Manage updates with the Download AppT-Mobile G1 (black)
Manufacturer: HTC Part number: 8977627
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Though we're not in love with the design and would have liked some additional features, the real beauty of the T-Mobile G1 is the Google Android platform, as it has the potential to make smartphones more personal and powerful. That said, it's not quite there yet, so for now, the G1 is best suited for early adopters and gadget hounds, rather than consumers and business users.
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Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
T-Mobile G1 (black) price range: $93.98
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha and Nicole Lee
- Edited by: Kent German
- Reviewed on: 10/15/2008
- Released on: 10/22/2008
The good: The T-Mobile G1 features a full QWERTY keyboard, 3G support, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. The Google Android operating system offers good integration with Google applications as well as access to the Amazon MP3 Store and YouTube. As more applications become available, the G1 will also become a more powerful smartphone for all types of users.
The bad: The G1 doesn't include a standard heaphone jack and lacks Microsoft Exchange support. There are some annoying design quirks that make the smartphone uncomfortable to hold and difficult to use. You can't save downloaded applications to a memory card. Speakerphone quality wasn't the greatest.
The bottom line: Though we're not in love with the design and would have liked some additional features, the real beauty of the T-Mobile G1 is the Google Android platform, as it has the potential to make smartphones more personal and powerful. That said, it's not quite there yet, so for now, the G1 is best suited for early adopters and gadget hounds, rather than consumers and business users.
User reviews
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MOST BIASED REVIEW I HAVE EVER READ! GG CNET!
by akarol on October 16, 2008
Pros: KEYBOARD, KEYBOARD, KEYBOARD! Copy and Paste, 3MP camera, GPS/AGPS, Google OS, screen size and brightness, user replaceable battery life.
Cons: Bulky, lack of headphone jack.
Summary: This is the most biased review I have ever read. Every feature of the G1 was automatically inferior to the iPhone without any justification. Those features that the iPhone lacked ...
Summary: This is the most biased review I have ever read. Every feature of the G1 was automatically inferior to the iPhone without any justification. Those features that the iPhone lacked was immediately critiqued. For example, "Oh, you have a keyboard on this thing. Too small though. Next." How can the keyboard be something to critique. No large screen touch phone has one, it is revolutionary. Also, most of the negative remarks are software-based and already in the works such as video recording, exchange support, etc. And knowing Google, they'll be offered for FREE at their store.
It's not an Crapple product, automatic 5-stars worthy! Have fun with your iPhones, leave us alone!
By the way, how can you review a cell phone and not talk about its battery life. C'mon now. Oh, wait, I know why. Cause they wouldn't be able to put the iPhone on top in that category since the G1 has almost a third more battery life in a REPLACEABLE battery.
Very dissapointing CNET! You need to review your staff asap!
Updated on Oct 16, 200847 out of 56 users found this user opinion helpful.
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i gave away jailbroke iphone for this
by samkash387 on October 27, 2008
Pros: keyboard, UI is great, the available apps are awesome, compass mode in street view, amazon music = drm free, u don't have to feel like a tool with an iphone anymore, copy paste is very nice, web pages load faster and no checkered pattern
Cons: just battery life really, no virtual keyboard makes one handed quick texts un doable, but that can be fixed with a firmware or good dev. no headphone jack is annoying, but really using it as a dedicated music player would only make battery life worse
Summary: If its this or the iphone for you. think about a few things. if you want to look like everyone else with an iphone, get an iphone. iphones are powerful ...
Summary: If its this or the iphone for you. think about a few things. if you want to look like everyone else with an iphone, get an iphone. iphones are powerful and user friendly, and closed off by apples thumb up their own butts. but if you want something open, with a fun UI, where the sky is the limit on apps, if you just don't want an iphone but want to be able to do everything it does and more, go G1
also, a really important thing to me is the browser is able to save your login passwords just like a computer. iphone can't do that, and when u say hey thats just something to type in real fast no biggie, think about how often u are logging in to your favorite sites, its alot, and it makes a big deal. also, if you'd like, u can let pages load in the background
Updated on Nov 3, 200824 out of 27 users found this user opinion helpful.
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WOW WOW WOW
by iLuvIPhone on October 30, 2008
Pros: Blazing fast Internet speed. Beautiful in the bronze version. Cool super free applications and more coming. Google R&D behind the phone applications.
Cons: Comes in black or Bronze. I dont like the black Matte finish, looks cheaper to me and much easier to scratch. I love the bronze but its impossible to find. I wish there were more applications ready but I know they will come fast.
Summary: I loved my iPhone but I was also using Google products on the web a lot. I love this G1. Super fast, super practical. Fast web and fast and easy ...
Summary: I loved my iPhone but I was also using Google products on the web a lot. I love this G1. Super fast, super practical. Fast web and fast and easy to use. I read a review once that said that G1 was slower than my beloved iPhone but that is absolutely not true. There is a free application that lets you create your own ring tones, take a MP3 song and cut out the portion you like and create your own ring tone. The keyboard is so much easier and faster to use than the iPhone screen. I love this new phone I was surprised and it surpassed my expectations by far.
The open source architecture is awesome. Think of Mozilla Firefox as a phone. I dont have to be slave to Apple proprietary software and applications and I can save a lot of money to get the same or better service than Apple.
I loved my iPhone but this G1 is a revolutionary product and applications, WOW.17 out of 19 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I don't know how I lived before my G1.
by maceface47 on February 6, 2009
Pros: Simply put, the total customization of the OS through new apps. My phone gets better with every access to the market.
Interface methods (physical keyboard and trackball as well as the touchscreen).
All-in-one integration of media, data, and phone.Cons: The camera is terrible.
Alerts could be louder.Summary: It didn't take long for this phone to take over almost every aspect of my life. The all-in-one capabilities offered by this class of phone are astounding. The ability ...
Summary: It didn't take long for this phone to take over almost every aspect of my life. The all-in-one capabilities offered by this class of phone are astounding. The ability to play music, videos, streaming content, browse the web, play games, and be able to go between doing those things in a dynamic and continuous manner borders on life-changing.
Still, there are many phones populating the market now that offer that capability. What sets this phone apart, however, is the Android OS and Google's wide-open market. Absent here are the sort of restrictions Apple has placed on its app store. One restriction in particular to the App Store is notably absent in the Market: Apple restricts its developers from doubling the functionality of of components that ship with the phone (e.g. the browser, text messaging, media players, etc), and Google does not. So, don't like the default browser? Download a better one. Do like the text messaging? Download a new app to take over this functionality. Plus, you can have many options for any of those things, and more. Which means we the users get to pick the best of the bunch, or the one that best suits our individual needs and tastes.
Besides the wide-open market, there is the open-nature of the OS itself and the tools developers have to make apps for it. Google allows access to all of the most core components of the phone and OS, meaning developers can make apps taking advantage of any feature, or modifying and improving any functionality! And don't think for a moment that developers are ignoring that: There are THOUSANDS actively and eagerly making new apps for the worlds most open phone.
Oh, and by the way, that means this article is VERY out of date, because developers have added so much new functionality to the phone that it's practically a different product from the one reviewed here.
As for what I do with my phone; well, with Compare Everywhere I always know the best price for a product before buying it (I've actually had an experience where I was in a store and Compare Everywhere found a better price. I showed it to a rep at the store and they matched the online price, saving me $20 on the product and $4.99 on 3 day shipping!). Meridian Video Player has allowed me to view dozens of movies in between things at work. With Brain Genius I've had the most fun I've ever had working out my brain. With NESEmu, I've rediscovered my love for classics like Mario Bros, Contra, and Donkey Kong. With Labyrinth I've gone back to my grandma's living room and playing one of the most frustratingly challenging games of all time (still tough to this day!) With threaded texts, I keep track of all my conversations. With Gmail I stay connected with everyone. With Google Calendar, I never miss an important event. With GPS enabled Google Maps, I'm never lost for long! Me and my wife have found all kinds of interesting new places in our new home town. And with Task Switcher, I can switch between all of those tasks at the touch of a finger, all while Music Player blasts my tunes in the background!
I don't know what I'd do without my G19 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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WHY DOES EVERYONE GIVE THIS PHONE A HARD TIME!
by dpballer85 on December 4, 2008
Pros: - Nice Big Touch Screen
- QWERTY Keyboard
- WiFi
- GPS
- Cheaper Data Plan than AT&T
- Promising Android Market
- Scroll Ball
- Street View in MapsCons: - Bad Battery Life (Only if you plan to run the phone like a desktop computer)
- A Bit thicker than other phones
- Creaking noise with screen (Sturdy screen but still squeaky, might be because of the mechanism used to open the phone)Summary: I've read 100's of reviews about the T-Mobile G1 and 90% of them bashed the G1 phone. I've come to the conclusion that the people writing the ...
Summary: I've read 100's of reviews about the T-Mobile G1 and 90% of them bashed the G1 phone. I've come to the conclusion that the people writing the reviews are all iphone lovers. Another thing i would like to mention before my review is that pictures make this phone look ugly and huge but it's like a completely different phone in person, it is much smaller than what you may think.
This phone is one of the best phones i've EVER had. The screen is very rich in color and very responsive to touch. I am also glad that the OS doesn't lag like the T-Mobile Wing (Might be due to low RAM and the slow Windows Mobile OS). The keyboard is also a life saver because i have big hands and touch keyboards like the i phone always get the key that i press wrong. The android market place is great also, there are many of apps available for download. The only problem i have with the market place is that there aren't any screen shots for the programs available. The battery life on the phone can be pretty good if you are not using the phone like a PC. the battery lasts a lot longer if you turn off wifi, bluetooth, 3g, gps, auto sync option, and dim the screen. You should only turn those on when you really need them. People complain about this but there aren't any phones that last long when you have these on at the same time. The scroll ball is also a good addition because it helps with accuracy when on web pages and places where you may be trying to use the touch screen. Street view on maps is great, i went all the way to my house and it even lets you roam the area too.
People who are unsure about this phone should go to the T-Mobile store and try it out for themselves. I'm satisfied with the phone and the Android OS will only grow with time.7 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent! phone Need to own it to really appreciate it
by gckasi on November 22, 2008
Pros: 1. Bright high resolution display.
2. Excellent voice quality.
3. Excellent browser.
4.Great desktop customization features.Feels like you have a mini laptop in your hand.
5.Android Market and its endless possibilities.
6.Notification Window Shade.Cons: No major cons but will list a few "would have liked to have" things
1.G1 doesn't switch to landscape mode unless you open the keyboard up
2. No flash support in the camera
3.No exchange support.
4.No flash support in the browser
5.No virtual keyboardSummary: I was an existing T-mobile customer but i did not pre-order the G1.I first did a lot of research about the phone online.I then looked at it first ...
Summary: I was an existing T-mobile customer but i did not pre-order the G1.I first did a lot of research about the phone online.I then looked at it first hand from some of my collegues in office who had preordered it. Checked out all the features first hand and i was then convinced that this was the phone for me.
A few people have compared it to the iphone and said it doesn't have this or that. Don't pay too much attention it. It works great! No pinching motion on the browser, so what ? the zoom in ,zoom out feature works just fine. No 3.2 mm headphone jack,so what they ship the G1 with a mini adaptor that interfaces with any 3.2mm jack compliant headphone!
The browser rocks! Renders complex web sites with ease. Support for javascript and popups is great! The magnifying lens feature is useful too. Perhaps the most usefull hardware feature is the trackball. Comes in real handy when you want to put the focus on closely spaced links in the browser.The browser on the G1 also loads pages significantly faster than the Iphone.
Love the fact that the desktop can be customized just like you do on your PC. I found the t-mobile 3g network to be really fast as compared to ATT's 3g. The Android OS is rock solid. Hasn't crashed once on me and i have had the G1 for more than 3 weeks now.
The full QWERTY keyboard works really well too and you will hardly make any typo errors. Some of the other pluses are that the storage is an external micro SD card and the fact that one can himself/herself replace the battery without having to return it to the manufacturer for replacement as is the case with the Iphone! Apple! Oh Please!
The biggest driving force behind buying the G1 would have to be the Android market. Android being an open source OS ,developers are going to go ballistic creating apps.There are already quite a few but they are going to grow and grow,the possibilities are endless.
One of my favorite features of the G1 is the Windows shade - your very own little notification center. It notifies you of everything that you might be interested in, be it a new email or a new IM message or the status of a download.It's brilliant!
The G1 has a few limitations as i have mentioned in the "Cons" section but if you think about it they are mostly things that can resolved with a software update in the future. The hardware that the G1 comes with, in particular the fully QWERTY keyboard is the key. You can't add a keyboard with a software update you see.(Iphone users are stuck with their keyboard-less wonder till their 2 year contract ends. What a pity!)
You really need to own a G1 to appreciate it. For all the great work that Google has done with it's Android OS and G1 ,it hasn't done half that job marketing the G1. The G1 is every bit as good as the Iphone , infact better!
I don't have anything against Apple or the Iphone.I just feel that the Iphone is an over hyped device.No doubt the Iphone has laid the standard down for all upcoming smartphones. The G1 however meets it eye to eye ,man to man ( or should i say phone to phone) head-on and beats it hands down ! Go G1!4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great phone, I cant wait for future apps though.
by vinomavcin on November 15, 2008
Pros: The os. Easy to use. Great keyboard. Fast processor.
Cons: No video yet. No pdf viewer.
Summary: I love this phone. I used to have the wing and this phone is so much faster. This article sucks. I mean first of, regardless of comparing this to an ...
Summary: I love this phone. I used to have the wing and this phone is so much faster. This article sucks. I mean first of, regardless of comparing this to an iphone, this is the best tmobile phone so far. They didn't even mention that.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I have actually played with G1! (I'm a tmo sales rep)
by djsinka on October 11, 2008
Pros: AWESOME ease of use...Everything works and it has a highly polished interface. I loved being able to explore the G1 without being frusterated by anything.
Cons: no standard headphone jack, the touchscreen gets kinda smudged quickly, I don't live in a 3g area, so i was using EDGE, still was able to stream video well though, and it didn't really seem like anything was slow.
Summary: I didn't think I would like the g1, all the hype around it, and especially that HTC was the manufacturer. Even when I first had it in my hand, ...
Summary: I didn't think I would like the g1, all the hype around it, and especially that HTC was the manufacturer. Even when I first had it in my hand, I wasn't sure about it. But after playing with it for a minute, I started to LOVE it. I have an unlocked iphone, but I would gladly give it up for the G1, I love how everything just worked... and the qwerty keyboard was a vast improvement over the iphone. I can't wait until I can afford a g1!
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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G1 is not glitzy but it is the best day-in day-out
by cptncrch on October 23, 2008
Pros: Single integrated contacts/calendar/mail eliminates having yet ANOTHER place to have to sync. While it's thicker than the IPhone it's also narrower making it much easier to hold and manipulate one-handed.
Cons: The lack of a real headphone jack and bluetooth stereo and tethering are issues. The latter two will probably be dealt with at some point because they are software issues but the lack of a headphone jack was a real mistake.
Summary: While the IPhone seems to be designed to be manipulated two-handed (and is really too big and thin to use single handed... it tends to want to flip in your ...
Summary: While the IPhone seems to be designed to be manipulated two-handed (and is really too big and thin to use single handed... it tends to want to flip in your hand) the G1 is just the right size to comfortably hold in one hand.
Most of the application limitations that are listed in the review are things that are likely to be dealt with in the near-term via software updates and shouldn't be the basis for making a decision.
Think of the G1 as the more practical workhorse phone while the IPhone is the glitzy phone that has style but sacrifices day to day usability.If you want a phone to impress your friends buy the IPhone. If you want a phone that keeps you connected in the most convenient and form-fitting package then get a G1.5 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Better with age!
by CDRacingZX6R on January 3, 2009
Pros: Bright screen,
Capacitive screen, just like the Iphone.
Full QWERTY keyboard
Track Ball
Full Google mobile integration
Large selection of applications in short time.
Large community support
Great 3G coverage in the So Cal area.
Great web Browser!Cons: Poor battery life without proper management
Buggy applications often end up on market without testing.
Stiff keyboard requires getting used too.
Trackball seems to get stuck and worse weekly.
No native visual voice mail.Summary: When the T-Mobile G1 launched, I was first in line to get one. Not beause I was excited really, but because I had to make the switch to T-mobile because ...
Summary: When the T-Mobile G1 launched, I was first in line to get one. Not beause I was excited really, but because I had to make the switch to T-mobile because I couldn't afford the monthly bill that came with my Iphone 3G on AT&T.
For the first few weeks I thought the phone was decent, but really not in the same leauge or even solar system as the Iphone 3G. The G1's applications at launch were not only limited, but some what silly or amateurish. This was a given considering the young age of the Android OS, but still was disappointing.
However, the things it did do really well at launch was SMS, call quality (FAR SUPERIOR TO THE IPHONE), and the web browsing experience which to my surprise was just like safari except with the use of a track ball if you like. I later learned that the Safari web broswer that is used on the Iphone is based on open source code that google used for the Android OS. Good job google.
But still, I was a little saddened by letting the love of my life (The Iphone 3G) go. Appliations that I found very helpful in my daily life had no future in sight on the Android platform, but oh well..
Fast forward a few months, to the new year. What a difference a few months made.. The applications in the Android Market place jumped form 30 or so, to hundreds. Many of them crap, but to my surprise a great deal of them very good applications that compete with or even beat the applications I used on my Iphone 3G. All for free.
Some such applications:
- Hello AIM (An amazing AIM client, that rivals anything on the Iphone).
- TooDo (A task manager that sinks with Remember the Milk AND Toodledo.com, online managers). Though this bug is buggy at times, and has bad and good updates, it's a great app that I REALLY needed for school. The alternative version I used on the Iphone cost me ten bucks to boot. This one is free and constly getting better with updates.
- Google mail services is awesome. I didn't like it first because I had been so used to using outlook, and other email clients. Now that I've grown used to Gmail email, Gmail Calendar, and of course Gmail chat client, I can say that it's a joy to use.
- Imeem is also a great program. It's similar to that of Pandra radio, in that it streams music based on a band or song you pick. It looks for similar music and continues to stream. I found a lot of unknown bands that I had never heard before with this.
- RingRoid, a great application for making ring tons with the music you have on your SD Card.
- Power management, a tool that I wished had showed up on the Iphone 3G when I had it.
- Shop Savy, great tool for finding the best deals on products rather it be online or at local stores. Just scan the barcode on the box, or type in the product name and there you go.
All and all, there are bugs that are currently being worked on. But I think now that I have grown attached to the T-Mobile G1, I'd rather keep it over the Iphone 3G. If you had asked me this a month ago, I'd have ditched the G1 in a second if I could. But I've really grown attached to it.
If your on the fence give it a try, if you dont like it return it in your buyers remorse period. Can't go wrong.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: HTC
- Part number: 8977627
- Description: In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to lose track of the really important things in your life. Your social calendar is just a bit out of synch and friends are just a bit too far out of reach. Until now... The T-Mobile G1 redefines what it means to be kept in the loop. Feel the exhilarating power and freedom of having all the communication tools you're used to in your hand. Google services are at your disposal with quick one-touch access to Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk and Calendar. Smartly integrated Google maps let you see where your online contacts live in the off-line world. Explore even more of the world with detailed street, traffic and satellite views. Dazzle your friends with the large sensationally crisp 3.2" display. The touch-sensitive navigation is finger friendly and super intuitive but you can swing it out of the way to use the full five-row QWERTY keyboard. There is plenty of room to respond to emails, messages and even chat. G1 delivers an extraordinary browsing experience. The G1's browser comes with a clever multi-page window pane; it lets you surf multiple websites at the same time. Drag the page around with your finger to pan, or move from one link or textbox to another with the handy trackball positioned perfectly for your thumb. And don't worry about waiting for pages to load. The G1 is equipped with 3.5G and Wi-Fi technology... seamlessly switching to always offer you the best connection. Instant notification bar discretely alerts you of emails, text messages or IM sent your way. Whether you're getting mail from Gmail, another POP or IMAP account or receiving IMs from any of the most popular services, you'll be alerted as soon as a message comes in. Make the G1 your G1 with instant access to android market. The market is constantly updated with exciting applications for your T-Mobile G1. Download and install your favorite software, music or games and more. The fully customizable home screen lets you put all the tools and gadgets within your finger tips.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Smartphone (Android OS)
- Form Factor Slider - Full keyboard,
Touch screen - Integrated Components Voice recorder,
GPS receiver,
Digital camera,
Digital player - Width 2.2 in
- Depth 0.7 in
- Height 4.6 in
- Weight 5.6 oz
- Body Color Black
Cellular
- Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
- Band WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900
- Mobile Broadband Generation 3G
- Service Provider T-Mobile
- Operating System Google Android
- Input Device(s) Touch sensitive screen,
QWERTY keyboard - Phone Navigation Buttons Trackball
Messaging & Internet
- Cellular Messaging Services SMS,
MMS - Supported Email Protocols POP3,
IMAP4 Communications
- Data Transmission HSUPA,
HSDPA,
GPRS,
EDGE - Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11b/g,
Bluetooth 2.0 EDR - Communication Features Internet browser,
Mobile Email client Phone Features
- Phone Functions Call timer,
Conference call,
Speakerphone,
Vibrating alert - Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Polyphonic Ring Tone Voice Qty 40
- Additional Features Integrated digital compass,
Built-in motion sensor Media Player
- Supported Digital Audio Standards MP3,
WMA,
MIDI,
AAC,
AAC +,
AMR,
WAV Processor
- Type QUALCOMM MSM7201A
- Clock Speed 528 MHz
Memory
- RAM 192 MB
- ROM 256 MB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSD
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 3.2 megapixels
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
Navigation System
- GPS Navigation GPS receiver
Display
- Type LCD display
- Technology TFT
- Diagonal Size 3.2 in
- Display Resolution 320 x 480 pixels
Connections
- Connector Type Data port - 11 pin HTC ExtUSB
Battery
- Technology Lithium ion
- Capacity 1150 mAh
- Run Time Details Talk - up to 406 min,
Standby - up to 402 hour(s) Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Power adapter
Product series
-
Manufacturer: HTC
Specs: T-Mobile,
WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM,
Up to 300 min,
5.6 oz,
3.2 megapixels,
3.2 in -
Manufacturer: HTC
Specs: T-Mobile,
WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM,
Up to 406 min (GSM),
Up to 350 min (WCDMA),
With digital camera,
5.6 oz,
3.2 megapixels,
3.2 in -
Manufacturer: HTC
Specs: T-Mobile,
WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM,
Up to 406 min (GSM),
Up to 350 min (CDMA),
With digital camera,
5.6 oz,
3.2 megapixels,
3.2 in
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse HTC products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:HTC
- Address:
13920 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005 - Phone: (425) 861-9174
- Email: info@htcamerica.net
- Fax: (425) 861-1715
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