T-Mobile is to expand sale of the first Google-powered handset into continental Europe, following launch last October in the UK and US. In a statement, the operator said the HTC G1 device – which runs Google’s Android operating system – will launch in Germany on 2 February. A Reuters report cites T-Mobile chief executive Hamid Akhavan as adding that the touchscreen device will also be launched in the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Austria by 30 January and will hit Poland sometime in February. Akhavan added that the G1 had sold “several hundred thousand” units in the US, where it retails for US$179 with a two-year contract. In Germany the phone will sell from €1 on a two-year contract. The high-profile Android operating system is expected to appear on a number of smartphones in the next 12 months, having won support from major manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG, Huawei and Motorola.

Meanwhile, a separate Reuters report today quotes Akhavan as stating that T-Mobile and parent company Deutsche Telekom plan no acquisitions in the foreseeable future as the global credit crunch is making takeovers unattractive. However, the T-Mobile chief executive said the German telecoms group is only putting its M&A plans on hold and that growth through acquisitions – especially in the mobile business – remains an integral part of the company’s strategy. Akhavan’s comments follow those of France Telecom CEO Didier Lombard, who told a press conference in Paris last week that it would be “impossible” for his firm to make any large scale M&A deals in the current market climate.