Google G1

Introduction

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With a high-quality capacitive touch screen and the much anticipated open source Android Operating System from Google, the G1 phone currently offered by T-Mobile holds a lot of promise to change the way people use mobile phones.

This handset, manufactured by HTC, is the first phone with Google's open-source Android OS and despite the generally impressive hardware -- a touch screen that responds smoothly and quickly, a full QWERTY keyboard -- many people will purchase this phone because the Android software.

The G1 is probably most appealing to users who want to tinker with applications and explore the phone's possibilities, whereas average consumers and businesspeople who want a more proven smartphone might be better off for now with Apple's iPhone 3G or a Windows Mobile device.

The main reason is that third-party applications for the Android OS are just starting to take off and while developers are providing solutions for shortcomings on the phone, such as the lack of support for a Microsoft Exchange Server, the applications are new and some users might not want to deal with early hiccups.

Even with the G1 Android phone's shortcomings, notably a camera that fails to measure up to the Apple iPhone 3G, its potential to become a powerful mobile mini-computer is very exciting.

Design

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With its black, matte exterior, the G1 Android phone resembles other HTC handsets such as the HTC Touch. The phone feels solid in the hand and seems well-built, including the mechanism that allows the touch screen face to slide out and reveal the full QWERTY keyboard.

The appearance of this phone is not sexy or trendy and in fact, the minimalist black exterior of the phone reviewed here and slightly angled lower edge -- where the trackball and buttons are located -- give the phone an unusual, utilitarian look. The G1 from T-Mobile also comes in shiny white and graphite versions. The appeal of this phone not the exterior but what is inside, the Android OS and potential for a great variety of third-party applications.

The soft-touch exterior makes the phone easy to grip and at 2.2 inches wide by 4.6 inches long and 0.7 inches thick, which is nearly the same size as the iPhone 3G, only thicker to accommodate the slide-out keyboard. At 5.6 ounces, the G1 is heavier than the 4.6-ounce iPhone 3G and is definitely bulkier when slipped into a pocket.

The large, brilliant 3.2-inch touch screen dominates the face of the handset, and this section slides up with a smooth clicking sound to reveal the keyboard. There is a small button on the right side of the phone which activates the camera and, when the phone is in camera mode, can be used to take the photo.

The five main navigation buttons sit on the angled bottom of the phone, with the trackball centered between them. There is an "end" key, which also frustratingly locks the phone so it cannot be used as a shortcut to exit from applications; a "back" key to go to the previous screen or exit an application; a "home" key to get to the home screen from anywhere; and a "send" key. Immediately above the trackball is a large rectangular "menu" button, which brings up a list of actions in whatever screen is currently open.

At the bottom of the phone is the mini-USB port, which is also where the phone charger plugs in, and on the lower left side of the phone is a microSD Memory Card slot covered with a tiny tab. To open the slot, users must slide open the G1's keyboard and pry open the tab. This takes a little effort, but it's not bad compared to many handsets on which the back of the phone and battery must be removed to access the microSD card slot. That configuration would be especially problematic on the G1, because it was sometimes so difficult to remove the back panel to install the battery that it seemed the panel might break.

Near the top of the G1 on the left side, there is a basic rocker button to adjust the volume. The back of the phone is simply black, with a speaker centered near the top and the camera lens located immediately to the left.

On the full, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the keys are backlit and only slightly raised. While the keyboard is attractive and much more grown up than on a Sidekick, the keys are too flat to dial by touch and while they are not tiny, they are small enough to result in some misspelled words sooner or later.

The major problem with the G1's keyboard is the raised section on the bottom of the phone, which gets in the way when the slide screen is open and a user is trying to type a message on the keyboard. It is even worse when the phone is charging, since the mini-USB port is located on the bottom of the phone -- in the way of the user's right hand when typing.

When the screen slides open, the touch screen changes orientation from portrait to landscape. This is the only time the orientation changes because although the phone has an accelerometer, it does not change when the phone is physically rotated. The transition when the keyboard opens is seamless and intuitive, but the lack of other ways to change the view is a shortfall when compared with the Apple iPhone 3G and Research in Motion's BlackBerry Storm. It would be nice to have the option of viewing photos, for example, in landscape mode.

The QWERTY keyboard balances out the touch screen, especially for people who are reluctant to switch completely to touch screen and on the G1, the helps users to navigate the Internet.

Of course, most of the hype and the special functions related to the G1 Android phone are related to the software. The visual design of the interface is basic, with a tab on the home screen that can be pulled up with the swipe of a finger to reveal an array of colorful application shortcuts against a black background -- similar to the layout of icons on the iPhone 3G.

The Android OS provides notifications to users on the status bar at the top of the screen, for example when they receive new e-mails and instant messages, and the bar can easily be pulled down with a swipe of the finger like a window shade to reveal more information. To close the notification window, swipe your finger up the screen.

Android allows users to make long clicks -- when you hold down a finger on the screen -- to bring up options in certain applications and accomplish other actions on the phone. For example, a long click can be used to move an application up to the home screen. The Android OS also allows users to copy and paste.

Pulling up the application tab at the bottom of the screen and making a long click on an application icon allows you to drag and drop the application onto the home screen or one of the other two home screens located on the left and right. T-Mobile calls these screens, which can be accessed by swiping a finger to the left or right, an "extended home screen." The long click works to customize the G1 homepage. The long press also works to remove applications from the home page.

Customizing multiple home screens might appeal to some tech gurus, but the average consumer might prefer the iPhone 3G where applications are laid out in an easy formation so there is no need to pull shades up or down to reach the applications.

Out of the box, the T-Mobile G1 comes with a 1150 mAh Li-Ion battery, a stereo headset, USB cable, 1GB microSD memory card, carrying case and guides to tips and tricks and getting started with the phone.