The G1 Phone

[markomalley]

Just got it a few weeks ago and LOVE IT.

The pros:

• it does both EDGE and 3G (or WiFi if you are at home or at a hotspot)
  
• the list of applications that can be downloaded for it is constantly growing (a "unique" example described below)
  
• good support for streaming MP3 (but not WMA or AAC yet...but this is a matter of time)
  
• the API for the Android platform (the G1's is open source, which means that multiple, multiple people can develop for it)
  
• Integrated GPS that can work with Google maps and a number of other GPS-enabled applications. The GPS can be turned off at the user's option (in case you're worried about big brother)
  
• The phones are readily available in an "unlocked" form (as an unlocked instrument, they are called the HTC "Dream"). With an unlocked phone, you should be able to plug in a SIM card from any GSM network provider and use it. Also, you do not incur a contract commitment if you buy an unlocked phone.
  

The application example that I'll mention is called "Shop Savvy." From a user perspective what happens is if you are comparison shopping for something, you simply:

- Launch the application

- Use the camera on the phone to scan a bar code.

- The application interprets the bar code into a UPC. It then searches both (participating) local stores and online stores for the UPC and then returns the lowest price for each.

- If you want to buy it online, you can launch your browser to the site.

- If you want to buy it locally, it will give you directions (using your GPS) to get from where you're at to where the store is.

(Having said that, no it DOESN'T have everything on it. If you want to compare the prices of cans of beans at the grocery store, you're out of luck. And NO, not all brick/mortar stores participate. I think only those stores that have an online presence will return results. Also, if you want to check on the price of a "Greatland" brand product (Target house brand), it will return target.com and the location on nearby Target stores...)

The cons:

• Android is a "work in progress." That means that some of the features are "coming" in future releases. For example:
  • Bluetooth support is minimal for music/video. (Bluetooth works fine for regular phone use, just not for music/video) (This is supposed to be fixed with the next OS update -- codenamed "cupcake" (of all things) -- due to be out by the end of the month)
    
  • No touch keyboard or handwriting recognition (also supposed to be fixed with "cupcake")
    

  [*]Being an "open source" platform, some of the applications you can download are great (like the one described above) and some just plain suck. If you are used to messing with open source software, you get used to that. If you aren't, that could get really frustrating.

  [*]Battery usage is really lousy, particularly if you have all the bells and whistles turned on (such as 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS). My solution: a car charger and a USB cable at work, so I can charge my phone while sitting at my desk. If I was going to operate the phone for long periods away from a charging capability, I would need to get a spare battery.

  Note: this is my only real bitch about the phone. (Note: this bitch wouldn't have prevented me from buying the phone, but it's still a bitch)

Bottom line: it's a really nice phone. but it is a work in progress. If you like gadgets, you'll love the phone. If a Blackberry is a windows machine and a iPhone is a Mac, a G1 is a Linux box.

Cost: $179 (with a 2 yr T-Mobile contract)/ $439-$519 (unlocked version)