switches-08

Switched On: The 2008 Switchies

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The fourth annual Saluting Wares Improving Technology's Contribution to Humanity's awards were not held in the opulent imaginary venue of previous galas due to the subprime lending crisis of 2008. Rather, they were hastily distributed behind the Engadget trailer at CES 2009. Also, due to budget cuts and with the imaginary gold for the statuettes at record highs, we've had to consolidate the portable and home awards into a single ceremony. Last year's Product of the Year was the Apple iPhone, which became the reference point for other touchscreen smartphones after its release. While Apple added important improvements and unleased thousands of applications with the iPhone SDK, the 2008 Switchie for Product of the Year goes to the T-Mobile G1. While its body may be a little out of shape, the first Android phone sports a wide keyboard, strong browsing and mapping capabilities, and an open development environment should enable a wide array of follow-on handset models to deliver a stronger consumer experience than they do today. There is also much potential for Android to creep into other kinds of devices, as was shown by the Movit Mini at CES 2009. Honorable mentions in the cell phone category are awarded to the sleek Nokia N73, the solid Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1, and the integrated Samsung Instinct.