INTRODUCTION
As many of you may know, T-Mobile was the first carrier in the USA to release HTC's first phone (the HTC Wallaby) which was also the first full touch screen smart phone available in North America. It was running Windows Mobile, then known as Pocket PC Phone Edition and, at the time, was the most powerful Smartphone around. That was six years ago.
Now, T-Mobile has released HTC's first phone that does not run Windows Mobile. The G1 runs the Open Handset Alliance and Google's first attempt at a Smartphone operating system called Android. The following review will primarily look at the G1's offering from the perspective of a heavy user of Windows Mobile. Read on for the revealing review!
WHAT'S HOT
The big thing about the T-Mobile G1 is that it runs a new operating system called Android, which is open-source and free. To the average consumer, that means practically nothing, so the other big thing about the G1 is that it syncs with Google's services such as Gmail, Calendar, and Contacts. It also supports Google Maps, and for the first time on a mobile device, Google Maps' Street View. So if you use Gmail and Google for everything, then you should be very excited about this phone. In fact, it requires you to log in with (or sign up for) a Gmail account when you boot the phone. You aren't even allowed to use it without a Gmail account! So don't try to set it up in an area without a data connection, 'cause it won't work and you can't turn on WiFi from there, either.
Just like Windows Mobile, developers are allowed to create any type of program they would like in order to enhance the smartphone experience on Android. However, there are supposedly no restrictions. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen. Open-source software has never become very popular in the public view, probably because giving it away doesn't leave you much money for marketing. Windows Mobile has had few restrictions for years and supports many many different types of devices. The bad news is that this type of model often leads to a difficulty for developers to create applications that can be supported on such a wide variety of hardware. Currently, this is not a problem for Android since there is only one device that runs it on the market today.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
The T-Mobile G1 comes with a Mini-USB sync cable (same as other HTC devices), USB AC adapter, stereo headphones, and manuals. There is no software CD for your desktop computer because there is no desktop syncing interface at all.
THE DEVICE
Let's talk specs. The G1 uses the same Qualcomm MSM7201A CPU clocking at 528MHz than does the HTC Touch Diamond and Touch Pro. The capacitive touchscreen is 3.2" and has a resolution of 320x480, making for a pixel density of 180ppi (the Diamond has a 285ppi screen, and the iPhone has a 164ppi screen). Running on quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and dualband UMTS (1700/2100), the G1 packs 256MB ROM and 192MB of RAM. Also included is Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi (b & g), aGPS and microSD for memory expansion. The camera on back is 3.2MP and includes autofocus but no flash. Powering it all is a 1150mAh battery. For even more specs, check out PDAdb.net.
Continues : http://www.pocketnow.com/
