T-Mobile’s G1 smartphone with Google’s open-source Android platform will be available from UK T-Mobile shops from October 30, before going on sale across Europe - a slight advance on its initial “early November” estimate. The phone is free on contracts costing from £40 a month and comes with touch-screen, QWERTY, GPS, 3.5G internet, WiFi and - oh yes - Google’s (NSDQ: GOOG) Android OS. T-Mobile has yet to open the floodgates of pre-ordering the G1 in UK but claims 25,000 UK users have pre-registered interest in pre-ordering —still rather less than the 1.5 million reportedly pre-ordered in America. Nevertheless, there could be a fair few under Christmas trees this year…

• Updated: G1 Live: T-Mobile Says November Launch Set For Google Android G1, Handset Free