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Filed under: Cellphones

Oh sure, you’ve already read over our (and Ryan Block’s) brief one-day impressions of T-Mobile’s G1, but one lucky (lucky!) user over at AndroidCommunity has been able to handle one for more than just a few hours. As a precious gift to the world, he’s penned a nice list of pros and cons along with a Q&A, and it seems that the “review” is actually growing with time. Right from the top, he notes that the G1 is lke a “SideKick on massive steriods,” albeit one with a minty fresh OS. Speaking of, he also states that the handset “doesn’t run as smoothly as you would think,” asserting that some of the applications “suttered” upon opening. We’re also told that it requires a reboot from time to time just to keep things humming along, but we’re hoping all of these quirks are just part of the Rev. A rigamarole. It’s glaringly obvious that the user adores Android (and the phone, too), but we can’t help but hope these niggles he speaks of are addressed in short order.

[Thanks, Oscar]

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

We were sorta hoping HTC was going to get straight to work on its next batch of Android handsets post haste after getting the G1 out of the door — you know, just to close the fashion gap with its WinMo line, if nothing else — but the word on the street is that it’d like to spread the first-gen love just a little further and wider by hooking up its Dopod subsidiary in China. According to an unnamed Dopod source, the current plan has the G1 going to the Far East “possibly” in the first quarter of ‘09, featuring radios better suited for China’s airwaves — possibly TD-SCDMA, possibly just EDGE. For what it’s worth, Dopod’s corporate logo will up the G1’s rugged good looks by a factor of ten — seriously, isn’t it awesome? [Warning: Subscription required]

[Via Talk Android]

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Source: Chris Ziegler

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Filed under: Cellphones

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment.

As Switched On exemplified in the frenzy of mobile Ts and primary Gs last week, much of the attention focused on the involvement of Google and comparisons to the iPhone. Searching Google for “‘T-Mobile G1′ Apple” yields over 6.7 million results on Google. Searching for “‘T-Mobile G1′ HTC” yields only 3.4 million.

Given that the phone is being branded “T-Mobile G1 with Google,” the temptation is to say that HTC, which has long vowed to step into the white light from behind the white label, has failed to capitalize on one of the best branding opportunities in handset history. However, there would have been limits as to how much spotlight it could have stolen in the wake of media fascination with Google and one can have only so many brands listed in the name of a phone. Wireless carriers are among the biggest television advertisers, and Google is the biggest advertising powerhouse online. Together they will fund the G1 marketing push. The stakes were just too high for HTC to significantly advance its branding status with T-Mobile, which has used its carrier brand for such HTC handsets as the Dash, Wing and Shadow.

But there are more paradoxes in HTC’s first Android handset.

Continue reading Switched On: The T-Mobile G1 — by Google and what’s-their-names

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Source: Ross Rubin

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Filed under: Cellphones

There’s really no denying it — T-Mobile’s G1 and Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 are two of the hottest mobiles around right now, and as predicted, all sorts of sparks flew when the two sat down for a side-by-side photo session. In a Dutch comparison of the two handsets, reviewers pointed out that the G1 was “significantly larger” than the SE counterpart, and while it’s completely subjective, they also asserted that the X1 was a “true piece of art in comparison to the dusty look of the G1 [nice one, Google Translator].” Do yourself a favor and check out the whole thing in the read link.

[Via CoolSmartphone]

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

If you’re a T-Mobile customer who’s been dozing off for the past few days, you’ve already missed your chance to pre-order yourself a G1. With any luck, that won’t be a problem and you’ll just be able to march into a store on or around October 22 and pick one up the old-fashioned way, but the window of opportunity for an utterly stress-free Android buying experience is closed. We don’t have hard numbers on just how many units were being offered through the pre-order program, but 60,000 is getting tossed around as a rumor, which would work out to about 10 percent of the total outlay HTC is said to be aiming for by year’s end. Of course, if you’re not a T-Mobile customer, this is all business as usual and you’re just chuckling under your breath that everyone’s stuck in the same boat now, aren’t you, you sick puppy?

[Via TmoNews]

Update: Well, that was quick — the “Log in to order” button is working once again. Any bets on how long until they’re out a second time?

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Source: Chris Ziegler

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Filed under: Cellphones

Sure, our front page got stacked with news on the launch of the world’s first Android phone — the G1 — but if you missed any of the action (and there was quite a bit), we’ve put together this helpful roundup. Below you’ll find an easy-to-use guide to all the goings-on about the T-Mobile device, complete with galleries and videos that will delight and enthrall any healthy viewer. Keep an eye on this post as we’ll be updating with a few other bits and pieces today that you’ll most definitely want a look at.

The liveblog:

Live from T-Mobile’s Android event in New York City

Hands-on coverage:

T-Mobile G1 first hands-on (updated)
Video: Android walkthrough on T-Mobile G1

Product announcement:

The T-Mobile G1

In-depth / details:

T-Mobile’s CTO on G1 unlocking and tethering — plus a few details you might have missed
T-Mobile soft capping 3G data at 1GB per month
Confirmed: T-Mobile G1 has no 3.5mm headphone jack
T-Mobile G1 site goes live for real, first ad appears
T-Mobile G1 has push Gmail with Google Talk presence

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Source: Joshua Topolsky

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Filed under: Cellphones

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/T_Mobile_G1_first_hands_on_with_Googlephone’; Yep — there it is. We finally, finally got our mitts all over the very first Android device, the T-Mobile G1 — hanging out in the crowd, waiting for the official announce, naturally — and so far we like what we see. The phone is surprisingly thinner than we thought it would be, and it feels pretty solid in your hand (though they’ve opted for an almost all plastic device, no metal here). The keyboard seems usable and reasonably well thought-out, and the slider action is like butter, with a nice little swoop for good effect. But really, the pictures tell the whole story, so check out the gallery below!

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 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!

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Source: Joshua Topolsky

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T-Mobile’s newest set was officially announced today at a press conference in New York. Set to launch on October 22nd for $179 on T-Mobile in the US on a two-year stint, or $399 contract-free. Starting in early November all you folks in United Kingdom will have access and Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and the Netherlands can expect their release in the first quarter of 2009. The G1 features WiFi and 3G radios, a 3-megapixel camera, and support for the Android Market and Amazon’s mobile MP3 store, giving owners apps and tunes on the go. Existing T-Mobile subscribers get first dibs, with orders being accepted starting today. Here’s a rundown of the specs:

• HSDPA 1700 / 2100 plus quadband EDGE
• WiFi
• 3D graphics acceleration
• 1GB integrated storage plus microSD expansion
• 3-megapixel camera
• Android Market for on-device app purchases
• Amazon MP3 app for on-device music purchases
• Push Gmail support with full HTML client
• Bluetooth (but no A2DP)
• Google Maps with Street View
• No Microsoft Exchange support
• No desktop synchronization — it all happens over the air

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Source: Sean Cooper

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