Starting with next week, T-Mobile and HTC’s G1 phone will
finally be available after several weeks of intense expectations. Many
technology-fans received the news about the first phone ever to feature
Google’s operating system with great enthusiasm and the hundreds of reviews and
posts released over the Internet fueled their anxiety.
The first thoughts were that the device is nothing more than
an iPhone copy, providing many of its features and looking to cash in on its
huge popularity. There are indeed certain similar features, but there are also
many differences, infirming the copy scenario. Still, it is hard not to compare
any new release with the iPhone, considering that this whole trend began with
its launch. They both have GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G, accelerometers, camera (3 megapixels
for the G1 and 2 for the iPhone), very capable browsers, music players and a
large offer of downloadable applications. The device measures
4.60 by 2.16 by 0.62 inches and weighs 5.6 ounces.
The G1’s screen quality is not as good as the iPhone’s,
offering a display not quite as smooth, sharp or as big as Apple’s product. A
big plus for HTC is its slide-out keyboard, which is easier to use than the
iPhone’s touch-screen keyboard. It also provides a microSD card slot for
additional storage. The battery can be exchanged by the user without the need
to send the phone back to the company. The G1 provides access to Google Search,
Google Maps, Gmail e-mail, Google Calendar, YouTube, Google Talk for instant
messaging, and also AIM, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger.
Google’s OS, called Android, was designed to deliver a whole
new mobile experience and strongly advertised using this hook. So far, its
market impact appears to be very strong, as the company announced that the phone’s
preorders just reached 1.5 million units, greatly exceeding the expectations of
both companies’ executives.
Android’s biggest weakness is its lack of built-in apps, but
considering the fact that this is only version 1.0, we could let it slide until
the release of its update.
“Based on the amount of interest in Microsoft Exchange
Active Sync, we have some expectation that someone will be meeting that need in
the not-too-distant future,” explained T-Mobile senior product manager Randy
Meyerson. The Active Sync software is used for synchronizing a device with a PC
for e-mail, calendar and contact info, and Apple also added the feature a few
months ago.
The G1 will sell for $179 through a two-year contract with
T-Mobile, placing it below the $199 required by the iPhone. T-Mobile will
provide two data plans – a $25 monthly fee for unlimited Web, e-mail and GoogleTalk Instant Messages plus T-Mobile HotSpot access and 400
messages (MMS/SMS/non-GoogleTalk IM) and a $35 plan with all the above
mentioned services but also unlimited messaging. For those not
interested in a contract, there is an option to purchase the device without a
service plan, for $399.
