Thoughts On The T-Mobile G1Thoughts On The T-Mobile G1

It's been almost a month since Google, HTC, and T-Mobile unleashed the first Android-powered G1 on the public, and I'm sure there are plenty who are still on the fence. I've been putting the handset through the wringer for the last few weeks and found it's a good device with some ups and down. Is the G1 the right smartphone for you?Design

When I first saw HTC's G1 in pictures I thought it was a clunky beast. But I'm here to tell you that the pictures don't do the handset justice, as it's quite sleek in person and fits comfortable in the pocket. Like other HTC smartphones (like the Touch Diamond), the G1 feels good in your hands. The end of the phone with the track ball curves in a bit, giving it a slight banana phone curve. The call, home, menu, back, and end call buttons are just OK; there were a few times when they were unresponsive.

The 3.2-inch capacitive touch screen is very nice and responsive, and the accelerometer was zippy. The 320-by 480 display is not best in class, but it's bright and good enough for all but the most discerning user. I like that the screen is made of hard plastic instead of glass, as I don't feel like I can damage it as easily as some other touch screens.

Flipping the screen open reveals a full keyboard that I liked. The only real complaint I can see people having with the keyboard is that the keys aren't raised that high, and the space bar could be a lot bigger. Some have said the raised section on the right can get in the way, but I found it a breeze to shoot off messages. The keys have a nice clicking feel, and they're backlit well. I do hate that there's no on-screen keyboard yet, as every single text input (no matter how minor) has to be done with the physical keyboard. As much as I like the keyboard, it's a pain to constantly have to flip the screen out -- but a fix should be here shortly.

The lack of a standard headphone jack is mind boggling, as it forces you to use the included crappy USB headphones. You can use an adapter to get your favorite pair of buds to work, but it's a bulky, ugly solution. To top it off, HTC doesn't even include this in the box, and you have to shell out extra cash for it. The G1 is by no means a multimedia powerhouse, but it's capable enough to replace a separate music player. That's why the lack of a standard jack frustrates me so much.

Overall, I liked the design more than I thought it would. It feels solid without being too thick, and it's pretty enough while still being darn functional. With that said, it does lack the "Wow!" factor that things like the iPhone 3G, or even the BlackBerry Bold, seem to evoke.

Android: The Good And Bad

I don't think anyone is running to get the G1 for the hardware, as this smartphone is definitely all about the software. Since Google introduced it last year, we've all been wondering how Google's open source Android will actually work. What's the verdict? Android has potential, but it needs a lot of polish.

I'll start with what's good, and the Android operating system is definitely solid. In two weeks I didn't have a single crash of the device or have to reset or take the battery out (I apparently never typed in "reboot"). Individual programs or apps may freeze up or lock, but the main engine never went down on me. The overall operating system seems rather speedy as well. I also loved how the majority of the core programs have multiple input redundancies (i.e. you could touch a link in a browser or just use the track ball to scroll to it and click it). This is good because the OS is bound to be on some nontouch devices, and it was still quite simple to navigate various programs and apps.

The G1's notification system is a revelation, and should be the basis on which every other mobile OS handles messages in the future. No matter what application you're in, if you get a missed call, IM, or other message, a nonintrusive icon appears on the top left-hand corner. You can then simply drag down a "window shade" to see what the message is, and tapping the notification will bring you to the correct app. It's smooth, easy, and brilliant. The only niggle I have is that the window shade has to fill the entire screen even if it doesn't necessarily have to. It's a minor beef, and I'm sure it will be ironed out.

Another stellar aspect is how the Android handles background applications, as it automatically adjusts memory and CPU processing power depending on which app you're currently working on. The bottom line is that the overall OS never really gets bogged down or slow, no matter how many apps you have running. It's really good, and it makes me wonder why we've still yet to see the Push Notification System from Apple.

It's also easy to get started with the G1, as you simply enter your Gmail information and in a few minutes your mail, contacts, and Google Calendar are quickly synced. If you're in the Google cloud, this is an incredibly simple and powerful way to get your needed information on a handset. As a guy who has given the search giant way too much information over the years, I was happy to have nearly all the information I wanted on the G1.

The user interface is a bit inconsistent in terms of text, layout, and clickability, but I dig it. The home screen is very customizable, and there tons of pretty features like animated menus and smooth transitions. I'm sure future versions will incorporate widgets and RSS feeds into the home screen, and I can't wait. Google's never been known for its visual panache, and I'm looking forward to some skilled designers taking a crack at reskinning it. The UI is more intuitive than Windows Mobile, but that's not saying much. It's not nearly as pretty as the iPhone either, and I do prefer the more "grown up" UI of the BlackBerry Bold, but the G1 has a very usable and satisfying UI.

But there are some negatives, and the biggest one is that you're completely tied into the Google cloud. There's no Exchange integration -- although that's expected in the near future -- and you're forced to rely on the dreadful Google Contacts. If you're looking for a work and personal phone, I doubt your IT department would let this on even if it did have Exchange integration. There's inconsistency throughout the OS as well. Sometimes, doing a long press will bring up more options, and other times it will do nothing.

Another major issue is battery life. I sincerely suggest investing in multiple chargers and multiple batteries as the G1 absolutely devours battery life. Maybe it's all the background processes, or maybe it can be fixed with a software update (like the iPhone was), but this thing gets atrocious battery life. I absolutely couldn't get through a day with average usage.

Apps And Programs

The Gmail integration is incredible, as you have pretty much the same abilities as you would on the desktop. It's easy to read, compose, and send e-mails. The only problem is that many attachment types -- Office, PDFs -- can only be seen through Google's automatic HTML conversion. You also can't save these on the device, because the device can't recognize these files yet. That's where developers are expected to hop in, but there hadn't been any available at press time. Other Web-based e-mails can be had on the G1, but the integration is nowhere near as good as Gmail.

Google Calendar is fantastic as well, and so is Google Maps. The GPS was a bit wonky when I first got the device, but it seemed to get better as time went on. You have access to maps, Street View, directions, and more on the G1. One of the most-lauded feature of the G1 is the Compass Mode on Google Maps, which offers a 360-degree panoramic street-level view by moving the phone. It's definitely cool, but somewhat gimmicky at the moment. I do envision a near future where this mode will have information (and yes, ads) overlaid on it, and I'm excited about that. For now, it's more of a neat trick to show your friends.

I am convinced that the success of the Android platform will be based on the quantity and quality of the Android Market. In fact, I specifically waited to do this review until I gave it some time to make sure this was populated. The Android Market is intuitive and easy to use, but I was still a bit underwhelmed. There are some genuinely useful apps like Shop Savvy -- which uses the camera to scan bar codes and search the Web and nearby stores for prices -- but I didn't see anything game-changing in there. What is very encouraging is apps like Any Cut appear to have very deep access to the core operations of Android. This paints an incredibly bright future if developers hop on board.

Web browsing on the Chrome Lite browser was good, but I think Google missed an opportunity to make a best-in-class experience. It's a solid browsing experience, but I have some issues with how it renders pages and the fact that you have to hit the menu button to stop a page from loading. It's better than the BlackBerry browser and the woeful mobile Internet Explorer, but it lags behind the iPhone's Safari browser and even Opera Mobile.

Phone Calls, 3G Network

It does what it should, and coverage in San Francisco on T-Mobile's network was good. People on the other end said I sounded clear, and I had no problem hearing people even in windy conditions. It was also quick and easy to pair the G1 with a Bluetooth headset (I used the BlueAnt V1 and an old Plantronics headset). The virtual dialer is responsive and easy to use as well.

I found great 3G reception all around San Francisco, and particularly in my Tenderloin apartment. I didn't do a speed test (completely forgot), but browsing speeds and downloads were quick and on par with other 3G devices. T-Mobile is just rolling out its 3G network, so be sure to see if it has coverage in your town. There's always Wi-Fi, but the G1 is at its best when it has near-ubiquitous high-speed connection.

Multimedia

It's no iPhone killer in terms of music playback, but the G1's standard player is fine. It comes with a 1-GB microSD card and you can pop a larger one in easily. The handset mounts as a drive, so adding songs is as simple as dragging and dropping. The standard audio player does what you would expect, but I'd advise immediately downloading TuneWiki for you audio needs. The Amazon MP3 store integration is well-done, although I wish I could have purchased tracks over the 3G network. I was able to buy a DRM-free song ("This Year") over Wi-Fi and it was simple to do.

There's no built-in video player, but one showed up in the Android Market on the first day. It does the job with no frills, but there should be bigger and better versions in the future.

Overall

If you're looking for a smartphone that you can integrate with your office, I'd suggest you look at the BlackBerry Bold or Storm, HTC Touch Pro, iPhone 3G, or even the Nokia E71. This is definitely aimed at the casual crowd, and my buddy the Boy Genius astutely said the G1 can best be described as the adult Sidekick, and I wholeheartedly agree.

During this review, I've probably said a variation of the phrase "this should be addressed by developers in the future" about 40 times. Android is going to be a work in progress, but it shows a lot of potential. Of course, Kwame Brown showed a lot of potential too, but I think the Android software is going to be an All-Star soon. I'm not spellbound by the G1 hardware, and think we'll see some really cool Android devices in the next couple years. I'll probably wait until next year to give the OS time to mature and for some cooler hardware to trickle out.

What do you think of the G1? Is there anything that I'm leaving out? No mobile roundup this week (please, hold back the tears), but I'm always on the lookout for feedback and news. Feel free to drop me a line in the comments or at [email protected].