Yesterday evening while out with my wife an in-laws for dinner I spotted an Android. The Google Phone, or T-Mobile G1, was alone in the hands of a man at a table full of iPhone and BlackBerry owners.
This was a first. I’ve been using a G1 for a week, and other than the phone in my hands I have not seen another in use. This was exciting… I could actually interrupt someone’s meal to learn his thoughts on the device!
And I did. And the response was what I expected.
Me: “I see you’ve got a G1… I’m reviewing one. What do you think.”
Alex: “I’m returning it. Aweful. Getting a BlackBerry.”
Alex elaborated on what he didn’t like. He’s used an iPhone, but likes BlackBerry’s more. Mostly his beefs are with hardware:
– big nob on right side when screen is extended (hardware)
– feels cheap (hardware)
– lack of proximity detection so screen items are pressed during calls (arguably, this could be fixed with a software update)
– the messaging and email are weak compared to BlackBerry. Unreliable. (software and network)
– keypad isn’t friendly – not a fast pad to type on. (hardware)
I had hoped he would have some praise for it. Perhaps something I’ve missed or overlooked. But other than believing a future generation will be competitive, he had none. The apps and browsing didn’t matter.
I’ve come to appreciate the browser for stability and support of ajax (its use is still a disaster). I’ve also liked the implementation of the Market (the Android App Store). But if Alex is a read on consumers, these features don’t really matter.
I like my G1 very much but then again people should really not consider G1 to be used for business related operations. It's more like gadget phone for right now.
By the way you could join http://tmobileg1fans.com i am sure you will like it.
As a development asset, it has value and is a nice display of where Android
is at as an OS. As a consumer or business device the G1 doesn't cut it.
The later generations of Android phones will be more user friendly as the kinks get worked out from the first generation G1.
,Michael Martin
http://www.googleandblog.com/
I kind of wonder if we're going to take a leap towards a netbook
phone… An Apple, Android, and Windows 7 world.
Are there enough capable manufacturers releasing Android based devices
in the near-term? Palm launched their Treo with Windows Mobile. It's
an unfair comparison, but after a few generations it still flopped.
The later generations of Android phones will be more user friendly as the kinks get worked out from the first generation G1.
,Michael Martin
http://www.googleandblog.com/
I kind of wonder if we're going to take a leap towards a netbook
phone… An Apple, Android, and Windows 7 world.
Are there enough capable manufacturers releasing Android based devices
in the near-term? Palm launched their Treo with Windows Mobile. It's
an unfair comparison, but after a few generations it still flopped.