T-Mobile releases the G1 at retail stores today and is opening stores at 8 a.m. to kick things off early. The first ever Google-branded device is being sold only in areas where T-Mobile has 3G coverage, which includes a list of around 95 cities (people outside the 3G territory can still order one from a store or online). I’ll be dropping by a store on my way to WebbyConnect to check out the scene and experience the retail-buying process as someone who didn’t have access to pre-order sales. [Note: Matt was able to buy a phone quickly this morning with no lines in front of the store. Look for an update shortly.]

T-Mobile also released some interesting details leading up to the anticipated launch:

—For about half of all T-Mobile customers who pre-ordered a G1, they are upgrading from a basic handset.
—Since the phone was announced Sept. 23, T-Mobile’s microsite for the G1 has tracked five times more traffic than any comparative product launch (and as we noted, was often down the first couple of days as it tried to handle all the pre-orders).