Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2008 > October > 16 > Entry
T-Mobile G1 (Google Android) phone: First impressions (Updated)
On Wednesday, T-Mobile will launch its G1 phone, the first to use Google’s Android platform.
Make no mistake: they’re setting their sites firmly on the iPhone. The price will be $179 and it features many of the things that have made Apple’s phone a favorite: a big, bright touch screen. A powerful Web browser that allows you to view full Web pages instead of downscaled mobile versions. 3G data speeds, music and video players, and a camera.
I’m not ready to review the phone: we’ve only had it since Sunday and, like the iPhone 3G, I think sussing out the phone’s quirks and benefits will take a while longer. But I can tell you what I think so far of the phone based on the few days I’ve had to play around with the phone.
First: it’s clunky. Though it’s made of a nice, smooth metal that feels sturdy and durable, it’s quite a bit thicker than an iPhone. It also has a bend near the place where you’d speak into the phone that gives it a less-than-aerodynamic look. If you thought this phone might be sleeker than an iPhone, it’s not. But the heft and size certainly isn’t a deal-breaker. Given that the size allows for a full keyboard that slides out, Sidekick-style, many will forgive the dimensions.
Another design quirk is a Blackberry Pearl-like rolling ball that allows you to scroll on Web pages or select items as a button. I found it distracting and unnecessary at first, but the more I used it the more I liked it.
The first thing the phone does when it boots up the first time is ask you to enter your Gmail login and password. If you have a Google account, your e-mail, contacts and Google Calendar information will automatically synchronize. It’s a beautiful feature, simple and quick, and not requiring the phone to be plugged into a computer. Why can’t the iPhone do this?
Some of the phone’s software is quite good. Once you get used to the phone’s “Menu,” “Back” and “Home” buttons, it’s easy to zip through your Gmail, enter Web URLs in the browser or send text messages.
The touch screen doesn’t seem as responsive as the iPhone, but scrolling down pages and selecting links works fine.
The Market, the G1 equivalent of Apple’s App Store is active, but the offerings are slim. I was most surprised there was no application, either built into the phone or in the Market store, for using Google Reader. I’m hoping someone addresses that soon.
After several days of trying, I still haven’t been able to get the phone to connect to my Wi-Fi connection at home. I had the same problem with the Nokia N-95, yet my iPhone and all other Wi-Fi devices in my home, work just fine. Outside of Austin, T-Mobile’s 3G service was non-existent. In New Braunfels, I haven’t been able to get 3G speeds, so the phone reverts to the pokey EDGE network. It’s no fun Web browsing or using Google Maps at EDGE speeds.
Which brings me to one showstopper: Google Maps with GPS on the phone is extremely well-implemented, offering not only standard maps, but also satellite and Street View. Street View in particularly is stunning. Not only does it offer a similar experience to what you get on a desktop, but the touchscreen makes panning around a 360-degree street image even more intuitive and fun. This is one feature I’d be very worried about if I was Apple or RIM.
The keyboard is fine, but not as great a change as I’d hoped. The keys feel too tiny and require too much pressure. Maybe I’ve gotten too used to the iPhone’s virtual keyboard, but I found typing slower on the G1.
I didn’t experience a single application crash in the time I used the G1. It seems pretty stable as a software platform.
I’ll have a full review of the phone perhaps as early as next week, but so far I find the phone to be a pretty great alternative to the iPhone, especially given that the Market store will surely grow and improve. It’s not as brilliantly designed as the iPhone or some Blackberry models, but the amount of power and features you get for $179 is pretty convincing. I’ll have plenty more to tell you about it in the near future.
Here are a few photos:
Update, 2:45 p.m. Thursday: Using the phone today, I had a half hour period where neither the EDGE network nor 3G worked at all in downtown Austin. I was out of any Wi-Fi zones, so as far as anything Internet-related, the phone was completely dead. No idea what happened, but a few minutes and several reboots later, things went back to normal.
If you want to read more reviews, you can find David Pogue’s write-up from the New York Times (which I completely agree with) and Engadget’s write-up. Engadget found several problems I didn’t encounter (specifically with the GPS). They go into great detail, but it’s not their final word; they’re promising a future full review.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Austin, Internet, Phones, Shopping
Comments
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By Arret
October 4, 2009 1:33 AM | Link to this
I'm planning on getting the iphone 3G/3GS unlocked and i'm with 3 at the moment i have an unlimited usage plan and i was wondering if this would work with the iphone for example Applications, Safari, Maps etc?
By AustinAaron
October 16, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this
Read that Engadget review, as well. Your issues with the 3G and EDGE networks have me a bit shaky. I'm one of the few (I suppose) that can't stand the iPhone. Have been eagerly awaiting the release of the G1 and the BB Bold. Out of several reviews found, they all seem to agree that the G1 is just not up to par. I've always been a fan of the Sidekick, though. So I thought maybe having the T-Mobile styled QWERTY would greatly benefit my texting. I've grown tired of texting everyone to "Duck off."
Looks like I'll await the Bold's review. Any thoughts from anyone else?