T-Mobile G1 spotted in the wild

Ah yes, the natural progression of a release. First comes the hands-on at the introduction, then comes the leaked user manual, then comes the pre-order fiasco -- now, it's time for those always titillating in the wild shots. The box and handset are nothing out of the ordinary / surprising (respectively), but at least you now know that bona fide unboxing images are just around the bend.

[PuBeLeSs @ Sep 30th 2008 9:46PM]

wish i could afford one and develop for it, it looks like phones have just taken a HUGE leap into the future.

[jcmb @ Oct 1st 2008 2:14AM]

You don't need to buy the phone to develop for it.

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Oct 1st 2008 9:03AM]

The phone is a time machine? zOMG.

[iEye @ Sep 30th 2008 9:46PM]

And here comes the inevitable iPhone/G1 comparisson...

[Shinigami @ Sep 30th 2008 9:51PM]

Sorry, can't see it :P

[deyanimay @ Sep 30th 2008 9:53PM]

you mean like the one you just made?

[Decoy @ Sep 30th 2008 10:10PM]

Nah, too different.

[Geo Meek @ Oct 1st 2008 6:42AM]

I found this from engadget in second life with http://www.sciencefriday.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BRRZxxZLPA

[)law( @ Sep 30th 2008 9:58PM]

Can't wait till the unboxing. Hope google has some kind of midgets dressed in upper case G costumes hop out the box like the omina video unboxing

[Aaron @ Sep 30th 2008 10:05PM]

If only it had video recording...
I will probably end up getting one,
because I expect that it will have video recording in no time.
I'm also liking the white version the best.
So, I guess I'll be getting mine on launch day at a T-Mobile store.

[Vieteddy @ Sep 30th 2008 11:33PM]

I would like to have a white one.



If only I could even afford to upgrade from my shitty wing.

[linuxamp @ Oct 1st 2008 1:10AM]

If the lack of video recording is a hardware limitation then don't worry, new android devices are in the works so the next one might include it. If it's a software limitation then don't worry. Some linux geek will eventually get around to writing that app.

The bottom line is that it's an open platform so anything is possible.

[Richard @ Oct 1st 2008 3:38AM]

This is the worst haiku i have ever seen.

[Spyral @ Oct 20th 2008 7:31AM]

You can't get these in stores at launch.

[Bender @ Sep 30th 2008 10:12PM]

That is one UGLY phone.

[noyp @ Sep 30th 2008 10:33PM]

I can think of uglier. The G1 looks fine

[iEye @ Sep 30th 2008 10:39PM]

The SE K850i is one of those Ugly-er phones! what happened to the rest of the keypad?

feel free to add to the list!

[Big Boy @ Oct 1st 2008 5:26AM]

I guess we should slap a chrome bar around it and make it look like an iPhone oh wait it doesn't look like an iPhone. It's called originality or at least you can't say it's copying the tPhone t=Trend.

If I were not hardwired into WM and dead set on getting the touch pro this would be my phone!

[chris @ Sep 30th 2008 10:20PM]

I think the iPhone will still come out on top, but there rate plans are pitiful. I'm already with t-mobile so looks like this is the best I can get. What scares me is that I heard won't monitor apps going to their app store like apple does so it would be very easy for someone to throw spyware on an app. Spyware or virus on your cell phone would suck!

[Scott @ Sep 30th 2008 10:27PM]

You don't think the government isn't already doing it to the phone you currently have?

[Robert @ Sep 30th 2008 10:49PM]

Google not monitoring it is a GOOD thing. Usually spyware apps are very very obvious anyways...

[deyanimay @ Sep 30th 2008 10:53PM]

I'm sure your apps don't go straight to the app store, google probly checks to make sure that they work fine without damaging the phone. Besides if an app had a virus or spyware some one would point it out in the comments or report it to google.

[Reader @ Sep 30th 2008 11:15PM]

Ahhh noooeessss... The government be puttin' shit on meh phone!

I have a solution. Make a Faraday cage and put it around your phone! Oh wait...

[jake @ Sep 30th 2008 11:55PM]

@deyanimay
Google doesn't do any monitoring, but there is a flag function so users can report apps and google will look over it, just like youtube. A spyware app will probably get flagged very quickly and be low rated.

[LondonConsultant @ Oct 1st 2008 4:04AM]

There's an Android Marketplace (not an Android Store). That term is meant to convey an applications marketplace where developers sell to users, not a store where applications are first approved by the store owner (eg Apple). However, Android applications are reasonably safe because the marketplace sells only Java-like applications that run in a sandbox. The marketplace automatically analyses which phone services each application uses and informs you before you download; it's up to you to make an informed an choice - just like a marketplace... I think only Google's applications can use native code.

I'm looking forward to downloading the Android SDK sometime and having a play...

[McPOW @ Sep 30th 2008 10:25PM]

queue all the predictable iphone fanboys calling it ugly in 3... 2... 1...

[Robert @ Sep 30th 2008 10:49PM]

You don't have to provoke them... post something constructive.

[fistpittingnork @ Sep 30th 2008 11:49PM]

Legos. Legos are constructive.

I think each time new pics/vids come out, the better it looks.

[computer.dude.28 @ Sep 30th 2008 10:33PM]

Hey Engadget! Something's gone funny at Microsoft!! Shouldn't you be working on that?
http://www.bungie.net/News/Blog.aspx?mode=news#cid15628

[zenstylejunglist @ Sep 30th 2008 11:31PM]

Wow looks like they have a big problem on their hands.

[Knightairman @ Sep 30th 2008 10:46PM]

I'm a tmobile customer. Had the Dash for almost 2 yrs now. I'm psyched about the G1. My boss has been waiving his Iphone in front of me for months. I have to wait till October 21 to order mine. That's my only complaint.

[majortom @ Sep 30th 2008 11:23PM]

Then you have a dick for a boss. Oh wait, that's redundant.

[Q-Ball @ Oct 1st 2008 12:51AM]

That's funny, I am a T-Mobile employee and today a select few of us went through a training on the G1, we got to unbox it, play with it, and see all the cool things it does, Trust me, it's a great phone, and can't wait to get mine. These pics look like they were taken from someone who went through this as well. I thought I heard a few camera snaps being taken.

[TareX @ Oct 1st 2008 12:54AM]

It's not "ugly", per se. It just looks... Googlish. You know that bland yet notoriously functional design of Google.com? I think that's how I can describe the phone.

I still think they should have at least tried to "wow" people by the looks. Beauty doesn't always have to be skin deep.

[ErikLindemann @ Oct 1st 2008 2:23AM]

I just checked my upgrade status. I'm really sad I got a Dash last year, 'cause this thing will still cost me almost $300 to upgrade...

Finally when T-Mobile gets something worthwhile...

[chefgon_ign @ Oct 1st 2008 11:12AM]

I'm in the same boat as you, one year into a 24 month contract with my Dash. I already paid $300 for the G1 preorder, though. I'm also hesitant to suggest that T-Mobile never gets any good phones. While their smartphone selection is generally slim, the Dash has been a seriously awesome phone and I'm kind of sad to say goodbye to mine even when it is being replaced by something as pure sex as the G1.

[ErikLindemann @ Oct 1st 2008 11:41AM]

That's true. The Dash has been very powerful, but when I use it, I can't help but feel that it's lacking.

But downloading the Skyfire web browser has certainly done more to improve functionality.

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 1st 2008 2:48AM]

I am really waiting to try out Android, but I hate the HTC dream, so I'll wait for Android to be used on some other phones... Maybe G2 or something...

[McPOW @ Oct 9th 2008 9:16PM]

You hate it? you've never seen it in person, held it or touched it. wtf.

[Wwhat @ Oct 1st 2008 4:27AM]

Matt black is the new.. erm.. black this season then eh. (or new spray-on silver if you will)

[Mrmean @ Oct 1st 2008 4:57AM]

ROFL @ the worst network ever. that alone kills this thing's chances of dethroning the iphone..

[SPOKE @ Oct 1st 2008 6:49AM]

ATTs network has been in place for how long, and the biggest complaint is the lack of connectivity to 3G. Thanks for approving those crash-prone apps too, Apple!

I love rebooting my phone every hour ... oh, and having apps close automatically because I feel the need to use something else at the same time. iPhone is a deadbolt of shit.

[AlexL @ Oct 1st 2008 4:58AM]

I'm sick of people who cite the lack of a 3.5mm headphone port as one of the G1's weaknesses. What they don't get is that it's not supposed to have a 3.5mm port.

All those fancy headphones, earphones, in-ear monitors, that you want to plug into a 3.5mm headphone port, chances are, they don't have microphones. So what do you do when a call comes in while you are wearing your headphones? Do you take out of earpiece, take the G1 out of your pocket/holster, and place it next to your ear? If you are doing that, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

What you should be doing is to get one of these things:
http://www.jays.se/products.aspx?sub=mjays

Then plug one end into the extUSB port, clip the microphone near your mouth, and plug your headphones into the adapter. That way when a call comes in you can actually press the adapter and answer it. Something a phone is supposed to do.

It's a legitimate complaint though, that the G1 doesn't come with a microphone+adapter out of the box. All the Nokia XpressMusic phones come with them. It should be standard practice for all phones that are serious music players.

But there is no reason for a phone+music player to have a 3.5mm headphone port.

[huh @ Oct 1st 2008 9:58AM]

AlexL, good handsets have a standard 3.5mm jack that can be used with a mic equipped headset or a regular set of headphones. Just look at the iPhone's adaptor on the page you published, N95 works the same way, in fact it even supports video through the same jack. So, while the analog 3.5mm jack will one day be obsolete, that day is not yet.

[AlexL @ Oct 1st 2008 5:30PM]

You are missing the point. Mic-equipped headsets will neve rmatch the quality and selection of regular headphones. If it's music you enjoy, there's no reason you should use one of them.

On the other hand, there's no reason why you should be plugging a regular headphone into a phone. It's a phone, you need a microphone in that loop somewhere.

That's why it is completely irrelevant what kind of jack is on the phone itself. Because what you are supposed to do is plug a mic-equipped adapter in there, if you want both music and phone calls from it.

[hussain @ Oct 1st 2008 5:53AM]

anyone know if it would be possible to get one sans contract ...

hussain

[noyp @ Oct 1st 2008 8:17AM]

Yes you can.

[Geo Meek @ Oct 1st 2008 6:47AM]

Found this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BRRZxxZLPA

[android_now @ Oct 1st 2008 7:26AM]

Nice pictures. I'm looking forward getting it into my hands.

http://digg.com/gadgets/T_Mobile_G1_spotted_in_the_wild_Engadget

[James @ Oct 1st 2008 7:32AM]

I was about ready to exclaim that those photos were fake, but then I remembered that the G1 actually looks that crappy.