T-Mobile and Google have teamed to release the first touch screen phone with Google’s “Android” mobile OS. Google hopes to release this operating system on a variety of phones, but the G1 is clearly a direct response to Apple’s iPhone.

The device has many features that the iPhone lacks, such as a “real” keyboard, but it is curiously missing things like a headphone jack - which seems like it would be important, since Amazon is serving up an MP3 store on the phone that should rival Apple’s iTunes music store on the iPhone.

It’s a little too early to tell just how successful this phone and OS will be, but T-Mobile is pricing it aggressively, at $179. It will be available Oct. 22.