As soon as Google announced the development of the Android mobile phone platform way back in 2007, people began eagerly anticipating the release of the new phones that would be created. The early versions of these phones are finally starting to be released to the market; the first one to come out is the T-Mobile G1. Dubbed the HTC Dream during its development, the T-Mobile G1 has been anxiously eyed by everyone who wants to know how much a Google phone platform could possibly shake up the mobile phone world. The G1 brings together the best Google software programs (like Gmail and Google Maps) with innovative third-party software options (available through the Android Marketplace) to give you a phone that can do the things that you want it to do, whatever those things may be. It’s an early version of the Android phones that we’re likely to see improved in the future but it’s definitely a great start for the person who wants to be in on the cutting edge of new phone development.

Overview of G1

The main thing to be understood about the G1 phone is that it is based on the Android operating system by Google which means that it has flexibility in terms of software options that you aren’t going to find on most other handsets. This unique fact is changing to some degree with phones like the iPhone that also have access to software downloads but it’s something that is new to the market and something that makes the G1 an exciting phone to own. The G1 is a basic handset that comes with pre-loaded software that will let you do your daily tasks (check email, get from one location to another using GPS, etc.) but which has the potential to allow you to do significantly more with the phone utilizing the software that is available.

G1 as a Google Phone

The T-Mobile G1 is the first mobile phone to be released using a design based on Google’s Android platform. Even before the announcement about the Android platform was made, there were rumors circulating about the possibilities of a “Google Phone”. People have high expectations of Google. After all, consider what Google has done to change the face of search engines. Google has its fingers in a whole lot of pots, including those on the wireless stove, and people are watching these pots carefully to see what might be simmering there. The G1 is the first dish to come off of this stove.

Understanding G1 Software

The thing that has to be understood about the G1 phone is that it is a phone created using the hardware developed by HTC along with the software developed by Google. This distinction is confusing for some people due to the fact that the open source platform of the Android operating system makes it so that the software can be altered by programmers. However, there is some basic software that comes automatically loaded on to the G1 which is what the average user is going to be interested in.

Here’s a look at some of the G1 software that you would be likely to use as an average mobile phone user purchasing the first of the Android smartphones:

• Gmail. You can easily check your gmail account from the G1. There are also options for accessing other email accounts (such as Yahoo!) through the web.
• Google Maps. Most people are seeking a phone with GPS these days and so they’ll be happy to know that they can get that service from the G1. A built-in GPS receiver is supplemented by a digital compass to make it easy for the phone to figure out where you’re at. Use of the standard Google Maps that you’re likely already familiar with from the Internet makes it easy for you to get to where you want to be. The Google Maps available on the G1 has advanced viewing features just like the full-Internet version of the site which means that you can get “street view”, “traffic view” and “satellite view” of the places that you’re trying to see on your mobile phone.
• Google Calendar. This feature allows you to access and use your Google Calendar from your new mobile phone. This means that you can easily see where you’re supposed to be and what you’re supposed to be doing. It also means that you can update your calendar while you’re on the go. The advanced features of Google Calendar make it so that you can also share calendars with family, friends and organizations to keep your life totally organized. And the G1 brings that to the palm of your hand.
• Google Talk. If you’re the kind of person who wants to be able to chat online via IM from your mobile phone then you can appreciate this software feature. You can also add other IM programs (such as AIM) if you don’t prefer Google’s service.
• YouTube. One of the pre-loaded software tools available on the G1 is a YouTube video player which allows you to easily access videos on the popular video sharing site so that you can entertain yourself wherever you are at.

What is great about the G1 is that it comes preloaded with these software options which are the things that you are going to be most likely to want from the phone. However, it doesn’t stop there. The G1 also comes with something called the Android Market application which is basically an application that allows you to access an online storefront where third party software developers make their applications available. This means that you can download all kinds of different software which will allow you to do many, many different things on the G1 if you so desire. The Android Market is still in the early stages of development but people are pleased so far with the number of business application downloads available which makes for a nice start to this feature of the G1 phone.

Understanding G1 Hardware

The software of the phone is separate from the hardware of the phone. The hardware is what was developed by HTC and is what will separate each new Android-based phone from the next one. Notable features of the hardware for the G1 include:

• Touchscreen. People today are really interested in having a touchscreen for their smartphone because it’s so much more convenient and efficient than the traditional phone screen. The G1 has a 3.2 inch touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 320. This makes it a great phone for viewing video and accessing the Internet. An accelerometer inside of the phone makes it so that the phone can be turned form landscape to portrait and the screen will adjust accordingly.
• Full QWERTY keyboard. People who are getting used to using full keyboards on their smartphones are going to find themselves comfortable with the G1 which includes this feature as part of the hardware design.
• Additional navigational keys. In addition to the QWERTY keyboard, there are six other navigation keys on the G1 which allow you to do basic things with a single touch (for example, you can initiate or receive a call or you can go back to the home page or menu page of the screen using these keys).
• 3G abilities. The hardware of the G1 makes it so that it is 3G compatible which is increasingly important to mobile phone users today. The phone also has built-in Wi-Fi and can move back and forth between the two types of connections.
• Camera phone. The G1 includes a 3.2 megapixel camera phone which is not an outstanding camera phone but is sufficient to meeting the basic snap-a-picture needs of the average mobile phone user.
• Memory. The G1 can accommodate up to 16GB of memory utilizing a memory card inserted into the slot on the phone.

The Downside of the G1

The main thing that must be noted about the G1 in terms of drawbacks is that it’s the first of the Google-based phones. This means that there is going to be a lot of competition against this phone in the months to come. Newer versions of an Android-based phone could make the G1 rapidly begin to look like what it is – the first of the bunch. However, this should not deter people interested in the G1 in trying out this phone to see just what an Android-based phone can do.

There are two additional things which have caused some complaints in reviews of the G1. The first is that the phone is lacking strong multimedia capabilities. This is something that has become a standard feature of smartphones (including the new Blackberry devices which just finally added the feature in the past year) so it’s unfortunate to find it lacking in the G1. However, you do have a basic music library and some other basic functions so you aren’t totally at a loss with the G1 in this area.

The other complaint has been the fact that the G1 doesn’t support corporate email. This is mainly a complaint of the BlackBerry fan set since users of the BlackBerry phones have gotten comfortable with the advanced email features of those devices. However, with some syncing and forwarding, you should be able to get your corporate email into your Gmail box which you can then read from your G1.

Design Of the G1

HTC is a company that has not been known for the beauty of its phones and some have said that the G1 is no exception although other reviews have fondly dubbed the look a “retro-future design“. The G1 isn’t a particularly unattractive phone – it’s just really basic in its design. It’s got a trackball and the extra navigation keys along with the basic keyboard. Volume controls are on the side of the phone, the camera is on the back of the phone and the whole thing just looks really basic. It’s not an edgy-looking phone but when you’re buying the first of a brand new type of phone, maybe it doesn’t need to look edgy to be edgy.

The main area of concern here is probably the size of the phone which is larger than 4.5” x 2” and more than half an inch thick which makes it bulky in comparison to the phones people are used to carrying around today. At 5.6 ounces, it’s also heavier than your average phone.

The other thing to note about the design of the phone is much more positive and that is that you can configure the home page of the phone’s screen to look however you want it to. This means that you can put the software applications that you use the most onto the home screen and hide away those icons that you really don’t care to see. This personalisation of design is a key factor appreciated by those people who want a mobile phone that suits their specific needs and style.

Summary of G1

The G1 is an important phone in the modern history of mobile phones because of the fact that it is the first of the Android phones to be released. It has all of the basic features that you would want from a smartphone including Internet browsing, GPS functions and organizational features. For someone who is interested in seeing what can be done with a phone that Google’s got its fingers in, this is an easy phone to get started with.

Future of G1

The T-mobile G1 was released in both the UK and the US in October 2008. By mid-2009, T-mobile is expected to have an entire portfolio of Android-based phones available which could mean that the G1 is going to fade quickly. It will also have to compete with new Android-based phones from other companies including Samsung and Sony Ericsson. Nevertheless, whatever happens with the G1 in the year or so to come, it is always going to stand out in the history of mobile phones as a forerunner of change because of the fact that it was the first of the Androids to be released. For that reason alone, it may be worth getting just so that you can say that you “had one when”.