T-Mobile G1 – Androids first Smartphone

When it first appeared, the T-Mobile G1 was widely scrutinised, mostly because it was the first mobile phone to be powered by Google’s Android operating system. How would it stack up against the Apple iPhone?

The answer is that it does a very good job, although it is very much a work in progress. That said, there has been a lot of thought put into the phone. With both pull-out and onscreen keyboards, it offers the best of both worlds to users, and the regular keyboard is large enough to make typing easy, rather than a cramped chore.

This is meant to be a smartphone, though, and by tying it into everything that Google has to offer – from search to Gmail to Google Maps – it comes in with a running start, since all that back structure is firmly in place. Android also allows users plenty of leeway when it comes to customisation, and apps can be loaded onto the screen as shortcuts, while the touchscreen is smooth and fast. The App store isn’t as big as the one Apple has, but it’s constantly growing, and some of the apps are very good indeed. The only downside is that you can’t add them to your mobile phone bill.

Although it functions very well indeed, the design isn’t all it could be. It feels heavy and a little awkward, and there are a number of omissions, including stereo Bluetooth and a 3.5mm headphone jack. But as a first offering, the G1 is a powerful start, and one for those who want to be different.