T-Mobile and Google Introduce First Android Phone

[VoR]

Not hugely interested in this until it's on some beefier hardware and there's more interest in software development.

Bit depressing reading all the reviews and opinions about uses and features on these current devices when you can do far more on a 4 year old pda/smartphone.

 

[fat phil]

So not only is it ugly but it uses Amazons music store; this phone will only be released in the US. Nicely played Google.

TBH the whole thing just looks clunky from design to the menu. At least Apple nailed the UI down when they launched.

Hardware keyboard, ew.

The phone is released in the UK in November and Europe (selected countries) in Q1 2009.

 

[fat phil]

Not hugely interested in this until it's on some beefier hardware and there's more interest in software development.

Bit depressing reading all the reviews and opinions about uses and features on these current devices when you can do far more on a 4 year old pda/smartphone.

Tell me about it. Emperor's New Clothes for the third time in 2 years.

If it can run background applications, then I'm very interested. Couldn't care less what it looks like in my pocket lol.

 

[paja]

The new T-Mobile Android Phone

- has NO Multitouch
- 1GB of Memory and only supports up to a 8GB Card.
- Choppy Browser & Interface compared to the iPhone
- Thicker than the iPhone due to slide out Keyboard
- Locked into T-Mobile
- Crappy MP3 playback

I'm sure some of these things will improve over time, but as of now I don't see it as an iPhone killer.

 

[0098386]

^ Ouch for the memory limitations and no multitouch.

The phone is released in the UK in November and Europe (selected countries) in Q1 2009.

Without a music download service I take it.

 

[kas23]

You guys do realise that Apple are not the inventors of the accelerometer right?

Yes, I got one in my 4 year old Kodak camera. Apple didn't invent everything.

And what does the term 'iPhone killer' mean exactly? Does it mean 'to command more market share', because even windows mobile does this?

You're right. These companies really don't have to make an 'iPhone Killer.' AT&T is the actual iPhone killer. By being locked to ATT, the iPhone is really just offered to a very small subst of the population. Of course, there are people with money who change cell phones like underwear, but this is even a smaller subset of people. Otherwise, AT&T are making it very, very hard for the vast number of consumers, by way of pricing, to switch over to them.

All the other companies just have to put something out and price it less than the iPhone and right there, the iPhone has been "killed." For example, the Instinct is clearly an inferior phone to the iPhone, but most people are willing to overlook this due to its iPhone-killing price and plan.

 

[solarkismet]

Android Videos

http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/23/video-android-walkthrough-on-t-mobile-g1/

 

[DaveTheGrey]

eeek ugly

 

[jerfrank]

1GB Limit and Then 50kbps Limit

Too bad the T-Mobile limits you data throughput after 1gb of usage in one billing cycle. http://jeremyfranklin.org/2008/09/23/t-mobile-g1-announced-and-the-data-throughput-slowdown/

 

[RoDe]

This will only make the iPhone better

I think the android platform and phones will force Apple to keep improving the iPhone as we know it to day.

So even though I won't be buying one I think it's a good thing.

 

[danny_w]

so why can't gmail on the iphone be push?

Gmail on the iPhone could easily be push if Apple would get off their duffs and implement it. Gmail push works like a champ on the desktop now, but they won't add the same feature (IMAP Idle support) to the iPhone. Apple's own mail.app (desktop version) has this option and it works well.

 

[str1f3]

I don't consider myself an apple fanboy. So for those who are, do you really want to see Microsoft eliminated? I mean I understand you don't like the company but I think the competition it brings is very important.

Which is why this Android launch is important. So it's not an "iPhone Killer" currently, but there will be improvements and innovations that will only make Apple bring better offerings to the table.

The last think I would want is for Apple to be the only option for Computers/Mobile Phones/Music Players, etc...

i agree with competition being a good thing and so is compatibility. i'd rather google eventually become a main competitor and microsoft not exist. while apple does some things that are proprietary (mainly with ipod/itunes) that i do not like, they have promoted an openness for web, similar to google, & unlike microsoft. for a recent example, i just heard a couple of weeks ago that microsoft had turned off compatibility mode by default in ie8.

i personally think that the world is better off without a microsoft controlling 90% of the market and with someone like google who promotes open source
being the dominant os. apple may never have more than 15% of any market but i'm ok with that. at least google won't go around to third world countries and start giving their os out for a low price, like a drug dealer, and then charge you a way higher fee later on for it.

 

[product26]

wish this was out when my company bought me my t-mobile wing.... having a touch screen device was nice, but I was stuck with windows mobile for 8 months. If I hadn't replaced the wing with an iphone i would be nabbing up a G1 for sure.

 

[mickeyd26]

Too bad the T-Mobile limits you data throughput after 1gb of usage in one billing cycle. http://jeremyfranklin.org/2008/09/23/t-mobile-g1-announced-and-the-data-throughput-slowdown/

that's the same thing i was thinking...

If your total data usage in any billing cycle is more than 1GB, your data throughput for the remainder of that cycle may be reduced to 50 kbps or less.

that's ridiculous! i mean, sure, it's unlimited but SLOW.

 

[cube]

- 1GB of Memory and only supports up to a 8GB Card.

You can't buy a microSDHC larger than that now.

16GB and 32GB have already been tested on other phones but are still not for sale.

 

[Ted13]

-only $179 (you can get 8gb cards real cheap)

You can get 8GB card that will fit in that phone for under $20? I seriously doubt it. So, bottom line, the G1 is more expensive than the iPhone, and more limited (can't be expanded to 16GB).

Also, what's with the "no tethering"? I thought the whole point of Andriod was that it was "open". Is this turning out to be a meaningless marketing slogan?

Look, I took it for granted that an Android phone was going to be clunkier/uglier than the iPhone. But it can't even match in the memory dept. -- FAIL.

 

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

This thing looks nice. I can't wait to read some reviews of it and see how it performs in comparison to the iPhone.

 

[7on]

http://www.t-mobileg1.com/

 

[fat phil]

You can get 8GB card that will fit in that phone for under $20? I seriously doubt it. So, bottom line, the G1 is more expensive than the iPhone, and more limited (can't be expanded to 16GB).

Also, what's with the "no tethering"? I thought the whole point of Andriod was that it was "open". Is this turning out to be a meaningless marketing slogan?

Look, I took it for granted that an Android phone was going to be clunkier/uglier than the iPhone. But it can't even match in the memory dept. -- FAIL.

http://www.memorycardzoo.co.uk/1712/Sandisk/Micro-SD-(with-SD-adaptor)/8GB-SDHC-(class-4)/

http://www.sandisk.com/Products/ProductInfo.aspx?ID=2369

Tethering, and other network-using apps will fall under the ToC of the carrier. Sure you can make an app to tether, just as you can have your way with a poodle, but just as the poodle will likely not react in a friendly manner to your advances, T-Mobile will make you pay for using what it deems "ToC-breaking" applications.

 

[jbernie]

Maybe I'm just using it wrong, but I've never had the need for copy/paste on my iPhone. I find all the vitriol thrown around about its nonexistence a bit disproportionate with its potential actual use in real-life.

/my humble opinion

Was wanting copy/paste last night (on my Touch v2) to copy something from an email and paste it into another application.... given copy/paste exists on Blackberrys, even on my Samsung A737 cheap phone, it seems that Apple is not providing a function because that can't figure out a classy way to impliment it.

Ugly. But nothing is wrong with competition. I have to disagree with a lot of you on the competition part though. It's not that Apple needs competition because they really make great products, they are actually driving others like Google to compete with them. Apple may need to tighten up some of the loose ends but they do not need anyone to drive up competition for them, it's not like Apple makes crappy stuff like Microsoft and needs competition to drive them to innovate.

Thats right, only Apple makes quality products and they force everyone to compete with them as opposed to other companies making products that Apple needs to compete with. Not going to say Android is a home run in its first release, then again I haven't been interested in the platform, but it does allow more flexability in some features (removable memory card/battery) where as Apple provides a closed box.

Then again, how is Apple doing with providing a full implimentation of bluetooth etc?

One thing I will be interested to see is whether Google gives the Android software updates for its own services ahead of the iPhone or if they do a release to everyone at the same time. They are a provider of the tools but also a user of the tools which could mean they will want their own products updating first.

 

[TheSlush]

<< yaaaaawn >>

 

[fat phil]

Without a music download service I take it.

Most probably. Perhaps we should make our own? You wouldn't get Apple letting that through their gates (podcasting, anyone?)

 

[supremedesigner]

Um.... Apple cannot do anything to make it DRM-free. Only music-makers can. Sucks, does it? They want Apple to de-monoply anytime soon but I very much doubt it for a long, long, long, long, loooooong time!

The only advantage I see is the Amazon mp3 store. This is really becoming a thorn in Apple's side. They need to mandate that all music is drm-free, period. They are the #1 music retailer in the US, time to start throwing that weight around.

While this is probably the best platform and device outside of Apple's, it is still not an iPhone, nor is it OS-X. Makes me appreciate mine even more for how truly unique it is.

 

[ingenious]

not bad. i'll keep my ipod touch in hopes of the 2009 iphone, but i'm glad apple now has some (worthwhile) competition.

things Android has that I want to see on the iPhone/iPod touch:
Google Maps Street View
Push Gmail
3MP+ Camera
Browser choice (I love Safari, but more competition is always better.)

Besides, Chrome (lite) is a WebKit browser, and many people want Firefox. Those browsers each have their strengths... and should be allowed to compete with Safari Mobile in the mobile market.

looks solid.

 

[DaBrain]

Page one news on a macrumors site? I mean, I understand it's iphone competition, but damn...

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