G1 (Google Android Handset by HTC for T-mobile)

Tigger · 23-09-2008 12:02pm #1

no hype on this

anyone?

looks at leaks

http://androidcommunity.com/?p=482

looks pretty brilliant

fdevine · 23-09-2008 12:27pm

Official launch is today. Simultaneous launch in US and UK AFAIK.

T-Mobile contract only for now is what's rumoured. No sign here in the immediate future.

Q_Ball · 23-09-2008 3:38pm

Press conference going on now, live blogged
here

to be launched both sides of the atlantic apparently. No use to us here but we may be able to import one easy enough

Rsaeire · 23-09-2008 3:55pm

The handset looks like a cheap Chinese knock-off; I wll be avoiding like the plague.

jimmycrackcorm · 23-09-2008 4:13pm

I foresee the arrival of new and innovative methods of "open source" scams to use up your credit on this.

AlanD · 23-09-2008 7:27pm

Official T-mobile site for the phone: http://www.t-mobileg1.com/

sharkman · 23-09-2008 7:30pm

Rsaeire wrote: »

The handset looks like a cheap Chinese knock-off; I wll be avoiding like the plague.

Yeah , Looks terrible !

bluemachaveli · 23-09-2008 8:05pm

Meh, not a patch on HTC's other offerings.

Me's thinks I'll stick to me iPhone!

mkennedy · 23-09-2008 9:12pm

Yeah leaves a bit to be desired on the looks front.
Much the same reaction to its looks anywhere else i've read about it

GUIGuy · 23-09-2008 11:51pm

Besides looking cheap the ergonomics look bad as well. That big mass at the bottom will get in the way of your hand/finger when you're trying to text. The reports are that the screen is not as bright as the iPhone and it doesn't have a regular headphone jack.... bahh. Really I can't understand the Google fanboys. I think bloggers must be getting backhanders because Android is dull and years behind any other mobile OS out there, it will take a while for it to reach the reliability of even Windows Mobile.

Move on nothing to see here... buy a HTC Touch Diamond/Pro/HD instead.

mik_da_man · 24-09-2008 3:49pm

Meh...
I'm deffo sticking to my Touch Diamond

corkie · 24-09-2008 11:48pm

The first white eeepc 701 look a bit like a fisher price kids toy. But it was market leader for the netbooks.

Yes I won't be rushing out to buy this phone, but it's the first in a line of phones to come.
I don't know how long apple took to design the iphone, probably a few years from concept to product they released.

Android platform has only open for development for the last year.

strecker · 25-09-2008 7:23am

Rsaeire wrote: »

The handset looks like a cheap Chinese knock-off; I wll be avoiding like the plague.

don't be fooled by the images. Check the hands on articles on boygeniusreport etc... They say it feels really good! They also conclude that the os acts and feels very "mature"... I admit, the early pics didn't appeal to me, but this is the first network branded android phone, and it shows a lot of promise imho.
It's also worth noting that unlike the case with the iphone, most of the bemoaned shortcomings of the G1 are down to T-mobile's policies, and have nothing to do with android... (remember when "3" disabled modem functions on phones? You really couldn't blame Nokia or SE for that...

)

G1 multitasks, copy/pastes etc etc... It's a good start.

foobar · 25-09-2008 9:10am

Walt Mossberg first impression are pretty positive http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20080923/googles-g1-first-impressions/

Rsaeire · 25-09-2008 9:39am

strecker wrote: »

don't be fooled by the images. Check the hands on articles on boygeniusreport etc... They say it feels really good! They also conclude that the os acts and feels very "mature"... I admit, the early pics didn't appeal to me, but this is the first network branded android phone, and it shows a lot of promise imho.

I understand that at the core the OS is meant to be quite good but that doesn't detract entirely from the handset; regardless of how it feels.

strecker wrote: »

It's also worth noting that unlike the case with the iphone, most of the bemoaned shortcomings of the G1 are down to T-mobile's policies, and have nothing to do with android... (remember when "3" disabled modem functions on phones? You really couldn't blame Nokia or SE for that... )

G1 multitasks, copy/pastes etc etc... It's a good start.

As I mentioned, I am not attacking the Android platform, just the handset it is running on. The lack of video capture, Gmail required account and that it won't be sold outside of a 2-5 mile radius of T-Mobile's 3G coverage, to name but a few shortcomings, are not the worst negatives I've heard of. I certainly hope that such negatives are lessened with the launch of the next Android handsets as, if they are, we will no doubt see a real battle between the smartphones.

strecker · 25-09-2008 9:58am

Rsaeire wrote: »

I understand that at the core the OS is meant to be quite good but that doesn't detract entirely from the handset; regardless of how it feels.

As I mentioned, I am not attacking the Android platform, just the handset it is running on. The lack of video capture, Gmail required account and that it won't be sold outside of a 2-5 mile radius of T-Mobile's 3G coverage, to name but a few shortcomings, are not the worst negatives I've heard of. I certainly hope that such negatives are lessened with the launch of the next Android handsets as, if they are, we will no doubt see a real battle between the smartphones.

can't argue with any of that

I'll be interested to see what Samsung do with it as they have recently shown that they are quite serious about taking on Nokia....if we stop being eurocentric for a sec, it's a bit less "funny"....

matrim · 25-09-2008 12:01pm

Some of the main problems I've read about it are that it's missing stuff like syncing \ backup to pc

ChRoMe · 25-09-2008 12:34pm

I've heard (could be wrong) that it doesnt do video playback!

If thats the case, I have no interest. I think its going to be a while until we see handsets coming out that really do something cool.

Ron DMC · 25-09-2008 12:36pm

No, it does video playback, it just can't record video, like the iPhone.

Basq · 25-09-2008 12:36pm

Looks horrific.. looks like a Sidekick.

** pukes uncontrollably **

silvine · 25-09-2008 4:33pm

It might be a good phone OS this time next year but I can't see any reason to buy a buggy ugly device at launch.

metalfest · 28-09-2008 5:52pm

looks unreal.......

bluemachaveli · 28-09-2008 6:16pm

ChRoMe wrote: »

I've heard (could be wrong) that it doesnt do video playback!

If thats the case, I have no interest. I think its going to be a while until we see handsets coming out that really do something cool.

The only video playback supported outta the box is YouTube.
There is no other video player. They have left that up to third parties via the App store. Expect the usual suspects to bang out a huge choice in players!

Tom Dunne · 29-09-2008 8:37am

There was a so-so review of it in the Sunday Times yesterday. They weren't overly impressed with it. Good potential, by the sounds of it, but not quite there yet.

towel401 · 29-09-2008 12:01pm

sharkman wrote: »

Yeah , Looks terrible !

its an ugly piece of work

mkennedy · 29-09-2008 5:17pm

As some other posters said, it's the OS (and the OS's potential), that's the interesting part of this phone.
Not the design (obviously).
Can't wait to see what else is to come from google's collabs with HTC et al.

Creamy Goodness · 29-09-2008 5:27pm

android running on a HTC touch HD incorporating the Touch HD features will be something to talk about tbh.

Rsaeire · 29-09-2008 5:29pm

To be honest, I don't think HTC would really make a handset that could directly rival not only the iPhone but its own handsets too. HTC have almost half a dozen new handsets either recently launched or almost about to be so it's within their best interests to not make a handset that could trump all their own offering's like the HTC Touch Pro, Touch Diamond, HD etc.

G1 (Google Android Handset by HTC for T-mobile)

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