1st Android phone - HTC G1
Finally, the first-ever Android phone, the T-Mobile HTC G1, has been launched and we’re giving you the rundown on this latest smartphone. It’s a touchscreen-enabled mobile phone with a full QWERTY keypad hidden underneath its decently-sized screen. While it has indeed been launched, it only go on sale starting October 22 and will be exclusively available on T-Mobile only. So now that we’ve gotten those important details aside, let’s head on to the good and bad aspects of the phone itself.
The good news is that it’ll only cost $179 making it one of the most affordable mobile phones in its category. For that price, you get a phone equipped with a 3.17-inch HVGA 480×320 display, 3.1-megapixel camera, WiFi, A-GPS, 3G/HSDPA and of course, the Android OS. It’s a pretty loaded phone based on its specs alone, but as much as we would like to believe it’s perfect, it’s definitely not.
The not-so-good side of it is that there’s no desktop sync app for you to use. Everything will be done online through Google contacts and cal, and even though it does have a camera, it doesn’t allow you to record videos much less support video playback. It also lacks a simple 3.5mm headphone jack which might not bother some, but will definitely be a hassle for those who prefer using their own headphones on the phone. A microSD card is also a requirement for you to download music. Without one present in the phone, you can’t perform the said task.
Nevertheless, Google isn’t closing the doors on improvement with regards to the Android OS system. Aside from the missing 3.5mm headphone jack, most of its misgivings are software related which can easily be address by 3rd party applications or future updates to the OS. So, given this balanced preview of the HTC G1, are you still inclined to get one or are you willing to wait for the rest of the Android-based cavalry to arrive first?
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Five Things to Dislike About the HTC G1 Google Phone
Android and the HTC G1 aren't perfect. In fact, there are some glaring flaws. Here are five of them.
1. The hardware. Sorry, HTC, but the G1 feels cheap. I understand that what we saw today were preproduction units, but the phones felt thrown together. The plastics weren't high quality and the trackball didn't work all the time.
2. The camera. The G1 may have a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus, but it doesn't have a flash, nor a vanity mirror. It also is a bit slow, and the images I took with it were not of the highest caliber.
3. The keyboard. QWERTY keyboards on smartphones are a funny thing. Some are great, and some stink. The G1's keyboard falls in the middle. The buttons are small, flat, and don't have a lot of travel and feedback to let you know that you've pressed them. The keyboard will take some getting used to for most people.
4. No headphone jack. This is something HTC needs to deal with on more phones than just the G1. The G1 does not have a 2.5-mm or 3.5-mm headset jack. That means you have to use a USB adapter if you want listen to music. I have to ask, why bother including a media player at all if you're going to make it a hassle to use headphones. What's worse, the G1 doesn't support stereo Bluetooth (yet), so the adapter is your only choice. Get with the program, HTC, and figure out how to put 3.5-mm headset jacks onto your devices.
5. No PC syncing. I get it. Google believes in the cloud, and nowhere is that more evident than with the G1. There is no desktop syncing client available for the G1. That means if you want to sync your contacts, calendars, etc., you have to do it all through the Internet. While this functionality is a large part of the G1's premise, there are those who are going to want to have more control and sync directly from their computer.
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