Android's entrance makes a big splash in a nice package
Written: Feb 03 '09
Product Rating:
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Pros: Open Android OS, combination of touch and tactile, marketplace, seamless integration, mobile internet
Cons: Build quality is a little lacking, android isn't quite there yet, lacks headphone jack
The Bottom Line: The G1's acceptable hardware is a good launching point for Android and a fully functional smartphone combining both tactile and touch inputs for those in the market for one.
For T-mobile users in the US we hardly get a great exclusive phone. Sure there's the Sidekick and the Wing but they don't match the level of the iPhone or Instinct. Luckily that has changed recently with the introduction of the T-mobile G1. The first Google phone that features the Android Operating System (OS).
I received my G1 for Christmas last year and I've fallen in love with it since. As a T-mobile customer I tend to buy unlocked phones because I don't like extending my contract and the general lack of good phones provided by T-mobile. However I couldn't pass up the G1 because of what it could to and my desire for the web everywhere. I wanted to see if I would like a smartphone and the G1 was my first endeavor in this.
For starters the design of the phone includes a 3.25 inch touchscreen and 5 face buttons for call, end call, going back, going to the home screen, and a menu button. There is also a trackball for more precise movement. As you probably know the screen flips up revealing a full qwerty keyboard. Some may find it hard with the chin on the right side but I like it because my thumbs are long enough to reach the keys and I can easily press the back button or use the trackball while browsing the web. Also on the device is a volume rocker button to switch the phone from silent to vibrate and ring volume. It can also change application volume like for music. There is also a camera button so the phone can be held like a camera. The device overall is kind of thick with the solid keyboard and flip out screen. The chin is something I don't mind but I could see how it may get in the way, especially when typing. Although this does not bother me. It doesn't have a cool metallic design or anything but this phone isn't just for looks.
As for the touchscreen, overall it is very responsive and works well. Unfortunately there is no multitouch like the iPhone but apparently the device supports it but no applications do just yet. Some apps are rumored to becoming out that use it and I'm sure you'll find them if you google it. The flick response works well and its pretty precise. At times it can be sluggish due to the device slowing down, not because of the touch screen. Also if you have stubby fingers like me it may be hard to exactly hit something but the trackball is extremely useful in these situations.
The worst part about the G1 is not the software, its the hardware. Like I said, there are somethings that are sluggish, and Android probably isn't completely optimized yet but the OS performs well for an initial release. Unfortunately it is limited to about 70~ MB (megabytes) of storage, as opposed to the iPhone's 4, 8, or 16 GB. However the option for mini SD cards expands the storage. I found a 4 GB for 10 bucks so its not too bad. But apps can only be installed on the device and not on the card which limits you to about 20 apps unfortunately. Because of its expandability, Android could be upgraded in the future fairly quickly. In fact there is already a way to do this if you do a quick search for it. Also the build quality of the G1 is a little lacking. The screen creaks on the bottom right due to the separation between the keyboard and this can get annoying. Also, when its flipped open it leans slightly to the left after a month or two of use. I'm just speaking on my own experience but your results may vary.
Since its much easier to describe that apps individually rather than the phone as a whole I'll break them down for you and do an overall review of how well it works. Included apps:
Dialer/Contacts: The touchscreen dialer works flawlessly and contains 4 tabs for your contacts, favorites, and call log. Pressing the menu button brings up options to mute the call, put it on hold, use bluetooth or speaker, and swap or join them. In the contacts you can add email addresses and street address and by pressing them it will open your gmail or email client or Google maps, a nice way in which everything syncs together. Calls sound clear and come through well on the other end, even on bluetooth. I'm told it sounds better than my old phone, which was a Motorola ROKR Z6.
Messaging: The best part about the messaging is the threaded aspect which shows you a dialogue of all your messages with that person, similar to the iPhone's. So instead of checking someone's message they sent you two hours ago you just scroll to look at it. Texting works well on the hard keyboard but it is tiresome to flip open the keyboard every time you need to text. Luckily there is an app which lets you use a virtual keyboard available on the marketplace.
Calender: Does what you expect and works seamlessly with your Google account. It syncs with your account so you can add things on both without connecting your device to a computer. Adding new events is easy and reminders are set by default. It works well on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis like the Google calendar online. There's also a feature you can set up online which gives you the highs and lows (temperature) on your calendar for a three-day span.
Music player: Sound quality is good overall and it has a nice look. Playlists and scrolling work well within the app and it a nice and functional music app. However it lacks on features like equalizer and visualization and a bass boost at the very least would have been nice. Lack of headphone jack on device also hurts this.
Camera: I'll just say that this stock app is very basic and the device's camera is already pretty poor (high shutter time, no flash, bland quality, etc.). Make sure you check the SnapPhoto app on the marketplace (look for it coming up a little further in the review). Browser: Overall the browser performs well. After sometime running with a lot of windows it can get kind of slow. Pages display well on the screen and viewing most pages works well with the touch screen and use of the trackball when scrolling and selecting. Opening new windows is as easy as holding your finger on the link you want to open and the same thing goes for saving an image. It includes all features you'd expect on your computer like bookmarks, history, saving passwords, etc. I'm in a 2G network area and speeds are fairly decent. On Wifi it works well and it feels like the real web at good speeds. Unfortunately the Wifi on the device doesn't have a great range but in most areas it shouldn't have too many problems.
Gmail/Email: By default you need to set up your G1 with a Google account (for syncing with the calendar and such). A gmail app allows flawless integration with the G1 which works with the contacts and browser. Everything is clean and easy to use. The email may be a bit difficult to setup with some accounts but it works as long as you have an email address that is compatible with pop3 or imap. Unfortunately there is no exchange support by default and yahoo mail only works with a $20 subscription to yahoo's service. Loading is fast and it just works well.
Google maps: As I mentioned before, the contacts app syncs with google maps so you can get directions quickly. It loads a pretty good speeds on 2G, great on Wifi, and works just like google maps on your computer. You can do a satellite view, street view, a combination, or even street view. Directions can done with a few touches of the screen and you can even use GPS to find your present location. The street view works with the compass in the phone so you can literally move your phone and see what you would see as if you were on that street. Needless to say, Google crafted their maps program to perfectly execute on this phone. IM: The IM client works with all the popular ones including AIM, yahoo, google, and windows messenger. Just as with the email client, it just works. It has a clean interface and the screen space certainly helps the application. Youtube: Since youtube is owned by Google you'd expect it to work well with the G1, and it does. If you start typing at anytime you can open a search bar to find the video your looking for. You can add favorites and look at the most viewed, most recent, top rated, etc. Videos load well on 2G speeds but ideal at Wifi. Quality is alright but nothing special. Some videos look just plain bad but most turn out alright. The app syncs with the browser and if there's a youtube video on a page it will give you the option to load the video with the youtube app. Good apps on marketplace:
All the ones I'm listing here are free apps as of the time writing this review unless otherwise mentioned and the versions are as of 2/2/09.
SnapPhoto: Like I said before, this camera app is much better than the one that comes with the G1. It has the same share, save, and delete functions but includes a menu that can be adjusted while the camera is in use with a touch. It also has stability detection with the accelerometer. It has quality adjusting, burst shot, night shot, white balance, effects (like sepia), and a timer which the stock app doesn't have.
PicSay: This is a nice photo editing app that allows you to put objects on your pics, change the color or look, add speech balloons, and add all sorts of special things. You can send these pics to your friends in general its just a fun app.
Steel: A nice browser that supports the accelerometer meaning if you flip the device on the side (even without opening the keyboard) it will change to a horizontal layout. I really wish everything on the G1 would work this way, but we can only hope it will be updated at some point. Steel also has a very usable virtual keyboard that even flips in the horizontal state to allow even more room. It loads pretty well but its not quite as fast as the stock browser.
ChompSMS: This is a nice SMS client that allows you to use your carrier to send text messages with a touchscreen keyboard so you don't have to open your keyboard everytime you want to type (but you still can if you want). It also supports Chomp's SMS service so you can send international text messages at the flat rate of 10 cents per message.
Scoreboard: This app is by Google. It is important to note that there are a few apps designed to get the scores of specific sports (like a college basketball app) but this one covers all major sports. It includes the NFL, NHL, college basketball and football (including women's). It also has English soccer/football leagues but it doesn't include the MLS (American soccer league). There's also the ability to add favorite teams so only they will load. You can also check game scores from previous games in the year. Unfortunately it loads pretty slow on 2G speeds when your loading an entire league's scores.
Shopsavy: This has been kind of a popular app that was displayed even before launch. With this you can use the camera to scan a barcode in the store and find the cheapest prices online and locally using the GPS to find stores near you and you can save the item for future referance It works very well but some items aren't found all the time. The Compare Everywhere app is similar to this and provides the same function.
Loot: There are several apps on the marketplace that can help you keep track of your finances. Some cost money (like Fire Wallet) but some are free (like Loot). I like both but Loot lets you add weekly, biweekly, or monthly reoccurring direct deposits or expenses you incur. You can add transactions and transfers between accounts (like paying off your credit card) and use negative balances to reflect your true overall balance. Its a pretty cool app if you want to take the time to keep track of your finances this way. Games on Marketplace:
Pac-Man: This is the most notable title on marketplace and so far the best. It works with the trackball, touchscreen, or accelerometer but it works best with the trackball. Most people know Pac-Man so there's not much to say here. A definite must as long as its free.
Bonsai Blast: This is a functional Zuma clone that uses the touchscreen but its a little difficult to play with my stubby fingers. It still works well and its a fun time waster.
Tetroid: If you couldn't tell by the name, this is a Tetris clone that works OK for a free game. But I would recommend the EA version if you want to pay for it, which is available on EA mobile's site.
Overall OS and use:
If you have noticed a continuing theme its probably that the device integrates everything and syncs well as one unit and with your Google account. A lot of apps work together to perform functions like routing your trip using Google maps with your contacts. The G1 syncs with your Google account a few times a day so that your contacts and events are always up to date with alarms by default. The seamless feeling works with the notification bar which displays any ongoing things, like music, or notifications, like alarms, text messages, emails, etc. To see them you just flick the bar down to view them. Android also keeps your last 6 apps open if you hold down the Home button to bring them up.
The home screen itself is nice because its completely customizable. Of course the wall paper is but it goes beyond that. First there's 3 screens that you can go to by gliding your finger to the left or right. So the wallpaper has this extended look that runs through the whole thing. If you press and hold your finger on the screen you can add widgets like a clock or search bar (Google of course). But you can also add "picture frames" which means you can take any pic on your phone and put it on top of your background, which takes up roughly 1/4th of one of the 3 screens. You can also add folders and shortcuts of bookmarks from your browser. And you can certainly add any shortcut you want from your apps and dragging it onto the screen after you flick the menu up. So whether you like empty space or the whole thing completely filled its entirely up to you!
Whats also cool is that the unlock mechanism for the phone is a pattern you draw with your finger or thumb. So instead of pressing in a number you glide your phone to pattern you choose. Anytime you want to turn off the screen you can press the End button and to unlock it press the Menu button (and do the pattern if you choose to do so). In a way I wish it was possible to answer and end calls with the touchscreen instead of the buttons but its really not a huge deal. I do prefer tactile response overall, especially with the keyboard and texting. The battery life on the device is so-so. I gave it a 3 because it will last you through the day but don't expect to keep Wifi and GPS on all the time. Its a good idea to turn off some of the wireless functions when their not in use. Using the device heavily, such as internet browsing, playing games, or listening to music, it will probably last around 10 hours. Just make sure you turn the brightness to a lower, but still acceptable setting and keep track of what settings you have on. Closing Comments:
All in all it seems like Android has a good start with some pretty decent hardware. It would have been nice if the camera quality was better (it is 3.2 megapixels but doesn't look it) and if it had flash. Or if it included more onboard memory. But the G1 is a suitable smartphone and when you pop in a nicely sized mini SD card you have all the storage you need. Android is a bit like windows when you compare it to the iPhone. Its more about function over form providing more usability and variety in apps which aren't regulated by Google or anyone other than the community. Its your choice on what you want your phone to do and what apps it has and if there's a desire for it most likely the community will fill the hole. Android has proved that it has a lot of potential and the G1 is just a start, a good phone for anyone who wants a smartphone that's trying to do something new. Before I close this review I just want to mention that the "cupcake" update should be coming out sometime soon that will add features like a virtual keyboard, video recorder, save MMS attachments, stereo bluetooth, and various bug fixes. And of course I couldn't end this review without mentioning that I typed some of it using my G1!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 179.99 Recommended for: Professionals On-the-Go - Internet and Email is a Must!
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