HTC CEO expects to move 600,000 G1s this year, more in 2009
By Darren Murph 
posted October 26th 2008 9:06AM
posted October 26th 2008 9:06AM
[Via mocoNews]
posted October 26th 2008 9:06AM
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Bring it to japan please! and not at softbank please.
Are you nuts? The iPhone isn't shifting in Japan coz the feature set isn't as 'great', how about the G1?
Aside from the feature set thing (seriously after you've tasted WVGA it would probably be pretty difficult to go back to HVGA), I think the Japanese market only buys clamshells. Just look at the FOMA handsets.
I don't why they think that'll sell well in Europe. It's absolutely rubbish.
Iphone and feature set do not belong in the same sentence with a negative in there
Rumor has it DoCoMo is planning on launching its first Android device soon, possibly around Q109.
Here in Osaka, I have a not bad cellphone... 5mb camera, ntsc videos, tv and a good screen but the system is rubbish and hard to navigate. It do the job for sending my messages but I wish I could have a system with a community behind. I would have to buy applications if I went with the Iphone but I dont wanna spend money for get the honey. I know its weird but im use to leave in a good and cheap world on pc... I hate buying my stuff. I think Android, if well implemented with japanese messages features, would be a great solution with tons of nice apps to download!
no?
If docomo have something similar, im switching from softbank!
Just to re-cap the G1
- Does not have multi-touch enabled
- Can not download Amazon music over Edge or 3G, WiFi only.
- Does not have built in memory other than a 1GB SD card so you have to buy an 8GB or 16GB SD card.
- Has no video player
- Requires a GMail account and can only sync to 1 account
- Everything gets saved to the 'cloud', which is fine until you dont have a connection or Google servers are down
- No paid apps until next year
- No headphone jack
- No Desktop sync - see cloud note above
- Crappy battery life - good thing you can swap out that battery
- Accelerometer only works with the screen flipped out (WTF?)
- Relies on developers for just about everything which is fine if you like hunting around for even the most basic apps.
Sure the open nature of Android could prove to be a game changer but it can also end up as not much more than a geeks sandbox just like Ubuntu/Linux.
Time will tell if it works out for Google - I think they placed way too much of the burden on developers when they should have spent more time setting the ground work themselves.
so they probably haven't sold .5m yet, let alone that 1.5m claim.
while i too am skeptical of the exact numbers, think how many non-tech oriented people will be buying it just for the google logo on the back...
While I think it looks like a good phone, and if it ever came to Canada, I would get it in a heart beat, even with the Google logo on the back, its not shiny enough for non tech oriented people to notice it in stores especially when 2 streets down there is a certain extremely shiny less useful phone which has a certain fruit on the back instead of Google.
I agree with nik's shinyness statement. I think the mass-market will pass on the G1 because it's not pretty enough. However, after testing the water with this model, I suspect that future Android handsets will be considerably more shiny and mass-consumer oriented. At that point Steve should be worrying...but not until then.
Well, y3k.nik, while I must admit to being a user and lover of the imperfect iPhone, your comment is accurate if somewhat fanboy/hate motivated. Much of the appeal of the iPhone is the appearance. People want to touch it. The G1 doesn't have the same appeal from what I can see. It looks thick, thanks in part, I'm sure, to the physical keyboard. It looks "plasticy" compared to the iPhone. But what the G1 seems to lack in flashy appearance it seems to make up for in utility. I would still need a side by side comparison to know for sure which I would like better.
I watched the video demo for the G 1 at T Mobile and I have to say that I was very impressed. But I would have to get one in my hands and try it before I could make an assessment. The biggest problem for me personally is that T Mobile service is not that great in all the areas where I need service. Not that ATT is all that great either, but it's better than T Mobile.
I don't know for sure how much more useful the G1 is than the iPhone. I don't know what you base that opinion upon but I do know that the iPhone is the most useful phone I have ever owned and I have owned many phones. I also know that the iPhone is not perfect and has many problems which so far have not been bad enough to make me hate it. In fact, I love it. But these devices are highly personal I realize that nobody can make your choice but you.
The T-Mobile G1 looks *completely* different in person, seriously. I got one expecting it to be butt ugly, but it's actually a somewhat attractive phone. I highly doubt everyone is going to go for a iPhone 3G because it has a fruit on the back or because it's "more shiny," that's just a fanboy statement, as happy_penguin pointed out.
Here are a few positives the G1 has on the iPhone:
* Amazon MP3 Store - You can buy and download songs *over 3G or EDGE* instead of just over WiFi and the songs are NOT DRM protected and they are 10 cents a song cheaper
* iSkoot For Skype - This is a download in the app store that allows you to make Skype calls AGAIN *over 3G or EDGE* as opposed to just over WiFi
* MMS - the G1 suppports MMS
* Copy & Paste - the G1 support copy & paste
* Open Source - this is a **HUGE** advantage, it supports third party apps *without* having to jailbreak it
* Keyboard - I was a bit skeptical of this at first, I didn't think that it would be any better than the iPhone's on screen keyboard. HOWEVER, it's amazingly better. It's harder to "fat finger" than the iPhone, though the keys could stand to be a bit bigger
* 3 Megapixel Camera - better camera than the iPhones, and you can *take videos with it*
* Expansion Slot - Supports up to 16GB microSD card
* Removable Battery - Amen.
There's a really cool app in the Android Market (maybe the iPhone App Store has it too) that will actually listen to a 15-or-so second clip of a song and tell you what song it is (I've tested probably about 15 songs and it's only missed 2 or 3) and then places a link at the bottom where you can download the MP3 from Amazon, and you don't have to be near WiFi to do it because you can download it over 3G / EDGE.
Thanks for the overview, Bob. As I said, I would have to actually see a G1 to make a fair assessment I too agree that open source is a huge reason to choose the G1 over the iPhone. I also agree that not everyone will choose flashy over feature, but it is still a feature many that many appreciate.
On that one application you mention, yes Midomi and Shazam are both available for iPhone.
"Open Source - this is a **HUGE** advantage, it supports third party apps *without* having to jailbreak it"
By that definition, WinMo would be open source too, right?
On the software level, WinMo has long had those features, yet people are willing to try out a completely brand new OS that hasn't matured yet? Puzzled as to why people are so anxious about the G1 besides the data plan.
@ Bob
You are way underestimating the modern buyer. I can see a lot of kids getting the G1 - to replace their Sidekicks - and a lot of enthusiasts.
I'm not trying to go all iPhone fanboy here, but if you are suggesting that simple style is trumped by usability you need to look at TV advertisements more often.
I've said it before and I will say it again. The user doesn't care about ecosystem. The user cares about having whats "cool" or "in" in their pocket. I don't think I've seen a single G1 television commercial... this compared with how many I saw for the iPhone 3G when it was released. People pick up on that, and in their minds it makes the iPhone "cooler" or "more in". The G1 just doesn't have that.
I'm all for the Android concept, I'm all for competition in the smart-phone market (especially when it produces something like Android), but the handsets need to be better if they're going to compete in that all important "image" area. The G1, from what I've seen, just can't. An Android Touch Pro or Touch HD - for sure... but the G1 just doesn't have that kind of curb appeal, sadly, and that's what sells cars - if you'll pardon the analogy.
"Quikboy @ Oct 26th 2008 11:28AM
"Open Source - this is a **HUGE** advantage, it supports third party apps *without* having to jailbreak it"
By that definition, WinMo would be open source too, right?"
No, that's not the same thing. He didn't define open source, he merely said that the platform is open source and offered a point about it.
"On the software level, WinMo has long had those features, yet people are willing to try out a completely brand new OS that hasn't matured yet? Puzzled as to why people are so anxious about the G1 besides the data plan."
Because it's cool and it's geared toward everyday users rather than primarily business users.
"matt merritt @ Oct 26th 2008 11:42AM
@ Bob
You are way underestimating the modern buyer. I can see a lot of kids getting the G1 - to replace their Sidekicks - and a lot of enthusiasts.
I'm not trying to go all iPhone fanboy here, but if you are suggesting that simple style is trumped by usability you need to look at TV advertisements more often."
It's both. Style is huge and often it's "all that matters". But if your product is total crap eventually style will not be enough. iPhone sold because it is a hot product and it continues to sell because it is damn good at most of what it does even if it isn't perfect at everything it does.
@Bob
iSkoot doesn't use 3G or EDGE or wifi for voice calls. It makes voice calls out from your phone to iSkoot's POTS -> Skype proxy.
@Bob
You are way off base with your list
* "Amazon MP3 Store s *over 3G or EDGE*" Not true - its only over WiFi
* Copy & Paste - "the G1 support copy & paste" yeah but its implementation sucks
* "Open Source - "this is a **HUGE** advantage, it supports third party apps *without* having to jailbreak it"
We will have to wait and see if this is true. iPhone developers like Facebook and Pandora have already said they wont even touch Android. Android could turn into a Ubuntu/Linux situation where there are no polished quality apps available.
* "Keyboard" - Yeah whatever - I rather have a smaller phone with a good touch screen configurable keyboard
* "3 Megapixel Camera - "better camera than the iPhones, and you can *take videos with it*" marginally better, iphone can record video they just havent turned it on yet.
* "Expansion Slot - "Supports up to 16GB microSD card" Really this is a feature? iPhone has 8GB or 16GB built in - no need to mess with cards
* "Removable Battery - Amen." Really? Who carries an extra battery around? For those that do need it just buy a 3rd party battery extender for the iPhone for the same price of an extra battery.
"There's a really cool app in the Android Market (maybe the iPhone App Store has it too) that will actually listen to a 15-or-so second clip of a song and tell you what song it is." Yeah its called Shazam and came out on the iPhone. The developer had to be asked by Google to port it over to Android.
Its great that the iPhone is the new standard to which smart phones get compared to but at the very least get your facts straight.
"Andrew @ Oct 26th 2008 4:29PM
* "Keyboard" - Yeah whatever - I rather have a smaller phone with a good touch screen configurable keyboard"
Me too, but I do understand the merits of a physical keyboard. Some people want it badly enough that they wouldn't consider the iPhone.
"* "Expansion Slot - "Supports up to 16GB microSD card" Really this is a feature? iPhone has 8GB or 16GB built in - no need to mess with cards"
Personally, I don't mind not having it but to say "no need" disregards the fact that many people do want it.
"* "Removable Battery - Amen." Really? Who carries an extra battery around? For those that do need it just buy a 3rd party battery extender for the iPhone for the same price of an extra battery."
Some people carry an extra battery. I used to do that years ago but I don't anymore. Still, some people want it and perhaps aren't interested in an extender. You can't replace the iPhone battery at all, so when it wears out you have to take the phone in for service. That's not a concern of mine, and apparently not a concern of yours either, but some people don't like that.
"There's a really cool app in the Android Market (maybe the iPhone App Store has it too) that will actually listen to a 15-or-so second clip of a song and tell you what song it is." Yeah its called Shazam and came out on the iPhone. The developer had to be asked by Google to port it over to Android."
There's also Midomi. I have both on my iPhone. I don't know if it's available on other phones.
Calling it an expansion slot is a little misleading considering that the G1 doesn't have any usable built in memory.
Isn't read/write to SD cards slower than the built in memory used in the iPhone?
Also, its not like you can swap out memory cards - apps, email etc will get saved to the card - pretty sure they wont be as swappable as people think.
Fair enough on the keyboard - I guess some would want a physical keyboard even though the keys are no bigger than the on screen keys of the iPhone.
I think you people will find that Sony Ericsson beat all of you to the punch: TrackID.
Posting from my G1. I hated it for the first 24hrs, but now I seriously Love this thing. There is a learning curve with the UI but I guess it's just because it's just so darn innovative. I really hope this device does well because I would love to see it evolve.
I'm a WM power user for the record. An active member of XDA-Devs and XDAFlame-users. I typically own about 8 Smart phones at any given time, so, I'm not just speaking from my rear.
@ Andrew
Tactile keyboards will always be faster than touch screen keyboards, and that is fact. Not to mention that while the iPhone's keyboard may not be much smaller than a regular keyboard on say, a Voyager, you don't have that margin of error that you get when you make a misplaced "touch" on the screen. I tested out my friend's iPhone and my Voyager when creating a "mock text", and I can say that no matter how responsive touch screens get, they can never match the responsiveness of an actual keyboard, where you know you are pressing the key you actually wanted to press.
You sound like a large enough Apple fanboy, so I'm sure you know of the annoyances of pressing the key you *didn't* want to press when using the on-screen 'pad on the iPhone.
@ Aaron
The iPhone keyboard can predict what key you meant to press depending on what your are typing out. After about the first day most people get the hang of it and realize that you can press the wrong key and by the end of the word you are typing the iPhone will figure it out and correct it.
You can also press 3/4 of a way on one key and 1/4 on another and it will know that you probably meant to press one key over the other. This is something you dont get with a physical keyboard - with a physical keyboard you either press the right key or the wrong one.
As software gets even better I don't see how a touch screen keyboard cant be as good or better than a physical keyboard. It's all a matter of learning a new input method, something that many long time smart phone users are too stubborn to do.
To get back on topic the iPhone sold 1.1 million in its first full quarter Q4'07. That figure is for US only, single carrier (ATT) and at a much higher price point ($399).
This is definitely a beta product from Google and only time will tell if they will continue to dedicate resources to it or just pass it on to developers to figure out. Frankly I would expect more from a product that requires a 2 year contract.
By 'Keyboard-oriented' he probably means 'fat'.
"Americans are very keyboard-oriented."
....yeah, well I mean if you want to get any REAL work done...
if by real work you mean
13 years using it for texting
"but mommy it helps me text faster"
*typo*
13 year olds
Well, it's easier to bring into the toilet than a laptop.......
So did you make that typo with a real keyboard?
It's also easier to drop into the toilet than a laptop.
wow i thought people take shit's in the bathroom
"wow i thought people take shit's in the bathroom"
:::reading this while crapping:::
heheh @ Patrick
"while i too am skeptical of the exact numbers, think how many non-tech oriented people will be buying it just for the google logo on the back..."
ahhahaha yeah... about the same # of people who bought the 'other' phone because it has a cute picture of an apple with a bite taken off of it.
too bad the G1 is vastly superior is just about every meaningful way. and it will only get better, and it WONT need apple's sign off to do it.
Oh please, they are making the ASS-umtion that Apple has no plans to release another iPhone ever... the G1 design will not even outlast other new phones much less the iPhone...
Well, the design won't win any awards, but the most important thing is the insides, and this beats the iPhone in many respects.....
Unfortuately the G1 will only appeal to geeks the openness of the platform does not mean anything to joe the plumber.
hehehe @ iEye: you just go on and keep buying each new iphone when they come out.
sorry about your luck.
-=b=-
Funny thing is Apple puts out new phones and yet their loyal fanbase is still waiting for cut and paste. Not only do Android users already have that no-brainer functionality (i'm not even going to stoop to calling it a 'feature'), they have the ability to improve the system themselves instead of resorting to begging Steve a la www.pleasefixtheiphone.com
The G1 design may not be the iPhone killer Apple fanboys were fearing, but the secret sauce is the operating system.
@Ratty
The idea is the open-ness will make it a viable option for other handset manufacturers. By having a quality, open, premade software stack already pre-made, handset manufacturers can invest dollars in developing hardware and marketing. This will theoretically lead to an abundance of Android-based phones from your mass-market clamshells to exotic touch-tablets. To say that Android competes against iPhone sells it short-- dramatically.
I don't think it's any coincidence that Nokia is going to buy up the rights to Symbian and will be open sourcing it. Android and Access Linux Platform show what direction mobile operating systems is going.
@ Ratty
There was actually a small line where I live just to get a chance to play with the G1 at the TM store. I don't think it just appeals to geeks.
I would like to see the sales after Android starts getting ported all over the place.
Psst.. it's not the keyboard. It's that the plans are so much more affordable. AT&T are rapists.
AT&T and Verizon...... it just sucks they both are the only two with service worth a damn. I almost switched to T-Mobile for the G1 but I'll just stick to Verizon and get the Blackberry Storm, pretty much sold after playing with it today. My asshole doesn't get sore anymore.
I just saw the G1 yesterday and it looks ten times better in person. I am very disappointed that Google is copying Apple's 70-30 percent profits in the Android Market. In a platform claiming to be open, developers should get all the profits from their app.
Since Google apparently isn't getting any of the 30%, i'm inclined to believe it all gets kicked back to the carrier (in this case Tmo).
I think it's also noteworthy to mention that it is possible to get apps onto Android without any kind of "jailbreaking" by allowing apps from unknown sources in the settings menu. Developers can then sell apps as direct downloads through the browser and not pay any overhead.
I wouldn't bet my verizon contract on it.
Who would anyone enter a bet where they stood to win a contract for a monolithic, outmoded CDMA carrier?