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Is Anyone Buying T-Mobile's Googlephone?
Hugh Pickens writes "Laura Holson writes in the NY Times that she 'wandered down to the T-Mobile store at Ninth Ave. and 43rd St. in New York City to see what kind of crowds — if any — were lining up to buy the new T-Mobile G1 which went on sale Wednesday' and saw no lines out the door, no crowding at the counter, and a complete lack of crowds. The iPhone appears to still be the gold standard and Etan Horowitz writes that the G1 'doesn't do a great job showcasing its potential. It isn't as intuitive as the iPhone, and it may take average users a while to figure out basic and advanced shortcuts and features' and 'may appeal more to techies who value open-source products and don't mind a somewhat steep learning curve.' Part of the reason for slow interest may also be that T-Mobile's 3G high-speed data network won't be up and running in many cities until the end of the year."
Probably because T-Mobile and Google don't have the Apple hype-machine/blogosphere/rumor sites going insane over unreleased products?
Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
I pre-ordered my G1 and I love it. It's a marriage of a Blackberry and the iPhone and while it's true that there are some differences and a few quirks at first...you get over them real quick. It really is pretty easy to use.
I've started playing with the SDK too and they have it integrated nicely with Eclipse and it's really a very nice set up.
I'm a big fan.
I don't care how good the phone is. T-Mobile's coverage is too sparse to make it attractive.
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Most cell phone users don't know how to use their cameras, or calendar functions, or pair a device to their phones with bluetooth. How many iPhone users have I met who didn't know that their phones had Wifi, or thought that "Wifi" meant their cellular data plans?
I'm not going to base my opinion of a new device on how many people who don't even know how to use their dumb phones get excited about it.
Check out this story where Neil Gaiman tries to buy one. Indeed it literally doesn't seem to be selling. As in: you cannot obtain one even if you wanted to.
Every expression is true, for a given value of 'true'
My co-worker and I shot out to the T-Mobile store on 6th ave and 46th street (or around there somehwere) in Manhattan yesterday and although the place wasn't crowded, every person in there was buying one (about 4).
We got a unit at work to play with a couple months ago and I was pretty impressed with it even though it was a little buggy (touchscreen doesn't always register and sometimes registers in the wrong spots) and flimsy feeling. the problem is the hardware feels like a shitty toy. The screen is great, but the keypad and trackball don't feel nice and the sliding mechanism doesn't feel solid. Handling it, I feel like I'm gonna break it.
The thing about the iPhone is that it's not only has a very shiny UI, but the hardware is made of metal and feels sturdy and reliable. It doesn't feel like a toy like the G1 does.
I'm waiting for an android phone that's compatible with the AT&T network to be released before I make the switch. I haven't been fully satisfied with the iPhone (mostly, I don't like the calendaring application AT ALL), but it beats the AT&T Tilt and the blackjack2 in terms of usability, in my opinion.
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1. People don't even know if they'll have jobs next week, would they really be taking on an expensive new phone and plan?
2. There's no absolute media saturation and frenzy over the G1. Apple is very adept at building their marketing campaigns into beasts like self-sustaining fusion reactions that produce more energy than they consume, like firestorms sucking all the oxygen out of the city. Media that doesn't even want to report on tech will end up reporting on the craze surrounding the tech.
3. The G1, while building on the success of Google, isn't coming with quite the same mac/ipod buzz that the iPhone had going with it. Again, this goes back to 2, Apple is building upon the wave of successful hype of previous products.
I hear that RIM is trying to improve upon their berries given all of this competition from Apple and Google. To that I say GREAT! The more competition the better. The last berry I used was a hell of a product but RIM has been floundering for a while now. I want to see them recapture the mojo instead of flaming out like Palm.
Personally, I don't know which phone I'll end up getting. I'm no longer working in a capacity that requires a company phone so I'm not likely to have another berry unless I change jobs. The iPhone is incredibly seductive but the data plan sucks and I don't like it being closed-architecture. I don't yet know enough about the G1 to know whether it'll be a good fit but I like what I've seen so far.
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The NY Times is a "rag"? Where do you get your news? Smoke signals?
Is it only me that thinks the fact it looks like a pigs arse - expecially when compared to the iphone - has something to do with it??
It isn't available here in Finland, so... Yeah.
But well, I've never understood that culture in USA... Comparing products based on the day that they come out. Just like with movie theatres there, the most used way to determine if movie is successfull seems to be how well it sells during the first weekend: Before anyone has had the chance to see it and tell others if it is good or not.
I wouldn't think much based on just these days. Also, the "Steeper learning curve" and "Shortcuts might take some time to get used to..."... WTF? Does ANYONE think of those things when buying a phone? "I would buy that but the learning curve is too steep..."? I would understand if it was "The user interface is horrible" but this?
I won't be buying one, because any phone from T-Mobile is no longer in the running for me. They are my current provider, but (unlike every other provider) their service area near me has been shrinking rather than growing. Places I had service last year are now consistently "emergency call only" areas. We're talking about a good quarter of the state. On top of that, they had the nerve to send me advertising text messages telling me how they've expanded their coverage. I am currently contract free, so if another provider comes out with a good Android phone, I'll look into it, but who cares how good it is if it has no service.
I like the phone. Tmobile out here however is simply horrible. On their coverage map they just show everywhere the eye can see has awesome coverage, but if you drive around town you find you basically have no service for the most part. At least ATT and verizon both show accurate coverage maps.
Battery life doesn't seem to be stellar, but the great aps and easy installation make up for it.
Love the smooth keyboard -- which includes a number bar!
The integrated GPS is kick ass.
The only downside is that the network is a little spotty -- but I knew that when I got it.
Prior to the G1, the only options were to continue pining for an Iphone to replace my Blackberry or pay the termination fee with my existing carrier and then switch. Now I'm glad I made the switch and didn't blow the money on terminating my existing T-mobile service.
Apple has the perception in the eyes of the public of making exciting and innovative products. Part of that could be because it is true and part of it is because of marketing. So when Apple decides to enter a new industry, people get excited.
Now Google may be known for innovating and be a household name, but was the android phone marketed as being connected to Google? Not only than, but Google didn't design the physical phone, just the platform.
Or, to think of it another way, the major selling point for Android is that it is an open source platform for handheld devices. Does the general public get excited over open source? The reason for the lack of excitement over the first Android phone is pretty obvious when you think about it.
We pre-ordered our devices and had them shipped to us, rather than waiting in the outdoors, and at the stores.
Mine arrived the day before official release.
It's activated and wonderful.
And, unlike the iPhone - my 3G ROCKS!
It's quite possibly too late for Android. Apple already has a mature product in place, and has several million users. Another thing working for Apple is that they have the iPod Touch which allows the same platform to be used by people who don't want to switch to AT&T. At the very least, Google should have worked on creating something like an upgraded Nokia N810 that runs Android.
Google didn't hype the G1 for months, unlike Apple. And, Google didn't have a launching pad product, aka the iPod.
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
Of course not, if you ordered one a couple of months ago you would already have it. Instead of madly lining up at some retail shop to buy your new piece of hip candy (and then still have to take the damn thing home to activate it), you can order it and wait for it to be delivered to your door.
Apple does make good products, but they also are very adept at engineering a crowd to harness for marketing purposes.
(/local/home/curiosity)-#who -u|grep thecat|cut -c 44-49|xargs kill -9
I'd say this is pretty good: http://www.iphonestalk.com/googles-android-based-phone-pre-orders-hit-15-million-should-the-iphone-be-afraid/ I think it took Apple much longer to sell 1 million of the first gen iPhones
I was in line during the day of the pre-release, where the only place you could get one in the world was at the T-Mobile store in the SoMa area of San Francisco. The release was set at 6:00pm on Tuesday, October 21, 2008.
When I got there at 6:10pm, the line only extended down the block. It took me approximately two hours before I got to the front of the line. In the mean time, I held a few conversations with the others by me, and it appears that the consensus was: there's not enough apps for the G1 right now - maybe it'll take off in a year or so, but there will be better phones for the platform by then.
I met a large number of *NIX users there who might have very well been other slashdotters. It appears to be that the G1 is in a niche market right now. People don't seem to care that it can be modified, but rather that it has less features and apps compared to the iPhone. Instead, most of the people in line wanted one because of its relatively cheap cost and stability.
Also, the lack of lines may be attributed to how well T-Mobile has handled the release compared to Apple. People were processed in less than three minutes, and there were eight CS reps working at the same time. In fact, the line moved at approximately the speed of a security screening. If the process was done similarly at other stores, there wouldn't have been much of an opportunity for a line to form.
Pros of the G1:
1. Usable QWERTY keyboard - texting heaven
2. 3G speeds in my area are ~900kbps
3. The browser feels faster
4. I can upgrade/replace the battery
5. I can put in an 2/4/8/16 gig micro SD
6. Speaker sounds louder
7. Free wifi at T-mobile hotspots
8. Voice activated dialing works decently
9. It's from T-Mobile and I don't have to deal with the evil pricks that are ATT/Cingular (was an ATT customer for almost 7 years)
Cons:
1. The battery life sucks at the moment
2. Dearth of apps (naturally)
3. The phone gets warm after a few minutes of usage
4. Not a con for me but no stereo bluetooth
5. Complete lack of accessories from T-mobile
6. Gmail goes down, you might have issues from the tight integration (forgot pattern to unlock phone? input your gmail info)
7. The phone has a cheap plastic feel and doesn't feel as solid as the iphone (especially when opening the back panel).
8. 3G coverage is spotty
Both weigh and measure about the same (comparison with a first gen iphone). Both are quad-band.
I did get one yesterday. I knew I wanted one, just did not know when.
Stopped(on a whim) in at the local store waited an hour and was out the door with one.
There was not iphone rush but I did not thing the hype was a big.
I had very specific needs that the iphone did not do well(ssh, vnc, real keyboard)
Also, know that I usually take the wait and see approach to tech and not an early adopter.
I am very tech savvy
So far I am very pleased. It is mostly intuitive. I am find the menu key/scroll/click awkward.
Can't yet comment about the "Store" but code.google has meet my immediate needs with little fuss.
Still missing backup(pc or sdcard) and sync(to pc not google). This should be easy and obvious it is not so I am still working on it.
Also missing is one touch wifi and bluetooth see palm, they are buried in the settings menu.
Battery life is short in data mode, get a car charge, and one the desk at work.
Some interface tuning is definitely needed.
Part of the reason for slow interest may also be that T-Mobile's 3G high-speed data network won't up and running in many cities until the end of the year.
Why would anyone in their right mind buy a phone that can't be used to call?
realkiwi
Fox News or Rush Limbaugh. He didn't call them part of the driveby media, though, so I'll go with Fox.
A better name would probably help, too.
Customer: "What do you have to compete against the sexiness of the iPhone?" ...
T-Mobile: "We have just the thing... a GOO-Phone!"
Customer:
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
The G1 shows a lot of potential but T-mo has nearly zero 3G presence anywhere. 3g has been the next big thing for a long time and I have no clue why they have lagged so much. Another note is that while andriod seems pretty cool the G1 hardware is hardly eye catching or high quality. The next batch of Android powered phones will be better I have no doubt. I just wish Google would have held back till they had a really solid release line.
http://prisonplanet.com/
competition - Apple's got no one to compete with - lots of people will be making gphones, competing with each other, and they'll be pushing prices down - which platform do you want to develop software for?
Not sure what they mean about a non-intuitive interface. What more freakin' intuitive than a physical keyboard?
Is "pinching" intuitive before somebody shows it to you. But I guess it's just an article of faith that anything not done by Apple must, by definition, be less intuitive than the Apple version.
On the useless but cool front - I made a skype-out call from the G1 over my wifi network today. Try that with an iPhone. Granted, it's a phone, so sure, what's the point. But it's good to know that even if I terminate my cell plan, the phone isn't a useless brick.
The reason for the lack of queues should be staggeringly obvious to anybody with at least two brain cells. Apparently Ms. Holson lacks the prerequisite in this area (or she's just too much of an Apple fangirl to acknowledge it).
The G1 was available to pre-order online for the last month. Why would anyone in their right mind queue at a retail location, when they could just click a mouse button?
The answer: They didn't. Those who wanted the device enough to have queued simply pre-ordered instead. Those who didn't want it enough to queue will gradually trickle in over the coming weeks, if they decide they want to see the device in person or buy it.
The answer couldn't be any more simple, and it completely fails to support Ms. Holson's insinuations.
I didn't realize there is a version of Skype for Android. I've checked the Skype website to see if there were any announcements of such a beast, even tried a general Google for Skype for Android, and haven't seen it. Where'd you find Skype for Android? The closest thing I found was something called iSkoot, which doesn't appear to actually use Wifi?
The N96 went on sale here at the beginning of the month, and I saw zilch on advertising. I bought one, because I already have an aging N90 and an excellent, way-cool, just plain fun, N800.
The main interest for me is the better camera on the N96.
But despite my credentials, that would position me as a Nokia fan-boy, I am really not that impressed with it ... yet ... maybe I need to fiddle with it a bit more.
That I am not impressed with it, and that Nokia doesn't seem to be advertising it (at least in my country) ... makes me want to go, "Hmmm ..."
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
Id totally buy one, but I'm an ATT customer, and they havn't released one for ATT yet. Ill gladly swap my sim into one if i could find an unlocked one.
I picked up my G1 at the Galleria in Cambridge (MA). The T-Mobile Kiosk was doing a brisk business and had plenty of people on hand to demo, sell, and activate the phone.
I've noticed a lack of advertising for the G1, but I read that T-Mobile will be starting TV ads soon. I wonder how much money Google is going to contribute to the campaign.
The phone is nice and works out of the box. I used it most of the afternoon and evening on the 3G network and used a lot of battery power. I'm still working on how to conserve (use EDGE only, no GPS, no WiFi). I particularly like the syncing of contacts which is helpful.
****
"I'd never want to join a club that would have me as a member" - G. Marx
T-Mobile also is doing its best to put little barbs in people's way. I'm out of contract and checked what it would take for me to get a G1. I can get it for the same price as a new customer, which is good, but T-Mobile tossed silly things like "transaction fees" into the cart when I got closer to the checkout point. While it's a minuscule amount in the big picture, it really did piss me off as a completely fake charge.
Not to mention the on-hold time with their customer service and totally useless voice response system.
"Google don't have the Apple hype-machine/blogosphere/rumor sites going insane over unreleased products?"
Yea... Goggle doesn't have the Apple hype-machine/blogsphere/rumor sites....
Google has the Google hype-machine/blogsphere/rumor sites....
I think the problem has a lot more to do with T-Mobile than with the phone.
T-Mobile is a very good carrier but they are not equal to AT&T or Verizon.
Also the iPhone wasn't the first ipodish phone. AT&T made a deal with Apple and Motorola to produce an phone that worked with ITunes. That phone didn't set the world on fire but I think it got people interested in the iPhone.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
Probably because T-Mobile and Google don't have the Apple hype-machine/blogosphere/rumor sites going insane over unreleased products?
Er...or it could be that the G1 just isn't innovative or unique.
Seriously, what's unique about it?
Apple slowly wedged their foot in the door with iTunes and Quicktime and has built upon each success. Meanwhile, Google has been the 500lb gorilla, but given away every product they offer (and made it work on every other cell phone) and there's no compelling reason to buy a Google phone.
Please help metamoderate.
The iPhone is Apple's one and only phone and it's on one provider. The G1 is the first phone with Google's Android operating system. In a few months there will probably better Android phones. If Google thinks it has a something really great here, they might as well let the hype build slowly. In fact, they probably want to rely on the phone companies to hype their phones.
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because it looks too utilitarian. the design could have come from the 90's or 80's. they should take a lesson from apple and make it shinier/fancier. or at least have a design that looks like it came from this century.
I think what your trying to say is Apple has a reputation for 'cool' innovation. They don't do mondain and they don't do what's been done before.
Google to the common folk is a search engine, albeit an awesome one but still it's just a search engine.
When I watched the add I could see it quite easy for someone to think the phone was just another iPhone look alike with access to google.
I remember the "lines" I waited in to get my Sharp Zaurus
Hopefully the "Googlephone" will be more popular as an open source version of a common device form factor.
Like everybody else, I ordered one in advance. That's why there are no lines at the store. Big selling points were 1) I can write my own software for it, and 2) Built in GPS. Of course, buying one is an act of faith in that I'm assuming they will make software upgrades available later to fix little flaws like the lack of support for the stereo bluetooth profile. Of course, I probably won't get mine until November 8, but I don't think those extra 2 weeks will make much of a difference.
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
I don't want one that has a locked carrier. Same reason I don't have an iphone.
http://infowars.com/ is much better!
If you have something that you dont want anyone to know, maybe you shouldnt be doing it in the first place -Eric Schmidt
Actually, I think we're just seeing that Google's product launches tend to have similar paths whether they are software or hardware. (I know the G1 phone isn't technically a Google product, but realistically, yes, it is.)
Google products tend to launch with rough edges, but with enough "Wow!" to generate buzz and interest. Initial comments tend to range from "Hey, that's cool!" to "Eh, [such and such] does that too, and Google's has less features." Over time, they tend to steadily polish up and turn into really stellar product offerings farther down the road. Look at Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Calendar, GMail, Google Reader, and so on.
And while some of their software products go flop (Google Lively, anyone?), most of them tend to take that steady, measured approach to a solid, highly usable product. The G1 phone seems to be on that same path.
I don't care how good the phone is. T-Mobile's coverage is too sparse to make it attractive.
Why, because the funny Verizon actor on the TV set said it was so?
You do realize that all the GSM providers in the US share a good chunk of their towers?
My favorite: the idiots who say "ohmygod, I had an AT&T phone and coverage sucked, I switched to Tmobile and it was SO much better!" SAME. FREAKING. "NETWORK."
Wait wait, let me guess. You have a sample-size-of-one example of how coverage is so much better in ___insert remote location you've been to____ compared to your friend with a different phone. Or there's a deadspot in so-and-so's apartment but not for your provider, etc.
Guess what. Do you have any clue how interchangeable those conversations are? And that "bars" are almost completely picked out of (pardon the pun) thin air?
Please help metamoderate.
The iPhone is attractive to the general public.
Android phones are attractive to techies.
Its not exactly a big suprise that there aren't crowds waitting for them, the percentage of techies in the world is relatively low so theres no way its going to have any sort sales numbers like the iPhone.
Technies know about it, the rest of the world doesn't care, and won't care until its as sexy and user friendly as the iPhone. This isn't the year of the Android phone any more than its the year of the Linux desktop, and for the exact same reasons. The general public doesn't care about anything they have to offer and wants features that neither have to offer.
Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
Why the hell would you overhype a version 1.0 product? So you can buy a $600 dumbphone from Apple?
People who bought a rev 1 iPhone got SCREWED. Then the price dropped and Lord Steve gave people credit to spend on more of his garbage. Then Rev 1 of the 3G turned out to be a bigger turd because it got crappy signal, dropped calls, has bad battery life, and crappy apps that crash the phone.
So, moral, don't buy rev 1.
People are writing it off as a failure because there aren't crowds and lines forming to buy it? Seriously?
Seems just about every product ever made would be an utter failure going by that metric.
Maybe not
The iPhone is NOT any more intuitive than any other phone. It is not intuitive to use two fingers spreading in and out to zoom in and out. It is not intuitive to change the screen orientation by rotating it if it only works when holding the unit somewhat vertical. (That drove my daughter nuts until I explained how gravity works with the phone.)
The iPod is NOT any more intuitive than any other music player. It is not intuitive to have to return to the now-playing screen to change the volume. It is not intuitive to run your finger around a circle to change volume or select items. And not being able to edit play lists is just inexcusable.
The Apple was NOT any more intuitive than any other computer. Dragging the CD to the trashcan to eject it was not intuitive. People exposed to Windows did not deal well with the lack of right click and that silly Apple key until shown what they were for.
Intuitive means directly apprehended or instinctive. Something is not intuitive if basic features require demonstration or having to read the manual. Apple products have some cool features that once exposed to can make them easier to use. That isn't intuitive, it's user friendly.
I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
Check out this story where Neil Gaiman tries to buy one [neilgaiman.com]. Indeed it literally doesn't seem to be selling. As in: you cannot obtain one even if you wanted to.
He was turned away because the vendor was in an area where TMobile decided there wasn't strong enough coverage.
Yes, he's able to fire up Gmail in the store, but that doesn't mean coverage is good enough for their metrics, or the G1 might have a worse antenna. Or maybe Google said "we don't want you to sell this phone where people won't be able to get adequate speed."
Company decides where to market phone for best reception, film at 11.
Please help metamoderate.
The NY Times is about as much "news" as the WWF is a "sport".
And they've been taking preorders for weeks now?
I bought one using our corporate discount - 15% off, with a $179 and one year, no activation fee contract. Between the handset savings, the one year contract (a big plus IMO, since I can get a subsidized phone next year), and the cheaper data plan - it's several hundred dollars cheaper than the iPhone.
I'll have it tomorrow. Sure, I'll miss a day, but I also won't have to wait outside online in the cold hoping for admiration from the sheeple surrounding me.
(taken by the iphone)
I'll see your hokum and raise you a boondoggle.
the data plan is $30 a month for unlimited. Not the best price, but certainly not a nightmare.
I'm sure that there will be an android phone with more storage eventually. I know several people that want a G1, but T-mobile doesn't have 3G in our area yet.
From the sound of it, the G1's version of Android is stuck in quality and polish between most WinMo phones and the iPhone. For them to have a good shot at Apple, they needed to be mostly on par with Apple on the first release. Now, all Apple has to do is note Android's current capabilities, and make sure it says ahead.
It's because T-Mobile offers rediculous plans. Their image sucks. I don't know anyone on it whereas most of my cotacts use Sprint and I have free Sprint-to-Sprint. I mean, T-Mobile was the last company to get a cool phone. It was a win-by-default. Boring.
I would consider it if it were on ANY other network but T-Mobile. Wait... nor Alltel. How about a real phone company, Google? Maybe make a free network? Haha, with Google chiming in for buzzwords spoken during coversations with ads to terrible places to eat.
Who is that masked man?
Understand that if you're going to compete with the iPhone, you need to at least match its high end, high quality design and build. The G1 looks clunky and outright ugly. Android is great and, hopefully, it'll be put to better use in more beautiful phones.
But right now, no one in their right mind should spend this amount of money on a phone that looks like a bad Chinese knock-off of the iPhone with less features.
(Even the G1 logo is horrible! They could've at least hired a professional graphic designer and advertising agency.)
I love my G1. It's more intuitive than any blackberry I've ever used (I've had 2) and more powerful than an iPhone (background processes, more advanced features imho).
In my opinion, the best things that Android has going for it are:
* easier development
* write once, run on any Android handset
Google treats Android developers better than Apple treats its iPhone developers. The NDA *still* isn't even fully lifted for the iPhone and you have to jailbreak your own phone just to run your own apps.
I bought my G1 specifically to develop for it, but I've been *really happy* with it so far, as a normal user. I can't wait to start writing apps for it!
1) more apps for the iphone, but that could change in time
2) iphone = itunes, which everyone seems to use. while there are alternatives, I don't believe any are as popular
3) iphone has better touch interface, the 2 finger resize is a very popular feature that the g1 does not have, there are other features.
4) the g1 has this ridiculous bend at the bottom of the phone
5) the keyboard is a odd layout compared to say the iphone onscreen keyboard or even the keyboard of the nokia n810, I actually think if the n810 were to be made into a phone in it's current design it would be a better item.
this is what several iphone users who have seen the g1 have said to me at least, and I kind of agree.
Only 'flamers' flame!
Does slashdot hate my posts?
A coworker of mine had hers delivered on Tuesday. I played with it and liked it. She hated it from the get go. Why? She has long fingernails. She can't use the capacitive touchscreen with her nails and its difficult to tap accurately with nails blocking your view. Likewise, the keys on the keyboard are nearly flush so she can't type very well on it since she can't feel the keys well with her fingers. I'd gladly take it off her hands, but T-Mobile has no 3G here.
TMobile has already sold 1.5 million of these, but not at the stores. So: no lines, but more phones sold initially than the iPhone.
I'd buy one, sure, but there's no T-Mobile coverage where I live, and the phone is locked so I can't buy it and then switch carriers. I just have to wait for the Verizon Android phone.
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
FRING app does skypeout on the iPhone.
I got my G1.. but I pre-ordered it. Most people who already had T-Mobile and wanted one pre-ordered theirs (if the 1.5 million # was true then there doesn't need to be a long line, whoever wanted it already ordered it.) I know most people with sidekick plans have upgraded to the G1.
I seen the last piece of one commercial on TV last night, someone asked whats in a hotdog and they googled it on the phone. Also heard little promos for it on the radio (hot 97/nyc) multiple times through out the day. Best promo of all its on the Google home page. Anybody who's seen mine and seen an iPhone (that don't have an iPhone) think the G1 is way better, especially when you show features like street view. iPhone owners like my younger brother get offensive when someone else even compares it.
Skype for Android AS AN ACTUAL APP NOT SOME AJAX site just kills anything the iPhone can have. Installing apps that I download through the browser (like iTunes Remote -- which no it doesnt work for Rhythmbox) bypassing the market also stomps any iPhone capability. As soon as some of these 3D games start coming out from OmniGSoft and others, its a wrap. Not that the iPhone isn't cute or anything but seriously there is no competition.
Unlimited means after you user 1 gigabyte of 3G data, u fall back to EDGE for the remainder of the month per T-Mobile.
I'm on verizon and so are most of my friends so I'm not switching to another company just yet when I get 90% of my calls and text messages for free. That said I'm looking forward to the Blackberry Storm in the mean time and hope Verizon comes out with an Android phone later.
Because false hype makes the product better.
It did with the iPhone. False hype led to the jailbreaking effort and eventually got Apple to do something they originally didn't want to do: "Mere mortals" developing native ABI applications for the iPhone. It turned the iPhone into a developer platform instead of a toy.
+++ATH0
My aunt just got one of them, I played with it for quite a while, it seems to do a good job at surfing the web (loads slashdot.org pretty well) and playing youtube (of course you can't download the 'high quality' version of videos) but the battery life sucks.
It only has a 3.7Volt 1100mAh battery, when I was playing a youtube video the battery meter went down by 5% in less than 10 minutes. So the phone is very nice, except there are NO or very little configuration options for stuff like the youtube player or web browser, but it is fun to have a phone in which one could play around with writing apps for it.
I haven't studied the G1 UI in detail.
I have an iPhone and find it quite easy
to learn and use most of the features
without a manual. This includes the features
of custom apps.
Most of the features are a small number
of clicks to complete the function too,
so fast and convenient.
Browser features such as zoom and
sideways turn and auto-zoom when touch a form field make it usable for real websites.
It's all about ease of learning, ease and
speed of use (e.g. flip!)
with small mobile phone/web devices.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
The G1 doesn't work as a phone. Why would people buy it? T-Mobile excluded UMA aka t-mobile at home from the G1, effectively making it a paperweight in most suburbs. Combine that with the unattractive price point and the fact that many people who would be interested in this device are currently shackled to the iPhone and you've got a product nobody can use or wants to buy.
It's one thing to be able to have Java, but can one put arbitrary builds of the entire Android stack on the G1 of your own choosing?
First thing would be to remove the kill switch and replace the bluetooth.
Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
I would have gotten one but when I logged in to my t-mobile page to upgrade I found out that I would have to pay 2 times the amount a new customer would have to pay. At 350 buck it's just too much.
Apple GETS that people want electronics that LOOK as good as they operate.
Until someone comes out with an android phone that considers BOTH form and function -- not hacked together in someone's basement -- they'll be no google phone on my xmas list.
To make things better and those who want a better carrier than T-Mobile(AT&T has more towers in more places), is the phone unlocked? I'm reading that it is. If so, than it's possible to sign up for the phone at $179, cancel the contract at $150, and signup with AT&T for $35 making the phone cheaper than buying it for $399.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss
1) people are dumb. 2) the iphone is a "smartphone for dummies". 3) nobody has heard of the damn thing. i havent seen it on tv, so to most people it doesnt exist. they formed lines to get iphones because they were well aware of what it was and that it would be available on a certain day. google, for all their wealth just cannot advertise android like apple can the iphone.
I wanted one but in order to get T-mobile service I have to travel 100 miles and claim I live in that area to get one and I already live in a large city that supposedly has T-mobile coverage according to their maps but they do not sell phones/plans to people living in the city I live in.
I would buy a G1 if they offered the following:
This would be similar to other T-Mobile pay-as-you-go plans. It would allow them to offer a much, much lower total cost of ownership over two years of use. I can't see any reason they couldn't make a modest profit under a plan like this. However, they won't offer this because they want to make a huge profit instead.
I've often heard slurs on t-mobile's network but I've been with them in two countries for a total of almost 8 years and their network and customer service have always been great.
I get significantly better coverage in the denver area than my friends on AT&T. They used to be a little lacking in the north of scotland, but i was up there recently and it was greatly improved.
The N8XX series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N810) is a brilliant platform and is open source Linux. You can even download a VMWare image of their development "scratchbox" and muck around with anything you like, and install it on the phone.
Alas, it lacks, a cell phone.
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
Android is an open platform in so many ways and that is what attracts us to it. I think that the target audience of the "G" Phone are the same people who are sick of signing 2 year contracts for bad service. If there was a Android phone that was true carrier independent and was supported by one of the unlimited services like MetroPCS or Cricket as well as the more robust providers... I'd buy 3
...as I'm about in the market for a new mobile device. However, after doing some research, there are two fairly serious showstoppers with the G1. T-Mobile's network speed appears to be pretty sucky, and the G1 won't tether as of yet. Both of these things can be fixed, but until they are, I'll probably be buying a USB modem that'll do EVDO from Sprint or Verizon plus a 39.95/mo phone (which the G1 ain't). I'm leaning towards a Palm Centro at the moment. I figure I'll get something like the G1 eventually, but if they don't get these problems fixed before the Neo Freerunner becomes a viable alternative, Google is going to miss their window.
Apparently many of those slow-learning non-techies out there also don't have a clue when it comes to the glaring fact that Apple has been broadcasting iPhone advertising like it's a new consumer product people might want - I can't say that I've seen ANY advertising of Google's new phone outside the occasional NYT article or similar.
Here's a hint slow-learners: advertising is what alerts people to new products. I'd bet that there isn't a single non-tech-savvy friend I have that is even aware that T-Mobile has a Google phone.
There's two cents - I'm keeping the rest of the change for myself.
I am Jack's smirking revenge.
I have had no problems with 3G coverage where I live, and (as was stated in another post) it really doesn't matter because with a few presses of a finger you can select AT&T's 3G network as your default.
The wifi connectivity great, too, because I can also connect to my internal home network! (Now I just need an SSH client for the G1 and I'm good to go ;))
I also like the fact that the G1 uses MicroSD chips, and those are INEXPENSIVE these days. I bopped over to my local geek store, bought an 8GB chip for about $15, and *POW* - now I have more storage than an iPhone.
Anyway, that's my $.02 -
Cheers!
The Google Phone appeals to true nerds far more so than the market that the iPhone appeals to. I know two people in my immediate 'circle' that own iPhones. I know 5 that have bought (or ordered) G1's. I'm a gas station coffee guy as opposed to Starbuck's. ;)
"Part of the reason for slow interest may also be that T-Mobile's 3G high-speed data network won't be up and running in many cities until the end of the year."
Yeah, I believe that... I'm at AT&T customer, and they STILL don't have 3G everywhere.
The only reason 3G would be a barrier is, because, the people buying the G1 is people who care (techies).
Google launched a cool product, but alas, it's going to be something that is trendy, to the tech-geeks. It won't steal Apple's clientele away for a multitude of reasons, notwithstanding the first one that about punches you in the face? There is no reason to "upgrade". It doesn't go any faster, it doesn't do much the Apple phone doesn't, and so on and so forth.
Why drop 300+ on an IPhone, and 3 months later, drop another few hundred on the G1? And change carriers.
Google was late to the party, and all the good lookin chicks are taken (customers). The only ones left are the guys here, bitching about this and that (which includes me) in dealing with the IPhone.
Besides, I like my HTC Wizard too much to
a. drop my contract with AT&T
b. Figure out a way to move all my data over
c. figure out a way, if it exists, to move all my "notes" and other MS Windows Mobile proprietary stuff
d. Enter into ANOTHER contract with a carrier I dunno if they work where I live (I live in the sticks)
e. I don't "have" to have linux on everything I own. If MS WinMobile works for me (and it does), then why spend hundreds more to be "open source"... I thought one of the main reasons for open source was to keep costs down, as well. Having to purchase hardware so I can be open source, well, doesn't really bode well with me.
Anywho, heres to hoping Android can be ported to some existing smartphone handsets. I'd LOVE to try it, but can't justify spending hundreds of dollars, just to try it.
--Toll_Free
Are you kidding me? All UMA does is take you from "I can't get service anywhere" to "I can't get service anywhere unless I'm in Starbucks, a hotel, or my friend's house with WiFi" Don't get me wrong, my wife has a UMA phone and she loves it, but UMA doesn't work when you're actually, you know, mobile.
As for price point, I'm unsure how $180 w/2 yr contract for a phone that makes Windows Mobile look like the OS for your grandparents is unattractive. This thing destroys the Tilt in everything except Exchange connectivity (yawn). If you factor in the cost of an 8GB microSD card ($30) it's still priced almost the same as the iPhone. And you can replace the battery! (Something I still can't believe people don't bitch about)
Bottom line, it sounds like it doesn't meet your needs, so it obviously must be a failure for everyone.
Does anyone know why Android does not have support for multi touch?
I've been waiting for a good HTC phone to use my Tmobile service with for a while to replace my Ipaq 6315. The Wing was not that great. when I heard about google and android and the HTC Dream I was like cool then I saw Tmobile rumors about them getting it and offering for cheap I was sold.
Didnt goto store to buy cause online was easier. So far the battery doesnt seem to last long but that could be my fault for playing with it too much.
-THIS SPACE FOR RENT!
I got one via UPS this week. So did a number of my friends. Google employees had them a while back.
It's okay. Wish the space bar was a bit larger and that the battery life was a little longer. In general the keyboard is nice to use and has a good feel to it. Took only a few minutes to figure out how useful the menu key was.
Not too many applications in the marketplace yet, I downloaded three, all free. The browser is a bit slow at times and has no flash support, but I didn't really buy it for the browsing experience.
Sure looks nicer than a Windows Mobile device and it meshed easily with my existing Google account. I still need to figure out how to get calendar alerts.
So now not only does Google know what I am searching for, they also know where I am. Can the Google Singularity be far behind?
T-Mobile has 3G service in my town and so far I've found it about half the time. No obvious pattern to it yet. I like that the T-Mobile android phone is cheaper to own than the iPhone.
I am a current T-Mobile customer. I'm happy with my current situation, but I'd consider switching to a smart phone that doesn't give my privacy away. That knocks **anything** with google in the name out, IMHO.
Google indexes everything and correlates it with your gmail ID. That information is just 1 legal request away from the government. Too close for me. I used to work for the government.
Tether a Nokia N800/N810 to any bluetooth cell phone with a data plan and you have the open platform you want. Last January, the N800 costs $219. Sadly, you can't find them any more. Mine is still going strong.
Yeah, I've had a G1 since Monday of this week (2 days earlier than it started selling). It's pretty awesome. Also, people have already gotten android running on the openmoko (as of today, according to the mailing list). So that's really exciting. The market is getting tons more apps in, at least a few new apps a day have trickled in, most of which are pretty interesting.
Anyway, it's pretty amazing. For me, the battery doesn't last quite long enough. I'm going to need to start charging it at work, if I'm going to leave the wifi on. Overall though, it's pretty life changing.
I'm more excited than I thought I would be. I'll never give this up. I will try to get it running on my openmoko first gen phone, but no wifi there.
-Josh
I have heard people say it has too little storage, well it has a microSD card - you decide how much it will have. I have heard people say it doesn't showcase well. From the opening home screen it not only can scroll icons with a finger gesture like the Iphone but it can also scroll back and forth through 3 screens as well. I have heard people say it has bugs. I have no bugs and I have downloaded over 20 FREE apps and games from the app market. Remember, the reviews you will hear about something that is not fanboy driven will usually be bad because if something just works only a small percentage will post about it working well. Most of the posts you will see are from the few that have issues. I'm not here to do a full review but I will say I like the choice of the touch screen or the trackball, it is easily read in direct sunlight, the speaker is loud enough to listen to music (but only as loud as one would expect from a device of this size). The only real complaint I have is that the case it came with doesn't have a belt clip. Oh, one last thing... remember this is a generation 1 device with a generation 1 OS and generation 1 apps. It will only get better.
"Computers are a lot like Air Conditioners" "They both work great until you start opening Windows"
I just renewed my cell contract and I am required to keep my blackberry internet service for at least 6 months...I had been waiting to try this out, but I had gotten sick of waiting. I guess I will see what is out there when I am eligible to drop the blackberry service. Perhaps there will be an even better one out. I have watched
Curious about Storage and Virtualization? Check out
Google search for 'DT quote'
DT is Deutsche Telekom AG (ADR) (NYSE), the parent company of T-Mobile. T-Mobile is not publicly traded in the US except through DT. Their stock did go up today but time will tell.
Disclaimer: I'd rather have a thinner phone with only an on screen keyboard (better than the iPhone's which I don't like in portrait mode at all)
I tried the G1 out yesterday at a store and I was pleasantly surprised at some things - the bend at the bottom (the chin) wasn't nearly as annoying as I thought it would be. It still fits in my pocket comfortably and with my sized hands, I had no problems reaching with my right hand to the middle of the keyboard without the chin part in the way. Though I don't buy the idea that the microphone positioning is helped that much by the bend, it does sit in your hand nicely when the phone is up to your ear. I still think the chin was a bad idea though because a) they have been getting a ridiculous amount of bad press about it because it looks dumb, and b) if they had just gone with a full length slider instead like an Xperia or Nokia N810, they could have used the full length for the keyboard which would have made the spacing better yet. But the biggest problem with the phone for me is that the keys do not raise up enough from the surface. My thumbs get some serious resistance from the surface around the key before it is depressed enough to actuate. That sucks. I liked the keyboard on the Sidekick I tried in the store better.
The other hardware quirk that bugs me, but isn't a deal breaker is the stupid proprietary connector (http://www.hardwarebook.info/ExtUSB). I'd rather have a standard Micro-USB (http://news.cnet.com/Pros-seem-to-outdo-cons-in-new-phone-charger-standard/2100-1041_3-6209247.html) and a 3.5 mm headphone jack (using the same 4 connector design Apple uses if this is non-proprietary, or 3 connector if it isn't).
My other main concern is just how well the GPS works. One poster here said it worked great. The reviews are very mixed - some say it is terrible, some pretty good. I'm waiting for a thorough analysis of its performance (especially unassisted performance) before deciding to get it or wait for a G2 from T-mobile or someone else (I'm an AT&T customer now, but though I don't have any horror stories, I don't particularly like their policies either). I started a thread at http://forums.t-mobile.com/tmbl/board/message?board.id=87&thread.id=1969&view=by_date_ascending&page=1 on the topic of unassisted GPS performance in case anybody is interested.
Dara Parsavand
Went to the store to look, they were so cheap and sooooo nice.
Couldn't help myself, and I am not a cell phone or crackberry zealot. Here in the east bay (SF) everything works flawlessly.
Love it, and this is my first /. post typing on it.
It is so awesome: doesn't feel like a toy. The UI took about 2 mins to figure out. The "getting started" explained the key things.
Pretty much everyone there buying the G1 on launch was non-techie. Out of about 50, I was the only one inquiring about the shell.
Love it. Go get one...
Ummm yeah they most certainly are. Most periodicals are referred to as rags in slang, whether they are glossy, newsprint, etc...
(I think) I saw the phone mentioned on Ars as an "android" phone. I saw the commercial for it last night and wondered, "hey, is that the android phone?" Then I forgot about it. AS I TYPE THIS an iPhone ad is being run on my TV. The advertizing for the T-Mob.... wait, gotta watch the Apple bake sale ad... 'K Im back. What was I talking about?
"The Adobe Updater must update itself before it can check for updates. Would you like to update the Adobe Updater now?"
Google has pre-sold 1.5 million of G1 phones already. It took the iPhone months to get to that point. Perhaps there are no long lines because it's already sold out and people know it.
As for the 3G network, it appears that the G1 actually works reliably with 3G networks, while the iPhone apparently still has trouble.
Well, the submitter sure sounds like he has an Apple agenda to push.
Actually I prefer that the G1 has less storage and a microSD slot.
This might seem preferable, but there's a bizarre limitation currently that you can't put apps on that card, only the (limited) internal memory.
Or perhaps it's not so bizarre, as an app writer I did wonder about the potential variety of cards (and thus speeds) the user could put in...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
It did with the iPhone. False hype led to the jailbreaking effort and eventually got Apple to do something they originally didn't want to do: "Mere mortals" developing native ABI applications for the iPhone.
What a silly statement. If you knew anything about the SDK as originally delivered, you'd realize the SDK was obviously planned from the start but just took a long time to get to the level where external developers could make use of it. There was a ton of documentation and a fair amount of sample code, along with an already well fleshed out API.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
In reality, every phone feels like a toy if you don't like it.
By the end of my use period (about a year and a half I think) I had grown to utterly despise my RAZR.
But it didn't feel at all like a toy. It was very solid, and to the end I thought it felt great in the hand.
The problems were bad ergonomics around button placements, mapping of buttons (especially the cursed side buttons) and the worst UI I had ever used on a phone.
But it felt nice. Feel is a thing that can be independent of function.
There have also been cars I liked to look at, even liked to sit in, but did not like driving them.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
And you can replace the battery! (Something I still can't believe people don't bitch about)
The reason is because for real users that is not an issue.
A year later my original iPhone battery life is fine, and I can watch a number of videos on domestic flights.
If you have an international flight, you can get a number of small external battery packs that are no larger than the extra batteries you'd take with you for other phones.
As long as the phone can last well over a day with real use, extra batteries are just not a concern for people.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
How many iPhone users have I met who didn't know that their phones had Wifi, or thought that "Wifi" meant their cellular data plans?
Well the answer would be zero since the default is to prompt the user when a WiFi signal is found and ask if they would like to join. Anyone who has used the iPhone in a city knows it has WiFi.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Google treats Android developers better than Apple treats its iPhone developers. The NDA *still* isn't even fully lifted for the iPhone and you have to jailbreak your own phone just to run your own apps.
Although there's been no paperwork, Apple has said the NDA is lifted and people are opening up now, books are arriving (they were really the only thing the NDA ever blocked much anyway).
I also don't know where you get the idea developers can;t run apps on phones, the deve environment would be pretty horrible if so. I can build any application I like to run on my own phone and Apple has no say in the matter as they never see what I am writing (and running).
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Did you think of that?
I'm frugal. This is not a good use of my money right now. We'll leave out the part where my company pays my monthly bill - they won't pay for a new phone though.
I have Sprint. Not T-Mobile. Not AT&T. Not Verizon. Sprint has the best coverage at my house, and the coverage when I'm not at home is "good enough" in my area. I don't know the last time I had a dropped call.
Most of my non-work computing is on Vista. My home PC and laptop both run Vista. Why is that relevant? Well, I hear that Vista works pretty well with Windows Mobile devices, so I'm considering one of those instead. Since there isn't an Android phone available on the Sprint network, but plenty of WM6 options, that seems more reasonable for my dollars.
So myself and my wife both have one. Pre ordered and got them the 21st. I am a sys admin at a hosting company. Love the phone, just waiting for a vpn client to be released.
My wife works as an hr person, loves the phone has had a blackberry and a few other phones, she loves the integration, you can just use google as normal and it gets synched with your phone.
We don't have 3g coverage but its fast enough no worse than any other 2g phone out there.
I have been looking forward to having the android phones hit the street. One big problem for me has been that the first one is with t-mobile. I have found in the past that the HTC build quality is very good but I find in the UK tmobile to be utterly hopeless. As I have a vodafone sim today I am waiting to see when people have unlocked models etc that don't brick like some of the iphone reports.
But the android does not NEED jailbreaking. Maybe the need to jailbreak was the marketing angle, who knows, but does not say much about the honesty of some of the marketing.
Have a nice day!
Apple is more experienced than Google when it comes to hardware and software integration. (After all, they have been making computers since 1976.) Google, on the other hand, are masters at advertising and web services. They own that market, way ahead of everybody else. And so I think both companies, and also competitors and the open source movement, will benefit from the fruitful competition between the iPhone and Android platforms. There's plenty of customers for everybody. The really good news is Microsoft is about five or six years behind Apple and Google in every way. They still haven't got a single clue as to how this works, ant it will probably take them a while top figure this out. God knows they really screwed up Vista. What a monumental failure! As long as that clown Steve Ballmer rund things in Redmond, everybody else wins.
Beauty is in the beholder of the eye.
1) Those fiercely defending the iPhone against G1 may be feeling threatened that their early adoption and extended commitment to a proprietary technology that garnered envy and social standing may be usurped by the newest and greatest technology. Lacking recourse due to being hog-tied to AT&T, muffling the praise and capabilities of the new platform is the last option.
2) Those strongly promoting and speaking only positives about the release of the G1 are likely anti-Apple, or Anti-Apple's policies and have disposition placed against the trends of Apple-adoption. Speaking poorly of the faults of the iPhone while promoting the G1 with the limited amount of experience / exposure as of yet available, this group has high hopes for the adoption of the G1, and attempts to deflect the desperate attempts of the group described above.
3) The scores in between are simply waiting to see which platform will be more widely adopted, or better support their specific needs. Discarding the most biased of views and seeking experienced users who have solved needs similar to their own, this group will wait until the early adopters have filled the pockets of either company, and purchase once more quantitative information is available on both models / services.
Once you've identified your group, you might consider the inherent biases that you may have, and question whether you would have a different opinion if you didn't have your biases and were forced to consider only objective, quantified information.
Once you did this, you would realize two things:
1) The best solution is the one that fills your needs best, for the least cost (monetarily or otherwise).
2) The popularity, market share, and unused features of your phone are irrelevant to your decision so long as your needs continue to be met after your decision has been made.
In consideration of this, it would do everyone a bit of good to step back and consider if an issue is relevant or not to their final purchasing decision if what and all they really need to do is make a phone call. One may also consider whether they are defending their ego or a product that they feel is superior.
Mostly what I see around here are people defending their ego, or id.
You do realize that T-Mobile sold more G1s as pre-order than Apple sold iPhones in their first month, don't you?
As the next VP says: Mavericks!
I've had about a dozen or more phones since 1999 and my T-Mobile G1 is the best one I've ever owned. Not perfect, no, but the things I don't like and have to live with are far outweighed by the sense of possibility this phone gives me. I'll keep it and will recommend it to anyone who asks.
Wordnik, a dictionary project which aims to collect
They had something like 1.6 million preorders http://gizmodo.com/5062688/t+mobile-sells-15-million-g1-pre+orders
It took Apple 18 days to sell 1 million iPhones so it already beat the iPhone before it even shipped.
The no lines thing is easy to explain normal ppl order via amazon or preorder via t-mobile's website they aren't college students with enough free time and lack of sense to wait in line all day for a phone.
The nay saying take of this post seems very apple biased sorry apple cock suckers reality bites back.
As far as I know Google does not manufacture G1 phones, it licenses the android mobile OS to the manufacturer. Who builds G1? who cares? I love my Nokia e71.
Why did Google choose T-Mobile over say Verizon or Sprint?
I had T-Mobile for years and nothing but bad service both on the field and while talking to them about billing. They are very misleading and they do not know what they are talking about.
I was very optimistic about the iPhone and I switched to AT&T as fast as my service expired.
I have had nothing but great service with AT&T since and I am just waiting for the crazy stuff with the iPhone to die down.
I would buy an Android if it was available to ANY network. This locking stuff is retarded and it is not helping anyone.
Uncle Mantis
As it is, Android is just as much of a walled garden as official iPhone development is.
There is no access to the device outside of the Java sandboxes.
+++ATH0