HTC G1
Phone Scoop Review
Oct 16, 2008 by Eric M. Zeman
Here it is. The "GPhone". The Google Phone. The HTC G1 is the first phone running Google's Android platform. Does it pass muster? read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
too bad it doesnt make me pancakes :(
Ok so I've own this phone since the 23rd..its just sick SICK lets go over some of the pros and cons.
Pros:
1.it has what we in the mobile biz call "triple threat"
which means-full touch screen , full key board and a track ball(the track ball of a great touch)
2. google maps...just use street veiw and you will see what i mean(i like to call it gods veiw)
3. myspace just made a app for it that will let you up load pics that u took on the phone onto your myspace (sweet)
4.shop savvy bar code reader!
5. Imeen...lots of music more than i know what to do with
6. the 3g network in Chicago seems pretty good you tube is very fast at least :D
ill just stop listing the endless applications this mini lap top has and go str8 to cons
CONS!!!!!111111oneone!!111
1.battery life is pretty lame thank god for car chargers.
2. it doesnt have a stereo head jack
3. it doesn't make me pancakes
there you have it folks the g1, test drive it today!
(if your in chicago and cant find a g1 my store has like 5 left you can email me at
nice_flop_sir@yahoo.com...ill answer any questions about the g1...on my g1.)
Just like they said
The G1 is a great phone with some flaws but none-the-less great.
Pros
-touch screen is great
-android OS is easy to use and customizable
-full keyboard for fat thumbs
-roll ball for added accuracy
-not made by apple so it doesn't have the restrictions
-open source
-great camera
-expandable memory slot for more memory
-removable battery
-unlock after 3 months of service with T-mobile
-Google maps
-3G capable
Cons
-Battery life
-browser navigation
-no headset jack
-stereo bluetooth missing
-lack of 3G coverage
Overall Best phone for T-Mobile.
Dumb it down
Don't let a lot of the reviews fool you the G1 is an excellent device. The capacitive touch screen on this device is only bested by the iphone and that's due mostly to multi touch. The web browser is excellent. The keyboard is somewhat flush but definitely usable. The Android OS is a great start. The 3 way home screen is the most customizable on any mobile device. The notification bar is absolutely genius. Call quality is top notch. The android market is getting better by the day and downloads usually take about 15-20 seconds on edge. My only real gripes with the device are the battery life although adjusting some settings can drastically improve this. This phone is made 4 geeks tho so its not as easy 2 pick up and use as an iphone. If the device were more attractive and dumbed down then the average consumer may have picked up on it a lil more. Still I'm very happy about my purchase of this device. Would definitely recommend this phone
As Good As Its Hype
I won't give it a perfect review because it isn't perfect, but it's damn near close. No phone is ever going to be perfect like people expect them to be.
Pros:
Great touch screen
Bluetooth and WiFi
Nice keyboard (I dont see the problems with it)
An actual Menu, unlike the iPhone where everything is on the main screen.
The Market rocks, lots of good programs already and its just the start.
Cons:
Battery life is bad, but when 3G is turned off it helps.
3G isn't available everywhere....YET
The speaker is on the back, so it can get muffled at times.
This is the first issue of Android, so it will be rough around the edges, give it a few updates and I think things will be great.
G1 is a bit over rated
Let me start off by saying I have been using smart phones/ PDAâs for about 5 years now. I have owned several different models, I am no expert, but I think I have a lot more than just casual use of these type of devices.
Pros:
-Well the android OS is open source, meaning google can be lazy and let everyone else make their OS cool (good idea!)
-Phone has a decently loud speaker, good for music or speaker phone.
-internal GPS
-slide out keyboard
-expandable to 16gb memory (only usable for music and media)
-well working touch screen
-google maps
-I dont know what else i really like about the phone, its fun to use. If it had less cons, i would have kept it
Cons:
-The phone itself feels cheap, screen and phone creaks and makes odd noises when held firmly or when opening the screen.
-Camera is awful quality, for a 3mega pix camera, you would have thought it would be at least decent. But its shutter speed makes it nearly useless unless the object is completely still. (i think this could be fixed with an application)
-no included video recorder (yes, i cant believe they released the phone without this)
-No headphone jack
-battery life is just unacceptable. I take the phone off the charger at 6am, by noon its typically below 25% power unless i havent touched it. (this is typically with 30-40 minutes of calling use, a few sms and email checking every 30 minutes or so)
-no outlook sync or MS Exchange integration
I could go on about other things that I think are wrong, but this should give the casual buyer a decent idea.
In my opinion google isnt targeting this type of phone for corporate use, and i think they released it too soon. Its just missing far too many simple features. Yes i know alot of these can be fixed with 3 party applications, but that's not my point. As it is, myself and 4 others i worked with are returning the phone. I like the android OS, but at this point in time, i dont think its really ready.
It's a great phone.
Some may consider these as cons:
1. The chin gets in the way of typing for some people, and is raised so people in tight clothing or who are overweight may have problems. I got used to the chin very quickly, and the phone fits flush into my pocket - it's flat if put in the case that comes with it.
2. There's no 'virtual' keyboard. This can only be a complaint from people who own a touchscreen only phone - as bar dumbphones/sliders have no keyboard and qwerty keyboard phones generally have to be used 2-handed as well. Hopefully, a 3rd party solution will arrive to make everyone happy.
3. The browser IS indeed a little laggy compared to the Iphone, but you can't really compare this to an iphone as it runs less memory. I do think that v.2 will be much better, and the phone is still comparable if not better than most other smart phones i've used thus far.
4. You'll have to get used to the 'cloud' way the phone syncs. It's all done through gmail, no desktop software necessary - this scares some people.
5. The camera isn't GREAT, but better than many I've dealt with...no flash, is a bummer.
Pros:
Sturdy, strong phone, nice rubberized exterior.
Great features (mms/sms/email, gps, 3g, micro sdhc, quad band, wifi - and the list goes on).
Functional software (you start with basics and build on it how YOU want it).
Very responsive (awesome synergy once you get used to using the keyboard, track pad and touchscreen together).
Customizations galore (widgets, backgrounds, apps, 3 virtual screens, icons/widgets move wherever you want)
Free, premium apps and more to come.
Cloud storage (your contacts are now stored in gmail, meaning you'll never lose them *unless God forbid all google data centers disappear/crash*).
More than meets the eye (Google has office, photo, blogging, etc. software available online).
Storage will grow with micro sdhc evolution and it won't cost you $300. 16gb micro sdhc cards are going for $80 right now.
I enjoy it and give it 2 thumbs up.
The Best Phone Ever
Well as soon as I unboxed this phone looks much smaller than the pictures on the web. You have to create a gmail account so I did that online before I got the phone. As far as the hardware kinda heavy for a cell phone but durable. The screen slides out very easily and the qwerty is nice. The touch screen is very responsive with no problems. I connected my G1 via WI-Fi on my 22 meg connection at home and internet was blazing. I wasn't to impressed with the camera to be honest. As far as the software goes this is where the strong points are on this phone. The market place apps are all free and most of them use GPS. You can do anything from scanning a barcode and checking prices on the web, to ordering a cab in the area. Comparing the phone to Apple's I-Phone the Android is a much stronger OS. The Android is gonna have so much potential moving forward in the future.
Great Overall Device
The T-mobile G1 is simply an amazing device. The hardware is a little dated but still very usable and the OS is just amazing. I love the google "cloud" sync, the touchscreen is great, and the versatility offered by the market is already outstanding and it's only in its infancy. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is because of its lack of video capture (which may be rectified soon through the app market) and because of its ok battery life. Other than those two small issues though it is the best overall device I've used having gone through 10 phones in the last year, including an N95 and an E71.
A very good phone but needs FEW improvments
i got this phone 3 days ago and i already am in love with it !
pros:
great screen
responsive touchscreen
great apps expandability
good sound quality
good form factor
syncs great with google ( duh! )
cons:
no video recording
no zoom or settings on camera
keyboard takes time getting used to
bad battery life
hard to open battery door
This phone is goo. It is a little bulky but it still is pretty easy to handle. i recommend this phone !
Does it deliver what was promised? No
If I had one word to describe the HTC G1, that would be lame.
The first look is great, unitl you start digging into it.
So why lame? Let me explain:
- if you'd buy a GPS, with the same features the G1 has, you would classify it as mediocre (worse than lame). You cannot save anything; such as locations (AKA waypoints)
or routes, etc.
- if you'd buy a PDA, with the same features the G1 has, you would clasiffy it as mediocre. The contact list is very basic: phone number(s), email(s) & IM(s), and street address. You can't assign a category (such as Friend, Family or Work), a date (such as birthday) or (since the G1 has an integrated GPS) a coordinate for a contact.
If you want to write a document with the G1, you better grab a pen&paper; the G1 doesn't have not even the most basic text editor.
You can guess where your files are stored, because the G1 doesn't have a file manager (equivalent of a Explorer for Windows).
You can save attachments (like doc, xls, pdf, ppt, etc.) and view them through HTMLViewer, but only in 1:1 magnification (which is bigger than the screen), so you must pan with your fingers restlessly on the screen: annoying. But as I said, only view them, no editing. You can't even highlight something to copy/paste into an email.
- if you'd buy a Digital Camera, well, the
disposable camera you buy in a gas station has more features than the G1âs does. No settings whatsoever, basically only save or discard...
- if you'd buy a Camcorder. Oh! The G1 doesn't record video, so forget it.
- Bluetooth: no support for stereo Bluetooth headsets yet. You cannot pair it with i.e. a PC, and for that matter not even to another G1. I drive a car with Bluetooth built-in, you guessed; with G1 it doesnât work.
So what went wrong, is G1 a flop? The phone is great, what went sour was T-Mobile & Googleâs launch strategy. This phone was put in the market too early, with under developed software and features that are, well, lame.
I hope T-Mobile is reading this.
