Is T-Mobile Too Late With Android-Powered myTouch 3G?

its second smartphone based on the Google Android mobile operating system

The unveiling of the T-Mobile myTouch 3G comes after weeks of speculation around the carrier's Google Android plans, but more importantly it comes after the smartphone market was rocked by two major releases in the form of the Apple iPhone 3G S and the long-awaited Palm Pre, Palm's return to smartphone dominance.

So is the T-Mobile myTouch 3G too late to the party to make any impact?

Yes and no.

No, because Google Android has struck a chord for a certain number of smartphone buyers. The open-source crowd is eating it up. And releasing a follow-up to the moderately popular T-Mobile G1, T-Mobile's first Android-powered smartphone, will be sure to capture that set.

Also, if T-Mobile's first Android offering was able to sell one million devices in just a couple of months, it has already appeased the early adopters and the follow-up will thrust Android into the mainstream, sparking more interest.

The problem is the timing of the T-Mobile myTouch 3G. In the ever-changing smartphone market, timing is everything. And here's the rub: T-Mobile officially announces its second Android device just weeks, nay days, after two new touch-screen titans -- the Apple iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre -- hit the market.

Last Friday, the Apple iPhone 3G S became available, generating the long lines and massive crowds reminiscent of the launches of the first two generations of iPhones.

Then, there's the Palm Pre. Seen by many as the dark horse, the Pre hit stores on June 6 and has been selling swiftly enough for it to be considered a success, but not yet a runaway hit.

The challenge for the T-Mobile myTouch 3G is to offer users something better than the competition. T-Mobile managed to do that with the G1, since it was the first publicly available Google Android smartphone it was already a differentiator. So what's new with T-Mobile's second Android offering that will give smartphone buyers a reason to go with Android?

The HTC-built T-Mobile myTouch 3G lacks the physical keyboard offered in the G1, which was a major selling point for the device at its launch. Instead, the myTouch 3G is a candy bar form factor with a virtual keyboard on the touch-screen. The device also sports a 3.2-megapixel camera, video recording and a music player -- all options that are on the G1 in one form or another thanks to the recent Cupcake, or Android 1.5, update.

T-Mobile however, noted that its second Google Android phone will be lighter and have a longer battery life than its predecessor.

T-Mobile said the device will be available at the end of July for about $200 with a two-year service contract; no cheaper than the Apple iPhone 3G S or the Palm Pre.

Another hurdle for the myTouch 3G is T-Mobile's 3G network, which so far doesn't have the proliferation of its main competitors. The iPhone 3G S runs on AT&T's 3G network, while the Palm Pre runs on Sprint's, both of which offer larger coverage areas than T-Mobile's.

When it comes down to it, it's really all about choice and buyer preference, but T-Mobile is entering the summer smartphone showdown a little late with the myTouch 3G, meaning it could take a hit on sales against the new iPhone and the Pre.

Though, with any new smartphone, it'll be a wait-and-see for exactly how it performs against its two chief rivals.