T-Mobile G1 first hands-on (updated)
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Sep 23rd 2008 11:54AM
posted Sep 23rd 2008 11:54AM
Update: We're adding another gallery as we speak. Here's some initial observations: the browser is much choppier than the iPhone's, there seem to be two separate mail apps, one for Gmail and a separate IMAP app, and there seems to be no multitouch functionality. Check out the gallery below for a lot more views, and we'll be updating this as necessary!
Can't wait.
For some reason I'm not too excited about it event, probably because of the form factor of the current phone. I would probably be more interested if it has some sort off iPhone killer.
Why does it have to be an iphone killer to be considered good?
To me, if Android truly wants to get a large market share, it should ignore the iPhone crowd and go after Blackberry, WM, and S60 users.
These people actually use the power of the phones they carry for work versus just taking pretty pictures and listening to music.
Yea, looking forward to it. Hopefully it will “shake things up”, kinda like Chrome. The only thing missing is some pizzazz on the finish. So how about Colorware?
http://www.colorwarepc.com/
Better yet, sign a deal with Google to keep the cost of this added color coolness looow...
You mean like all those other touch screens that are iPhone-esque? I can care less for those phones. I have an Instinct, and boy do I feel pretentious since it looks so much like an iPhone. I'm glad they're not using a silhouette that's similar to the iPhone. Forget the competition, forget the iPhone, this is theirs. Why are you people so interested in iPhone killers anyway? Just get an iPhone and stop harassing other phones.
Why it will fail:
It doesn't do video (having to download some app doesn't count).
It costs almost the same as the iPhone.
Anyway, does it at least have cut & paste?
kjb434 - "taking pretty pictures"? iPhone has a 2mp camera. Nothing pretty about that. My N82 has truly replaced my point-n-shoot. N95 before that. When Android's on a phone w/ camera centric specs I'll definitely look closely. Nokia's floundering lately.
Unfortunately, having to sign up with Google to purchase/use the phone is a show-stopper for people or corporations concerned about the ownership of their data.
Until there is a way to sync with a user's own PC/company servers, this phone (despite its exciting Open Source promise) is only for those who don't mind Google owning their email, docs, spreadsheets, contact lists, photos, etc.
Once user data hits Google's servers, Google pretty much owns it.
Excerpt from Google's "Terms of Service":
"...
11. Content license from you
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.
..."
The G1 phone is ok for first gen. I am looking forward to G2, G2.1 or even G3.
Once I can get the phone running on my carrier (not AT&T nor T-Mobile) I will be interested.
@phs... it is done like that so they can store and display the information. Go look into most services, they have (or should have) a clause like that. Also check out the Google Blog for more info about that too. (It was an issue in the Chrome licensing.)
Any chance you'll be able to get a rom dump? ;)
My Bad, Well this is my 1st "First"
Its Open Source, why would u need a rom dump.
aaaaaaaaaaaaah so exciting.
Eh. Guess not. Damn you, Rashaad!
Faaaaaaaail
(holding out for "Lowest Ranked"--fingers crossed)
You'll be holding out for a long time. As far as I can tell, they only have Low Ranked now. I guess it's to avoid embarrassment or something, but honestly I miss it.
SPECS SPECS SPECS
* 528Mhz Qualcomm 7201 processor
* Data kit for USB connectivity in the box
* 64MB Internal RAM
* 128MB Internal ROM
* 1GB MicroSD card
* 5 Row QWERTY keypad
* Trackball
* Dedicated camera button
* 3.1MP camera (no flash) 2048 x 1536
* Video playback files - H.264, streaming, 3GPP, MPEG4, and Codec 3GP
* Dedicated YouTube Player
* Audio playback files - MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, MPEG4, WAV, MIDI, REAL AUDIO, OGG
* Wallpaper supports JPG, BMP, PNG, and GIF
* Speakerphone (mono, natch)
* Ringtones (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA)
* HTTP, WAP Push, xHTML
* Bluetooth (class 1)
* Picture Caller ID
# Quad Band (850, 900, 1800, 1900)
# 3G
# 802.11b & 802.11g
# UMTS (1,4), HSDPA, SUPL
# 1150mAh battery
# Screen size is 3.17″ with HVGA (480 x 320)
# Handset 117 x 55 x 16mm
# 5.6 oz weight
# Sync capable with Google Calendar
# Downloadable content via Android Marketplace
# Google Streetview with built-in compass
# Dedicated YouTube Player
# AIM, MSN, YAHOO, and GTALK messaging
# 3.1MP camera (no flash) 2048 x 1536
Android soft at http://www.androidfreeware.org/
Try these instead:
• Qualcomm MSM7210A running @ 528 MHz
• 256MB ROM / 192MB RAM
• Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Dual-band (1700/2100Mhz) UMTS/HSDPA (3G)
o Full HSPA support - 7.2Mbps HSDPA (downstream) and 2Mbps HSUPA (upstream)
• WiFi 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
• myFaves-enabled
• GPS capabilities
• Display: 3.2-inch touchscreen @ 320 x 480 (HVGA) resolution
• Voice recognition, voice dialing and speakerphone
• Intuitive user interface and hinged touch screen that slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard
• Full Cut-and-Paste functionality
• 3-megapixel camera with photo-sharing (geo-tagging) capabilities
T-Mobile G1 in Black
• Convenient trackball for one-handed navigation
• Full HTML Web browser (”Chrome Lite”) with zoom function that expands any page section by simply tapping on the screen
• One-click contextual search to instantly find relevant information with a touch of a finger in any application
• Rich HTML email client, which seamlessly syncs e-mail from most other POP3 or IMAP mail services, including Gmail; displays photos and graphics right along with the text
• At-Launch Applications:
o ShopSavvy: designed to help people do comparative shopping
o Ecorio: developed to help people keep track of their daily travels and view what their carbon footprint looks like
o BreadCrumbz: enables people to create a step-by-step visual map using photos; customers can create their own routes, share them with friends or with the world
o Amazon MP3 Store (pre-installed on device): enables people to search DRM-free, full-track MP3 music and download that music from Amazon directly to their device using a Wi-Fi connection
o Instant messaging application with support for AIM, GTalk, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger
o YouTube video application
• Google Maps - provides map information, satellite imagery, local business info and driving directions as well as MyLocation to let users know where they are; Google Maps Street View syncs with the built-in compass on the phone – an industry first – to allow users to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with their hand
• Music player supports MP3, M4A (iTunes AAC, DRM-free), AMR, WMA, MIDI, WAV, OGG Vorbis
• microSD card slot supports up to 8GB microSD cards - 1 GB Micro SD memory included with T-Mobile G1
• Talk-time: Up to 350 minutes for WCDMA (3G) or up to 406 minutes for GSM; Up to 402 hours for WCDMA (3G) or up to 319 hours for GSM
• Dimensions: 4.60” x 2.16” x 0.62”
• Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Three color options in the U.S. - white, brown and black
Damn that looks nice!
Android has a great interface but the hardware chosen looks crappy !
@Robotochan: It looks nice? In what way? Looking at it, I'm getting flashbacks to the 90's. Those flush-mount dark grey buttons on a dark grey case at the bottom are like the very first Palms or even earlier pagers. Seriously--I'm getting nostalgic. Problem is, I don't want nostalgia when using the latest phone--I want whiz bang. The software may be cool (yet to make a decision on that) but the hardware/case design is downright retro in my eyes. Is that what they were going for?
bootiful
SO.......
is it (the interface/software) awesome or not??
It looks very Google. Few extraneous design enhancements... just a plastic box, a few buttons, a nice 5-row keyboard, slide out functionality...
...very nice. I love Google's spartan designs in software, it seems so appropriate that HTC would make this the Android phone. Positively brilliant, though... the lack of any sort of a D-Pad may kill gaming hopes.
Somebody missed the point.
well they managed to put in this thing called a keyboard. maybe you can game on it. /sarcasm
Are you joking me? Spartan? A touchscreen, and face buttons, and a trackball and a slide out keyboard? The fact that their design is so muddled and has so many excessive methods of interaction is one thing that really puts me off this phone.
No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.
It's Wi-fi and 3g and gprs. How many different types of wireless do you want.
there is wifi.. unless you mean no tethering?
It's a 3G phone and it supports wifi? Are you looking for wimax? Huh?
Heh. Woooooosh! Right over at least a couple people's head. It's an old slashdot reference.
http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/1816257&tid=107
Not sure how this is relevant, but for the uninitiated: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/1816257&tid=107
Sexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxy !!! it makes me hot !!!
Screw the phone.. tell us about android!
Best ringtone for this phone?
“Planet Rock” by Africa Bambaataa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Bambaataa
Whoa, the back is branded "Google". I didn't expect that. Would be interested in knowing if that's just for this launch or a legal requirement for all carriers issuing Android powered phones.
It's branded "with Google" -- a tad different.
I was thinking the same thing, except they should put the T-Mobile logo on the back and Google on the front.
Except now its combination:
HTmogole......
Just look at those 2 happy geeks in the first picture!!!
Damn, that thing looks ugly. Straight outta the 90's. Not for me, open source or not.
amen to that. it looks like something that was on the design bench when the original StarTAC was being worked on. i'm sure it has it's perks, but still it's hideous.
plus it lacks the hype factor... kind of an important thing in this type of products... samsung instinct seems much more appealing
I fail to see the usefullness of the dedicated 5 buttons onthe bottom, other than to add more clutter and take away from the minimalism look ...
What is wrong with using the touch screen?
Ah the blaggards...
Because people like feedback when they apply input. We're not all unreasonable apple fanboys like you.
In reality there is nothing wrong with using a touch screen. The same goes for a few specific buttons. Some people like one, and some the other. It's called personal preference.
Listen, no one is badmouthing the phone, just the design.. look at the uther comment.. it is a unanimous decision that this thing is fugly...
This is the same reason why americal cars come with so many gadgets... to distract the user from the fact that the car is crap... ooh look 5 buttons on the front thats 4 more than the iPhone... my car has a mini fridge in the glove compartment (dodge crap) but its 2 days old and the dash is rattleing...
stick to the point.. this should be about Android... not adding crap to a phone that will turn off people from the platform... I'm sorry but if you line up both iBrick and this... most customers will be walking out with the iPhone...
@ Shyam D,
talking bout personal preference while saying "We're not all unreasonable apple fanboys like you". that's weird.
i have an iphone but im really excited to get my g1 on the 22nd. its way too hard to text when driving if you dont have "real" buttons...its there so that people who like the touch keyboard can use that and people who like real buttons can use that. its called, accommodating to everybody's preferences.
Why would they choose such fugly hardware to debut this on....especially with all the awesomeness coming from HTC?
U G L Y IT AIN'T GOT NO ALIBI...etc...
Seriously, what were they thinking? I was wondering whether I'd start to regret the iPhone but DAMN that thing is horrible to look at. When are those buttons from, 1992?
That keyboard looks soooooo much nicer than the one in the spy photos.
Too bad they did not include a + directional pad for games (read nes roms)
I agree with you. I hate the trackball, it is inferior to the direction pad in every possible way. I hope the Keyboard can take enough inputs at once to use some letter keys as a D-pad in games.
I think ill love android, and i love HTC but this particular model looks like a toy, i dont know, i hope android comes to HTC touch pro or something similar soon.
looks a lot better in real pics than those simulated ones. black actually looks good again.
Hmmm, the black doesn't look tooo bad. Still looks hella plain though. But then again, it is the first Android device to be released. So it's probably best they didn't put too much hi-tech gadgetry in the first unit. Seems like some retailers are already offering it for pre-order also but the price is too high imo. http://www.elite-electronix.com/pocket-pcs/htc-g1-dream-android-mobile-phone-unlocked
well you got to remember that tmobile does mail in rebates so the phone might cost that much to begin with.
you got to remember that tmobile does mail in rebates so the phone might cost that much to begin with.
maybe a dumb question... is there ever going to be a Blackberry messenger client for other phones? one of the main reasons id prefer a bb over this one still...
They could have made at least something a bit glossy....
It doesn't look that bad.
Maybe "hard mod" the buttons yourself maybe then it wont look so bad.
The black doesn't look quite as horrible but it still fails from a design standpoint...it's got nothing on the iPhone...
And who designed those buttons? Ugly as hell. And it looks cheap as hell.
No matter how you look at it: This thing looks like crap , same for the UI (and that horrible clock)
I think Google thinks they are like Apple. They can make shit and put it to market and people will like it... ....
Damn! If not for how fugly that phone is I would have switched to T-Mob. If this phone fails it won't be because of Android it'll be because of an ugly design. What the hell happened in the design meeting?
Question: do you have to use the "your 5 (T-Mobile friends)" software? I mean, is that the first screen you get when you turn on the phone?
That would be pretty lame if you were forced to use (or, you know, just close) an application every time you turned it on.
whatever on the looks. It will be a powerful tool for everyday use, not a effing fashion statement. you ppl make me laugh hahaha!
Am I the only one that thinks this phone. . .doesn't. . .look. . .very good?
All black plastic, dull, no shine? I have a RCA remote from a 1990 tv that looks identical to this.
Also, why no thickness photos?
I prefer a matte finish.
Shiny black plastic SCRATCHES!!!! Especially something that you put in your pocket a dozen times a day.
bcoz it's thick
That's the junkiest-looking phone I've ever seen!
How does this non-comment get highest rank?
uhh because many people are agreeing it looks like doodoo. I WAS really excited about this phone but it looks so cheap and Tyco-ish. HTC HD?
Does it have a bend on the bottome or not? Why can't someone take a profile picture of the phone?
fail
"Hey Gunther, check out my new G1"
"Whoa Sven, that's pretty cool... The screen slides out really far!"
...SNAP...
AT&T: Do something about this!!
That's an awful tiny screen. Not for the older folks I guess.
i hope all of you are being sarcastic and this is some running gag.
Where is this alleged gallery? Am I blind and just not seeing it?
Go to the main page of engadget, they have a link to the gallery under this article's blurb. That said, the pictures are all but useless, and there's only about six of them.
all hype like google's sock price.
Now another batch of developers can spend the next 6 months writing identical apps for that punk ass phone.
Apple designed their phone from the ground up so they can diagnose problems from the genes up. Ha!
When the apps start crashing on these generic, cookie cutter pieces of junk phones, you think t-mobile has the resources to diagnose and solve the problem?
Apple has the infrastructure ready to handle crashing apps, phone hardware and software related problems. That's the beauty of Apple baby.
You're right, they do have the infrastructure ready.
So, how's mobileME going?
Dude, calm down about Apple. They make some decent stuff, but the iPhone is hardly the greatest thing since sliced bread. Most people who real power users actually prefer winmo and are really excited about Android. Most people I've met with iPhones are making a fashion statement and have very little interest in doing more with the device than taking pictures and listening to music and checking their email/myspace. The iPhone is perfect for this, so yeah we get it. Good job on that, Apple. Some of us want more from our phones and know that there will be bugs because there are actually wayyy more possibilities that come with the extra risk. So, enjoy your iPhone with its limited possibilities, I'll stick to HTC and enjoy being able (yes, with a bit of work) to do whatever I can conceive of with my phone, thanks.
android looks cool, but yeah the G1 is kinda funky looking.
that phone is butt ugly... i'm so unsure about this phone. if the HTC Touch HD was out right now, I wouldnt give the G1 any thought
You overhauled the entire site not long ago. You are continuously updating it. Why the hell do we still have to reload the entire page to see another image? Is it not 2008? Is it not the age of Facebook?
Finally Android has arrived to dispel all the anticipation which I actually hate >.<
I certainly don't think it's ugly anymore like I initially did, but I definitely wouldn't call it an attractive device especially considering the other beauties from HTC. I have to admit, I'm pretty excited and for the time being I'm still pretty optimistic that Android will mature to become a fine smart phone OS.
Looking forward to first hands on impressions of using Android :)
Well, admittedly, it is a first-gen device, and will probably improve in spades further down the track. Most systems/products are like this, with perhaps the exception of the iPhone, which I don't doubt had more designers than developers.
looks like 2004 palm with an attached gps-module....iphone-killer.....haha!
Please come to Aus!Please come to Aus!Please come to Aus!Please come to Aus!
-A fools chant
Simple and plain as day...
I like the look. Very Simple as a pimple.
I perfer touch screen and the less buttons the better. But you know people, there will always be some knuckleheads that b!tch and complain for no reason.
Simple is good...
I fail to see why this phone _has_ to be an iPhone killer. I think Apple fanboys really don't understand what's going on here and why it's so important. The world doesn't revolve around Steve Jobs, you know?
hideous - looks so 1994
I think it takes time getting used to.... but it still looks really bad to me. I can't stand how big that thing is on the bottom of it with the buttons. At least make the buttons bigger so it looks like it has a smaller ass. However, the OS of it looks pretty solid. Gonna be interesting how Apple is going to hold up with their AppStore. Seems like that's Apple's weak points right now because of its guidelines it sets for developers... Can't wait to see this phone in action though.
qtek s200 with a slider.
http://www.tecnogadgets.com/fotografias/qteks200.jpg
The OS looks promising although i'll wait to hold off judgment until I see it in person or see some more in depth reviews. Seems like the music service with Amazon has the big major flaw that apple has, in that you can't download songs over 3G. Seriously, 3G is fast enough for that, might take a little time but I can wait, just give me the option!! Also I know a lot of people agree and some might disagree but seriously what is wrong with the look of this device, it looks like a kindergartner put it together. It looks SUPER cheap and all the buttons look like they came off a winmo device from 4 years ago. HTC has some awesome products it seems this one got rushed out the door. Just look at the Touch HD, that is the best device I have ever seen them produce... My 8525 looks better then the G1 even. Would have also liked to have seen a higher res screen. Maybe the G2 will be a worthy contender.
I don't think the inability to purchase songs over 3G has much to do with a capabilities question; I think it's more that there are different pricing models for what the record labels get if you buy it over the mobile network instead of via wi-fi (or on your computer). I'm sure Amazon/Apple would be more than fine with allowing 3G purchases of music if they could.