rolled-out HSPA+ network is now available in 55 major U.S. cities serving more than 100 million people. The HSPA+ network has a maximum theoretical speed of 21 Mbits/s, but G2 users can expect downloads up to 14.4 Mbits/s—not bad for any smart phone, and better than most.

The G2 features a 3.7-in. touchscreen and a unique hinge design that opens to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard (see the figure). It offers seven customizable home screen panels, including one with a dedicated panel with one-click access to favorite Google applications such as Android Market, which currently offers more than 80,000 apps.

A highlight of the G2 is its Snapdragon MSM7230 mobile processor, which combines Qualcomm’s new HSPA+ capabilities and second-generation applications processor. The Snapdragon MSM7230 offers an 800-MHz CPU and is optimized to deliver exceptional performance, long battery life, and leading-edge multimedia and Web browsing with download speeds faster than other solutions currently in the market.

T-Mobile’s Google G2 smart phone should keep the company in the 4G hunt with AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. Thanks to T-Mobile’s expanded HSPA+ network, it boasts maximum theoretical speeds of 21 Mbits/s, with download speeds up to 14.4 Mbits/s.

The G2 also boasts an HD video camera for recording high-definition (720p) videos and a 5-Mpixel camera with LED flash and autofocus. Further, it features a pre-installed 8-Gbyte microSD memory card with support for up to 32 Gbytes, as well as a music player. Additional features include dedicated quick keys for one-touch access to your favorite Google shortcuts and applications, Adobe FlashPlayer-enabled Web browsing, pinch and zoom functionality for Web browsing and the photo gallery, a built-in 3.5-mm headphone jack, a stereo headset and Bluetooth support, and Swype text input for fast, accurate communication.

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