Google’s G1: First Impressions
by Walter S. Mossberg
Posted on September 23, 2008 at 7:30 AM PT
Google’s new G1 phone announced today is the first real competitor to the iPhone. Like Apple’s product, it’s a serious handheld computer with a powerful new operating system (called Android) and a clever touch-based user interface. Like the iPhone, it’s likely to be a major new platform for third-party software. But it’s also very different, and may appeal to different buyers.
The phone, expected to be the first of many to use the Android operating system, was largely designed by Google, and was built by HTC of Taiwan. It will be sold in the U.S. starting next month by T-Mobile, for $179 with a two-year contract.
Here are some first impressions of the G1, based on some experience with a prototype. This isn’t a full review; that will come later, when I’ve had a chance to use a more finished device.
Most importantly, the G1 complements its touch screen with a physical keyboard, the lack of which has made the iPhone a non-starter for some users. The G1’s keyboard is revealed when you slide open its screen. The keys are a bit flat, and you have to reach your right thumb around a bulging portion of the phone’s body to type, but it’s a real keyboard. And there’s also a BlackBerry-like trackball that supplements the touch screen navigation. I found typing on this keyboard to be OK, but not great.
A second big feature, or limitation, of the G1 — depending on your point of view — is that it is tightly tied to Google’s web-based email, contacts and calendar programs. In fact, you must have a Google (GOOG) account to use the phone, and can only synchronize the phone’s calendar and address book with Google online services. Unlike the iPhone, it doesn’t work with Microsoft Exchange, and it can’t physically be synced with a PC-based calendar or contacts program, like Microsoft Outlook.
So, if your world already revolves around Google services, you may find that the G1 fits like a glove. If not, you may be disappointed.
Also, like the iPhone, the G1 has a download service for third-party programs, called Market. I downloaded a couple of simple Market programs and they worked fine.
The G1 won’t win any beauty contests with its Apple (AAPL) rival. It’s stubby and chunky, nearly 30% thicker and almost 20% heavier than the iPhone. It’s a bit narrower — more like a standard phone than a “smart phone” — and longer, but has a somewhat smaller screen.
Still, it feels pretty good in the hand when closed, although I found it more awkward when opened.
But the software is slick. Programs appear in a virtual drawer you slide open via a tab at the bottom of the screen, and notifications of new messages and the like can be read by sliding the top bar of the screen down. The screen and software were quick and responsive.
The web browser is based on the same open-source technology as the iPhone’s, but works differently. You can view a portion of a page, and use a zoom control and finger-dragging to see the rest, or you can view the whole page in miniature, as on the iPhone. In the latter mode, however, you can’t simply use Apple’s technique of tapping or “pinching” to zoom in on a portion of a page. You must move around a virtual lens to pick out a part of the page on which to focus.
There are two email programs: one for Google’s Gmail, another for all other email services. There’s an instant messaging program, that works with multiple services — not just Google’s. And, as on the iPhone, there are programs for using Google Maps and Google’s YouTube video service. The G1’s Google Maps program has a feature lacking in the iPhone version: photographic street views of some locations.
The G1 has a couple of other things the iPhone omits: copy and paste functionality and a so-called MMS program, which sends photos to other phones without using email. Its camera is higher-resolution than the iPhone’s, but, like Apple’s, doesn’t record video.
It also gives you far more flexibility in organizing your desktop, or home screen, than the iPhone, or almost any phone I’ve seen. In addition to placing icons for programs there, you can place everything from individual contacts, music playlists, folders, web pages, and more.
The G1’s multimedia capabilities are less polished and complete than the iPhone’s. There’s a very basic music player, and a built-in version of Amazon’s MP3 download service that works fine. But the G1 lacks a built-in video player — you have to download one from the third-party software store. Also, you cannot use standard stereo headphones with the G1. You need special ones, or an adapter.
And it lacks the iPhone’s ability to change the orientation of a web page or photo by just turning the phone. You also can’t move through groups of photos by just “flicking,” as on the iPhone.
The G1 also has much less memory than the iPhone. The base $199 iPhone comes with 8 gigabytes sealed in, but the G1 comes with just a 1 gigabyte memory card. Its maximum memory, if you buy a bigger card, is 8 gigabytes, while the iPhone can be purchased (for $299) with twice that.
T-Mobile is claiming similar talk time to that of the iPhone, but, unlike Apple’s product, the G1 has a removable battery.
Finally, a word about networks. In the U.S., the G1 will initially only be available on T-Mobile, whose high-speed 3G network will be up and running in many fewer cities than those of its larger rivals, AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ). Like the iPhone, the G1 does have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.
In sum, the G1 is a powerful, versatile device which will offer users a real alternative in the new handheld computing category the iPhone has occupied alone.
Comments
Mr. Mossberg seems absolutely determined to like this phone.
Posted by David Owens at September 23rd, 2008 at 8:41 amWow, you think? I didn’t get that impression at all. I thought it was pretty balanced, starting out with some pretty significant negatives. I love the iPhone, but let’s face it… it’ll be nice to have an alternative that can copy and paste. The one thing I think needs to be mentioned more is that for most people, the phone actually costs $299 right now. A real shock when I finally got through to their currently troubled site.
Posted by Rachel Murray at September 23rd, 2008 at 10:52 amThere was some benefit of the doubt as you can’t really compare a prototype with a production model on its 2nd version. I loved the inclusion of a keyboard, moan at the lack of a camera flash and video. But the lack of PC synch kills it for me. Somethings Google does best, but for office applications a large part of the world is still with MS Office. Please synch with PCs!?
Posted by stephen pang at September 23rd, 2008 at 11:06 amI thought it was a pretty balanced preview considering what an Apple fan-boy Walt usually is.
Based on this competition and current customer experiences, my bet is that iPhone 3.x will get a physical keyboard. (Hey, we eventually got a 2nd mouse button, didn’t we?)
Posted by Steve Hoge at September 23rd, 2008 at 11:31 amCopy and Paste.
Posted by Julien Garros at September 23rd, 2008 at 11:34 amSidekick+Iphone+Vista
This phone is NOT “competitively priced” compared to the iPhone. If you add the cost of 8GB memory and the video player, it will surely cost more than the 8GB iPhone.
Posted by George Slusher at September 23rd, 2008 at 1:31 pmThe closing paragraph caught me off guard. Are you saying that the Palm OS and Windows Mobile platform that have been around for generations are NOT members of the “handheld computing category”?
Seems kind of close minded. Although Windows Mobile devices and Palm OS devices lack the polish and shiny factor of the iPhone, I wouldn’t relegate them to non handheld computing status.
Posted by Andrew Weng at September 23rd, 2008 at 1:37 pmI’ve been waiting almost a decade for this generation of smartphones. Back in the late 90s I was thinking about all the applications that would be possible if phones had decent amount of storage and more than one path to the internet.
For instance, one could have entire blog histories and message board conversations or forum threads pre-downloaded using Wifi at home, with live updates occupying only a fraction of the otherwise necessary cellphone network bandwidth.
Or in today’s terms, a Facebook user could benefit from updates to all their friends’ pages at night and would be able to browse or add comments during the day with only minimal use of the 3G network.
Travelers could have maps pre-downloaded using info from a calendar application, and investors could have financial background and history downloaded via Wifi with only live ticker data updated over the 3G network.
My patents covering this technology are now offered for sale in the upcoming Fall ‘08 OceanTomo live IP auction, listed on http://www.oceantomoauctions.com lot #63.
Unfortunately advertisers will probably find ways to use these technologies to make ads more eyecatching and difficult to ignore, but if that pays for part of the price of a G1 or iPhone it might be a net benefit.
I can’t wait to see some of the multiplayer games or radically new applications that would be possible using these technologies.
In fact, maybe business for the next auction can be transacted entirely over smartphones… with all background info already pre-downloaded.
Posted by Ray Khorram at September 23rd, 2008 at 1:50 pmThe actual $299.00 sticker price over the “as low as” $179.00 proudly advertised on the tmobileg1.com site seemingly continues T-Mobile’s curious practice of charging existing subscribers more for its phones than first-time purchasers.
Posted by Alexander Zaretsky at September 23rd, 2008 at 3:52 pmNice looking phone, but lets talk about the windows browser in the screenshot…
Posted by Trip Foster at September 23rd, 2008 at 6:06 pmhttp://life2beta.wordpress.com.....ff-google/
More please Walt! How about a bit more about the “feel” of the touch screen? Multi-touch? Any correction technology in the keyboard input?
You mentioned the lack of video recording but how’s the playback? Will it work with sites such as Hulu?
Battery life?
Battery life with an active 3G data connection?
Posted by zun guri at September 23rd, 2008 at 9:06 pmI enjoyed reading and responding to this article on my iPhone.
I would also gladly pay (and did pay) $20 or $100 more for a smaller, sleeker, single piece device (the sliding screen is just one more easy to break “feature.”)
Posted by Joe Faber at September 24th, 2008 at 7:30 amGotta go along with Joe on the keyboard. Apple’s philosophy – and it’s a sound one – is “fewer moving parts”. A keyboard that small, at that price, is a recipe for all kinds of problems. Even the keys on FULL SIZED keyboards get stuck, dirty, broken, worn. Once that happens on your G-phone, what can you do? It’s junk. But the iPhone’s virtual keyboard will always work just as well as the day it was new.
For all the complaints about the lack of a keyboard on the iPhone, people have voted with their wallets. They WANT a device that’s more sleek, less clunky. Clunkiness is for nerds and geeks, who actually seem to cling to it. Everyone else sees these devices in a different way.
Posted by Jeff Faria at September 24th, 2008 at 9:50 amSo…
1) At the $179 price, it has 1gb of memory compared to the base model iPhone’s 8gb. To upgrade to the “max” 8gb on the G1, you’ll spend nearly the same amount as it costs to buy the SIXTEEN gb iPhone.
2) No video (we’ll see what 3rd party apps add, but serious, at this level, nothing built in?), no landscape mode switching. No multitouch. No computer syncing.
3) Quite bulky.
4) TERRIBLE 3g network. And people complain about AT&Ts?
I really wanted to like this, and it clearly has potential for the future, but for now, I’m really not seeing how it compares favorably to the iPhone in any area other than (a) $20 less (for a LOT less), (b) a removable battery (nice, but sleds are available for the iPhone if you’re a truly heavy user), and (c) cut-and-paste, which WILL be added to the iPhone shortly through a software update (it’s been officially acknowledged as on the list by the development heads).
Disappointed, I am…
Posted by Kalani Patterson at September 24th, 2008 at 12:04 pmI would call this review an example of “damning with faint praise,” even though the last sentence seems designed to numb the pain.
Posted by Alan Sanders at September 24th, 2008 at 3:53 pmI’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t wait for Android. I bought an iPhone 3G and I’m really disappointed in its inability to sync with Google Calendar. Since I’m a complete Google user I’d much rather have a phone with excellent Google integration than all the fancy apps – that I thought would be something I couldn’t live without. Well it turns out I’d much rather have reliable & effective syncing with Gcal than Pandora.
Posted by Jay Gattis at September 25th, 2008 at 9:01 amAs usual, Walt has done a great (dare I say fair and balanced) job reviewing this new device. As he says, it was a prototype of a first generation device, so all of those iPhone comparisons are a bit unfair. Be interesting to see what improvements are made in the next few months.
There were a few observations I wanted to pass along as a heavy duty phone e-mailer.
1) A great device, like the iPhone, won’t make up for crummy service, like AT&T. Don’t jump on the latest device without understanding that.
2) Physical keyboards will disappear from phones soon. They add weight and complexity, increase size, and create potential problems areas. The only thing holding back touchscreen keyboards is better software. Today’s screens seem sensitive enough, but the software just isn’t quite accurate enough for fast typing. It’s very close though and probably only a few software upgrades away.
3) Google’s e-mail, calendar and contacts are excellent for small to mid-size companies and individuals/families. I use a Windows desktop computer at the office, a MacBook Air on the road, and carry a Windows Mobile phone. All devices sync automatically and very smoothly with Google Apps.
4) Anyone not happy with the iPhone/G1 options should definitely check out the Sprint Touch (also made by HTC). I’ve been carrying this phone for several months and it’s a beautiful little device. Small and powerful with a bright screen, GPS, 2mp camera, EVDO Rev. A speed.
Hope this info helps someone.
Posted by Robert Stoeber at September 25th, 2008 at 1:20 pmMight be a nit-pick, but the iPhone does allow you to save web pages to the desktop. Launch Safari, navigate to the page, touch the + button, choose Add to Home Screen.
Posted by Glenn Howes at September 26th, 2008 at 1:42 pmHmm… aside from the keyboard, I don’t see any compelling advantage to the G1 as compared to other options on the market.
I’m not going to make my decision based on an operating system. I just care about whether it’s functional and easy to use.
But the keyboard is a biggie for me. That’s non-negotiable. I’m waiting for a smartphone with both a keyboard and a large screen.
There is something immensely satisfying and reassuring about the physical feel of a key’s contour, its springy resistance and the way that it clicks when it touches home. If Apple has a different way of viewing the world, then good for them, but I’m not going to jump through their hoops.
Posted by Daniel Engelberg at September 26th, 2008 at 2:08 pmFrom my point of view, till now we only saw a show… We cannot evaluate if Android G1 is good or bad right now. The real test of the mobile phones is the street, working in different geographies, with different applications, in different conditions and different moments. And I would like to remark: “different geographies” because the United States is not only the big cities. It is also the high mountains and valleys of the Rocky Mountains, the Nevada’s desert and more…Frequently, the testers only test the devices inside the “labs” or in the “lab-cities”… For example, the Internet performance of my notebook with a broadband national access modem from one of the most important telecommunication carriers of country is a disaster here in the Teton Valley in Idaho… I signed the agreement in Florida… Then the provider guaranteed me that all its devices and services work well everywhere in the country.
Domingo
Posted by Domingo Trassens at September 26th, 2008 at 3:41 pmhttp://www.comlab-corp.com
I have an iphone and I find it to be great device, but a poor phone. How about including phone functionality in smartphone reviews?
Posted by Paul Kerrigan at September 27th, 2008 at 8:36 amWow! I was ready to buy this phone but after reading you guys comments , I may hold off. Time to do some more research.
Posted by Mary Vanson at September 27th, 2008 at 11:29 amI’m a die hard Mac addict for over 10 years now. And I’m a recent but very loyal google apps fan. I do all my business with gmail, gcalender, gdocuments, you get the idea. I’ve been waiting for my tmobile contract to end to run and get an iphone, but now I have some serious thought. Music on my phone is less important, but the running my business with the apps is key. If the first gen. is this compatible with google imagine the V2 V3 and so forth. I’m gonna wait till I can physically hold one in hand and then go from there. Plus I love tmobiles customer service.
Posted by Michael Todoran at October 3rd, 2008 at 5:56 pmMichael Todoran,
You are almost certainly not a “hard Mac addict” if you have waited almost a year and a half and still have no immediate plans to buy an iPhone. It sounds more like you are a “hard Google addict,” in which case the G1 is the phone for you.
Posted by Andrew Arnold at October 16th, 2008 at 5:37 am“the new handheld computing category the iPhone has occupied alone.” Did you use two tin cans and a length of fishing wire to communicate before Apple came along to advance you out of the 19th century?
Palm Treo
HTC Mogul
HTC Touch Pro
Motorolla Q and its successor
Blackberry EVERYTHING
Nokia E71
Gosh I could go on and on. I think maybe you have no idea how to use a web browser and one day accidentally set your homepage to Apple.com. Maybe that would explain why you’re clueless about every other technology innovation that has ever come to market. Get some credibility, Mossberg.
Posted by Steve Spencer at January 7th, 2009 at 1:53 pm