How about a T-Mobile G1 Q&A?

Oct 30, 2008 Author: Veronica | Filed under: toys

I’ve had a couple of weeks to play with the new T-Mobile G1 running Google’s Android, and I have to say that I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m not going to write a full review here, because I think that’s been done quite thoroughly by others in the blogosphere (see Engadget’s full review, and Ryan’s impressions).

One thing that I have noticed while using the G1 is that I hardly ever compare it in my mind to my iPhone. They feel that different. The only times I did make a direct comparison was while using the address book (much easier to scroll to a certain letter) and using the Market for apps. Even though there aren’t as many apps out there, the quality of the apps and the organization within the store was more up my alley.

Since I’ve got this phone sitting on my desk, let me know if you have any questions about the user experience! I’ll happily answer them to the best of my ability in the comments section.

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46 Responses for "How about a T-Mobile G1 Q&A?"

Joaquim Lobo Silva (wakachamo= October 30th, 2008 at 9:14 am 1

How does the web browsing feel? I’ve heard many saying it’s sluggish, and others saying it’s pretty smooth. What’s your take?
Jamel October 30th, 2008 at 9:17 am 2

how is the internet browser? I lost my iphone and am currently using a windows mobile phone and i miss my iphone so much.
Veetrag October 30th, 2008 at 9:18 am 3

Hey!

My doubt is regarding the audio/video player. Since G1 does not with inbuilt player, what are the options we have. How do they compare with players we have in iPhone/Nokia phones?

Thanks
Patrick October 30th, 2008 at 9:18 am 4

Would you replace your iPhone with the G1? How does touchscreen compare to the iPhone?
DieLaughing October 30th, 2008 at 9:19 am 5

Do you like the ability to run Java, which you can’t do on the iPhone? Do any advantages of Java stand out at all, or does it not matter/is not noticeable?
Jesper October 30th, 2008 at 9:20 am 6

Does it get annoying flipping out the keyboard every single time to write a SMS. Compared to the iPhones keyboard?
Starman October 30th, 2008 at 9:21 am 7

What I always hated about phones other than the iPhone was how many steps it took to get things done. How is the UI on the G1?

For example: to get to the settings for the Sony Ericsson w800 you had to press the thumbstick a few times, select settings, click over a few, click down a few. After a while, it just felt like you had to walk to your destination instead of fly (so to speak) like you can with the iPhone.
Veetrag October 30th, 2008 at 9:23 am 8

One more doubt regarding G1 : I have heard that it does not come up headphone jack, it mean we are stuck with headphones provided by HTC. How good are they as compared to what we get with iPod/iPhone?
Tessa October 30th, 2008 at 9:24 am 9

What is your take on the accelerometer only flipping to horizontal when the keyboard is out?
Veronica October 30th, 2008 at 9:24 am 10

@Joaquim and Jamel – The browser isn’t bad, and probably much better than the average phone. However, if you’re used to using the multi-touch on the iPhone to zoom in and out of sections on the page, you’ll find yourself missing that a lot.

Plus, since there’s no virtual keyboard, you need to have the slider keyboard open to type in URLs. Not as easy for one-handed browsing (which I do often on the train, for example).

@Veetrag – The G1 does have a built in audio player, and it’s very bare-bones. I like having the option to purchase music from the Amazon store, and the YouTube player is just fine too. There are a few videos apps in Market already that work decently.
Joshua Satrape October 30th, 2008 at 9:24 am 11

If you could only carry the G1 or the iPhone, which one would you pick, and why?
tlj101010 October 30th, 2008 at 9:25 am 12

Say you had neither the iPhone or the G1, you don’t have a Crackberry, don’t need a ’smart’ phone for work, and you were on a different carrier than each respective phone (e.g. Sprint or Verizon). Assuming your contract is up, would you leave your current carrier for the iPhone or the G1?
holyrotten October 30th, 2008 at 9:27 am 13

What is the display finish like?
Is it glossy like the iPhone?
How resistant is it to face smears and finger prints?
Is there any phone that is?
Keep up the good work
Jim October 30th, 2008 at 9:29 am 14

is the barcode-scanner-thing as cool as it seems like to me? i haven’t really read too much about it, but i thought i had heard that you can scan something in a store, then it can tell you if you can find it cheaper close by… creepy gps alert! BIG BROTHER!!! AHhahahdhfhhbhjfsbng………
Todd October 30th, 2008 at 9:33 am 15

I would like to ask if you are using the Twitter app “Twitroid”. If so, how does it compare to the iPhone Twitter apps. What are the differences? Does Twitroid make maximum use if the G1’s location awareness, better use than than iPhone?

( …and “no” I don’t work for Twitroid! My local T-Mobile store manager responded with “What’s G1?” when I went to go by one and I cannot get one from T-Mo’s website – WTF T-Mo!?! )
Jude October 30th, 2008 at 9:38 am 16

Hey V, is there an podcast application to download shows directly to the G1?
YHO October 30th, 2008 at 9:40 am 17

Hi Veronica, How’s web surfing on the G1 vs. the iPhone’s great safari web browser?

Thanks.
Rick Butterfield October 30th, 2008 at 9:48 am 18

How quick is the updating between cloud and device? (Mail and Calendar and such?)

Also, how does the keypad hold up writing long messages/emails? I’m from the UK and the G1 came out over here today, I went to try it, but it was tethered so couldn’t get a really good feel for the phone.
Rhonmark October 30th, 2008 at 9:50 am 19

Is there a choice on whether the apps would be saved in the internal storage or in the removable card?

Why is the white color not available to purchase but is being shown in pictures?
Veronica October 30th, 2008 at 9:51 am 20

@DieLaughing – I’m not a developer, but I imagine that it will be easier to make quality apps in Java and dig deeper than other phones. But otherwise, it’s not something the average user will really notice, IMO.

@tlj and Joshua – If my AT&T contract was up RIGHT NOW, I’d probably continue to stay with the iPhone. This is mostly because I’ve tied myself down to the iTunes library, and I’ve become very accustomed to having my music and videos sync that way. However, the geek in me really loves the Android and it’s openness, so it would be a tough call. Plus, my experiences with T-Mobile in the past have been exceptional.

@Veetrag – The sound is on par with most phone devices (which is to say, not exceptional, but not bad either) however the proprietary USB jack for the headphones would be a dealbreaker for me, if there weren’t so much else about the phone I like.

@Starman – Hmm… I don’t think you will you will bugged. Navigating is pretty quick and easy.
Jericho October 30th, 2008 at 10:00 am 21

I’d be curious to see if you could pop your AT&T SIM card in the G1 and do a few tests. I’m skeptical of the 3G on TMobile, as I’m very happy with the AT&T 3G here in SoCal. Also, are there any video player options in the app store yet with mp4 support?
Fraa Raz October 30th, 2008 at 10:02 am 22

I’d like to replace my existing contraband Jeejah with this newfangled praxic device, but is it small enough to completely hide behind my chord or will I have stash it somewhere deep within my bolt?

-Erasmus
Veronica October 30th, 2008 at 10:09 am 23

@Jude – Not one that I’ve found, unfortunately.

@Todd – I tried using it, and it kept telling me my password was incorrect. Then it worked, but wouldn’t load my contact list. It said it was trying to upload “followers,” so that might have been the issue….

@Rick – Mail and calendar are working wonderfully. Very fast. However, I’m not loving the keypad. The bulge on the right side makes it hard for me to type sometimes. It’s not horrible, but I’ve used better keyboards (like on the Sidekicks).

@Rhonmark – That’s a good question! It’s never asked me to make a choice between internal memory and the card when downloading apps. I’ll have to look into that a bit and get back to you.

@Jim – Yes, it rules. But I haven’t tried it in an actual store yet, just around home and the office!

@Jericho – Hmm, interesting! The 3G on T-Mobile has been great so far, and I’ve had nothing but trouble with the AT&T 3G these days…. not sure if the SIM will work, I don’t think it will, but it might make an interesting experiment to see what happens.

@Fraa Raz – It’s slightly longer than your typical jeejah, but if you use the proper folding technique for your bolt, it will be undetectable. Hiding behind the chord wouldn’t be easy.
nobsato October 30th, 2008 at 10:18 am 24

Hi Veronica. How about displaying non-English charactor on the browser and other app, specially, Japanese?
I bought Instinct this summer (I’m now in Tokyo), it did not show the non-English charactor. I felt sorry for Samsung or Sprint for non-Internet mind
Thank y.
Christian October 30th, 2008 at 10:41 am 25

Hey V: Wich one is the best for you?
Glugory October 30th, 2008 at 10:55 am 26

I’m assuming you can transfer music you can buy from Amazon off of the G1 and onto your computer, correct?
ricardo October 30th, 2008 at 11:00 am 27

mmmm sabes no entendi nada de la noticia, es que no se ingles, pero igual se ve muy bueno el blog, espero que sigas asi, eres una persona muy linda, cuidate mucho y sigue asi, saludos desde CHILE, espero que sepas hablar español, yo creo que si
Kato October 30th, 2008 at 11:08 am 28

Does it blend?
Jason W. October 30th, 2008 at 11:15 am 29

Where can I find a white G1?
George October 30th, 2008 at 11:15 am 30

Hi Veronica,

how is the touch feeling of the G1 compared to an IPhone?

Thanks,

George

Germany
Sirko October 30th, 2008 at 11:16 am 31

Hi Veronica,

I have tested the G1 on an short presentation here in germany and I think the G1 is really nice. But it take a few months that we can buy it here. Thats bad.
Tyler October 30th, 2008 at 11:32 am 32

@Jericho you can’t put an AT&T SIM in for several reasons. First and foremost, the G1 is carrier locked to T-Mobile, sure you can probably find a code to unlock, but then you run into problem 2:

AT&T and T-Mobile use different bands for 3G, and changing the SIM will not make it switch bands, it’s a hardware thing. T-Mobile uses UMTS on 1700MHz, and AT&T uses HSDPA on a different frequency. They are not compatable at all.
Lister October 30th, 2008 at 12:35 pm 33

How does the camera compare to the iPhone? Is it wide angle like the iPhones?
Fee October 30th, 2008 at 1:03 pm 34

Whats the best app you downloaded so far? is the Bar code reader or that comes with it?
Renehasp October 30th, 2008 at 4:15 pm 35

My wife cant use the Iphone because she has long nails and the Iphone is non responsive. Does the G-Phone work with long finger nails?

Thanks,
-Rene
Jeff Garlick October 30th, 2008 at 6:09 pm 36

Hey Veronica!

Does this device function well as a PDA replacement in terms of synchronization to the PC and desktop applications like Windows Mobile? Would you recommend it now or suggest waiting for G1 2.0?
Myst October 31st, 2008 at 5:02 am 37

Hi!

you should give me your phone number so i could call you! ^_^

(just to test the audio quality of conversation)
Rick Butterfield November 1st, 2008 at 4:42 am 38

Does it have profiles; like normal, silent, vibrate etc?
Vin November 1st, 2008 at 5:42 am 39

Hello Veronica!

While this isn’t related to the iPhone, I thought I’d ask since it involves the Android. I am going to get a new phone for Christmas, I was thinking about getting an Instinct until I saw this post…

Which phone would you recommend (if you’ve had experience with the Instinct)?

Thank you!
giyen November 1st, 2008 at 3:15 pm 40

i get mine in 10 days!!
Rick Butterfield November 2nd, 2008 at 6:11 am 41

One other thing, does it do support for shared calendars in GCal?
Brett November 4th, 2008 at 2:47 pm 42

Can you get rid of the huge clock on the homescreen?

It is redundant to have the phones clock and the huge one that seems to just take up screen real estate (and there’s not a lot of it).
idiotonuni November 5th, 2008 at 3:36 pm 43

I’m not interested in the G1 itself but Android. How do you think the OS will be on other devices? Could this OS be used without a touch screen?
Savocado November 6th, 2008 at 1:05 pm 44

Hi Veronica,
Which phone would you recommend for me as my 1st smartphone? Thanks.
CJM November 6th, 2008 at 5:18 pm 45

though its a little off topic, wondering where you got your iPhone background? just thought it looked neat…
alex_mayorga November 14th, 2008 at 2:03 pm 46

VBel,

Q: Can you effectively unlock the G1 using this site http://davinciteam.us/newsdetail_31.html ?

Thanks in advance.