First look at the T-Mobile G1 Google Android Phone

Filed under: Features, Google, Open Source, Mobile Minute, Mobile, Web, Android

First look at the T-Mobile G1 Google Android Phone

by Brad Linder Oct 17th 2008

So I don't know if you've heard, but apparently there's this company named Google. And apparently they've developed some sort of a mobile phone operating system that features tight integration with online services like Gmail, YouTube, and Google Talk. And you can't get one just yet, so we decided to talk to someone who did.

Kevin Tofel of jkOnTheRun has been testing a T-Mobile G1 for the last few days. When it hits the shelves next week, the G1 will be the first device on the market based on the Google Android platform. Tofel says there's a lot to like about the G1, but there are still a few things that annoy him.

And most importantly, the platform will only succeed if Google can do a good job of attracting third party developers. The built in applications work very well, but there are still too many things missing. For example, while you can watch YouTube movies using the YouTube player, there's no video play for watching downloaded movies or videos from other web sites. Fortunately there's already a third party movie player available in the Android Marketplace. But that's one of only a handful of third party apps currently available.

You can see the phone in action and hear more of Kevin's thoughts by clicking the video above. If you're too busy to sit through a ten minute video, you can read some of the highlights after the jump.

The web browser works much like Opera Mini or Safari Mobile, in that you get full desktop views of web pages and you can zoom in on particular areas to make the text more readable. But instead of pinching the screen to zoom in and out as you would with an iPhone, you have to hit on-screen zoom icons.
The phone's home screen is like a cross between the iPhone application launcher and a Windows desktop that you can litter with shortcuts for your favorite apps. You can also flip back and forth between three virtual desktops, giving you the opportunity to create up to three separate sets of shortcuts (for example, one desktop for work, one for personal use).
Integration with Google applications like Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Calendar is excellent. You can also use a few non-Google services like AOL IM.
You sync your data with the web, not with a desktop. So if you want to synchronize your data with Outlook, you'll need to configure Outlook to sync with your Google Calendar. There's no "to do list" application.
There's no support for Exchange, which means the T-Mobile G1, and Android in general isn't likely to be adopted by enterprise users anytime soon.
There's no handwriting recognition software or on-screen keyboard. That means you have to use hardware keyboard to enter anything other than phone numbers.

Tags: android, cellphone, g1, google-android, htc-dream, HtcDream, mobile, t-mobile-g1

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Anon said 10:22AM on 10-17-2008

These people dont know how to use a camera!

Brad Linder said 10:26AM on 10-17-2008

I agree.

Fargus said 10:26AM on 10-17-2008

looks pretty bulky to me. I need to see one in person to judge for myself though.

Brad Linder said 10:27AM on 10-17-2008

I was actually surprised at how much smaller it was than I had expected. It's a bit thicker than an iPhone. But I pulled out my old school Nokia candybar phone and found that the G1 wasn't really *that* much more bulky than it.

James said 12:59PM on 10-17-2008

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/16/engadget-reviews-first-android-handset/

Right hand, meet left hand. Hello!

Grant Robertson said 2:14PM on 10-17-2008

Having played with one for 20 minutes.. and anxiously awaiting *mine* next week, I can say that it's not going to win a beauty contest. It's a little thick, and it feels kinda generic. However, using it is a freaking dream. The touch screen is excellent, the interface is excellent, there's a whole lot to love. We'll be getting way down deep and dirty with Android on Download Squad in the coming weeks so, keep reading.

Grundle said 9:19AM on 10-18-2008

"I'm kinda hoping somebody comes out with a third-party application that lets me do an on-screen keyboard"

I'll go ahead and file this under "Why would we want to do this terrible thing?" Apple doesn't do it because it's a good idea, it's a good idea because Apple does it. I'll never understand this logic.

raheem bonds said 3:05PM on 11-21-2008

i got the g1 before it even hit the stores here in savannah. its great. the only issue i have is that there's no easy way to watch movies on it. i've tried everything. anyone got any suggestions or answers for me?

jamie said 11:12AM on 12-20-2008

Save the movie to the memory chip from ur computer then try to play it on ur phone

steven said 11:48PM on 1-09-2009

Well I have the g1 and I can't find a movie site nor a flash for the camera

Featured Time Waster

Civiballs is a beautiful, soothing physics puzzle Time Waster

I have an absolute weakness for physics games, and while Civiballs isn't the strongest physics-based game, what it lacks in the physics department it makes up for a few times over in style and fun.

In Civiballs, you are presented with a few colored balls, and your goal is to get those balls into the same-colored urn on the level. The "civi" part of Civiballs is that there are 3 sets of levels to play, each representing a different civilization. While the civilization doesn't affect gameplay, the artwork for each level is beautifully themed to it's appropriate era.

To play the game, you are given only one tool - a sword with which to cut the chains that are holding the balls. The puzzle part of the game is in figuring out what order, and with what timing to cut each chain. Do it right, and all the right balls end up in the right urns, with no stray balls entering an urn (a no-no). Do it wrong, and you get to start over again.

Civiballs is not terribly deep on gameplay; the entire game can be completed in about 15 minutes. But if you enjoy this type of game, it will be a very enjoyable 15 minutes.

View more Time Wasters