t-mobile g1 - any good / alternatives?
Discussion
i posted this in computers & stuff but i'd appreciate it if the mods could leave this one in p&p as i need to get a new phone today.
i would like an iphone but purchase cost & line rental are too high. i'm with t-mobile who seem to have the worst range of phones possible. despite the looks, the g1 seems to be the best of the bunch for what i want it for.
am not bothered about the camera or mp3 capabilities, but do need a good web browser and decent satnav. interface/ease of use is also important.
does anyone here have a g1? what are your views?
would be glad to hear alternatives and would consider moving providers for the right deal. i've been put off LG by my current phone and left nokia for a reason. the xperian looks ok but seemed flimsy and t-mob don't do them anyway.
cheers.
i would like an iphone but purchase cost & line rental are too high. i'm with t-mobile who seem to have the worst range of phones possible. despite the looks, the g1 seems to be the best of the bunch for what i want it for.
am not bothered about the camera or mp3 capabilities, but do need a good web browser and decent satnav. interface/ease of use is also important.
does anyone here have a g1? what are your views?
would be glad to hear alternatives and would consider moving providers for the right deal. i've been put off LG by my current phone and left nokia for a reason. the xperian looks ok but seemed flimsy and t-mob don't do them anyway.
cheers.
I like the G1, my brother has one although I don't.
The android OS definitely seems like the way forward so the G1 is what I'd be looking at if I was buying now. Only thing that would put me off is if I heard there was a better platform deploying android any time soon. The hardware supports multi-touch and I like the full sized keyboard so I'm not sure there'd be any significant improvement with any new implementation.
The android OS definitely seems like the way forward so the G1 is what I'd be looking at if I was buying now. Only thing that would put me off is if I heard there was a better platform deploying android any time soon. The hardware supports multi-touch and I like the full sized keyboard so I'm not sure there'd be any significant improvement with any new implementation.
Edited by cs02rm0 on Monday 16th February 12:02
Plotloss said:
I've had one since the day it was released.
Cracking phone.
could you expand please plotloss?Cracking phone.
how good is the web browser, does it support 'everything'. how good is it with iplayer, youtube etc?
how good is satnav? i'm hoping for excellent given it'll be google maps based.
are android apps free?
how sturdy is it? i trash phones quite easily as i treat them as a commodity rather than a gadget. i had a brief play in the shop at the weekend and it seemd solidly built whereas i though i would break the xperian's slider before the week was out.
lawrence567 said:
I have the G1 - cracking phone.
Cameras s
te though!
Prefer it to the Iphone - couple of my mates have also got it instead of the Iphone!
& it's cheap on t-mobile!
camera sCameras s
te though!Prefer it to the Iphone - couple of my mates have also got it instead of the Iphone!
& it's cheap on t-mobile!
tnesss is ok, i only use cameraphones when sent on shopping errands to make sure i'm buying the right thing!cheapness is whats winning it over the apple. iphone is £99 + £40/mth for my usage where the g1 would be free and £20ish with my loyalty discount.
shirt said:
Plotloss said:
I've had one since the day it was released.
Cracking phone.
could you expand please plotloss?Cracking phone.
how good is the web browser, does it support 'everything'. how good is it with iplayer, youtube etc?
how good is satnav? i'm hoping for excellent given it'll be google maps based.
are android apps free?
how sturdy is it? i trash phones quite easily as i treat them as a commodity rather than a gadget. i had a brief play in the shop at the weekend and it seemd solidly built whereas i though i would break the xperian's slider before the week was out.
There is a YouTube application that is very good, not sure about iPlayer, dont use it.
Satnav is great on Google Maps either in GPS or Cell Locator mode its not turn by turn however. TomTom/TeleAtlas have struck a deal with Google over mapping data though so I live in home that TomTom for Android will become a reality as thats the only thing I miss from my WM6 phone.
Android applications are free.
I use mine day to day for work based stuff and it doesnt have a scratch on it.
One downside of the G1 how new it is, and also how new Android is, although to be fair it's being developed rapidly by Google.
One example is the lack of multi-touch, despite the ability of both the OS and the G1 hardware to support it, as hackers have shown. There are rumours that this was due to an agreement with Apple, but either way - it's definitely a usability handicap, in comparison with the iPhone.
Another downside is the comparative lack of software in the App Store, although this will presumably improve following the introduction of paid apps (just announced) and with more phones/users.
I'd expect these issues, and more, to be negated once more handsets become available during 2009, and going forwards, Android, handled well, could/should become the dominant smartphone platform. At the moment, though, you are suffering for being an early adopter.
One example is the lack of multi-touch, despite the ability of both the OS and the G1 hardware to support it, as hackers have shown. There are rumours that this was due to an agreement with Apple, but either way - it's definitely a usability handicap, in comparison with the iPhone.
Another downside is the comparative lack of software in the App Store, although this will presumably improve following the introduction of paid apps (just announced) and with more phones/users.
I'd expect these issues, and more, to be negated once more handsets become available during 2009, and going forwards, Android, handled well, could/should become the dominant smartphone platform. At the moment, though, you are suffering for being an early adopter.
Seen the freshly announced HTC phones?
http://www.htc.com/www/
Gentle revision of the current HTC devices in a sexier case and better everything? The Touch HD is VERY good and if you can live within the HTC skinned apps, pretty much everything else is good. It only falls apart when you get to the underlying Windows stuff. But the new models promise better integration.
Lets see, but look sexy. I had a HTC phone and it was good. Gone back to Nokia now, who have some new phones out too by the way.
http://www.htc.com/www/
Gentle revision of the current HTC devices in a sexier case and better everything? The Touch HD is VERY good and if you can live within the HTC skinned apps, pretty much everything else is good. It only falls apart when you get to the underlying Windows stuff. But the new models promise better integration.
Lets see, but look sexy. I had a HTC phone and it was good. Gone back to Nokia now, who have some new phones out too by the way.
Had an extended play with a Nokia 5800 at T5 the other week. Pretty impressed. I have a current S60 range phone and its very good. The newer S60 software in the 5800 is equally as slick and fast. Pretty impressed and does everything that you might need. Only downside is the music manager bit - not sure how that works or what it uses, but assume Nokia proprietary product.
Sony fell down here with their crappy Music Manager software. Its not close to Media Player or iTunes. But other than that the 5800 is a good phone and widely praised. Not the best thing since sliced bread, but cheap, chearful and on good contracts. Try one out at Phones4u or T-mobile shops though.
Sony fell down here with their crappy Music Manager software. Its not close to Media Player or iTunes. But other than that the 5800 is a good phone and widely praised. Not the best thing since sliced bread, but cheap, chearful and on good contracts. Try one out at Phones4u or T-mobile shops though.
mft said:
One downside of the G1 how new it is, and also how new Android is, although to be fair it's being developed rapidly by Google.
One example is the lack of multi-touch, despite the ability of both the OS and the G1 hardware to support it, as hackers have shown. There are rumours that this was due to an agreement with Apple, but either way - it's definitely a usability handicap, in comparison with the iPhone.
Another downside is the comparative lack of software in the App Store, although this will presumably improve following the introduction of paid apps (just announced) and with more phones/users.
I'd expect these issues, and more, to be negated once more handsets become available during 2009, and going forwards, Android, handled well, could/should become the dominant smartphone platform. At the moment, though, you are suffering for being an early adopter.
I just got one this weekend. They seems to have added a lot of apps recently and I gather the multi-touch thing is probably down to Apple patenting it and wanting to charge money for other people to licence it, unless someone thought of it first and the patent gets overturned as "prior art" is demonstrated.One example is the lack of multi-touch, despite the ability of both the OS and the G1 hardware to support it, as hackers have shown. There are rumours that this was due to an agreement with Apple, but either way - it's definitely a usability handicap, in comparison with the iPhone.
Another downside is the comparative lack of software in the App Store, although this will presumably improve following the introduction of paid apps (just announced) and with more phones/users.
I'd expect these issues, and more, to be negated once more handsets become available during 2009, and going forwards, Android, handled well, could/should become the dominant smartphone platform. At the moment, though, you are suffering for being an early adopter.
Turn by turn satnav isn't here yet but there are rumours that Tomtom are going to release for this, Tethering a laptop for internet is at the early stages and i'm currently fiddling with Tetherbot to get it working. You can hack the phone to get a proper wifi solution on it but I want to keep my phone running stock for now - we shall see if they decide to add that functionality in later updates.
Music player is ok but there is a piece of software called "Diggin" being developed for it which looks really good.
The best app i've found so far is Doggcatcher which is a feed reader/podcast downloader. I'm looking for a decent shoutcast player but at the moment they seem to be a bit buggy: ANT player plays the wrong stream when I try and open a saved one, StreamFurios doesn't seem to let me want to add streams manually if you can't search for them on shoutcast.com and everything else wants you to subscribe to some service or other before they will let you use the app.
Meebo is good for IM but doesn't seem to want to save my account names so I have to enter them in when I start it.
There are some cool games on here already, Pacman with tilt control is fun, Tricorder is a total geek out and The Schwartz Unleashed should come in handy when the nokia and iPhone users in the office get their lightsabre apps going.
sadako said:
I just got one this weekend. They seems to have added a lot of apps recently and I gather the multi-touch thing is probably down to Apple patenting it and wanting to charge money for other people to licence it, unless someone thought of it first and the patent gets overturned as "prior art" is demonstrated.
My understanding, although IANAL, is that Apple have patents for some parts of their multi-touch implementation, although not all of it - and not pinch-to-zoom, which is arguably the most important element.They probably didn't want Google to include it on the G1 because:
- it would be the first non-Apple implementation
- the first non-Apple implementation might require Apple to defend their IP, thus testing their patents in court
- it would be awkward for Apple to sue Google, given the close relationship between the two companies
- Apple's multi-touch patents might not actually be that secure
- not suing Google might encourage other manufacturers, and losing obviously would
This is particularly interesting as the forthcoming Palm Pre will definitely include multi-touch, and Apple and Palm have been rattling their sabres of late.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/28/apple-vs-palm-t...
asbo said:
I've just got me the MDA Vario IV from T-Mobile. It's complicated as hell (instruction manual is 317 pages of A4...), but it will do just about anything you could ever imagine. Even makes the tea. Apparently.
couldn't see these in any of the shops in town, though it looks good on the website. 317 pages of instructions sounds like it'd be wasted on me though.tried the g1 and was impressed. browsing was miles better than anticipated and i prefer the keyboard over that on the iphone.
i'd still take iphone purely for the packaging and menus, though for the price i think i'll be getting a g1, especially as its likely to be attract some decent programs in future.
going to ring t-mob when i get chance, it'll be whether i'm tied into a contract that swings it as i've got plenty of reasons to leave them already, though i can be bought!
shirt said:
asbo said:
I've just got me the MDA Vario IV from T-Mobile. It's complicated as hell (instruction manual is 317 pages of A4...), but it will do just about anything you could ever imagine. Even makes the tea. Apparently.
couldn't see these in any of the shops in town, though it looks good on the website. 317 pages of instructions sounds like it'd be wasted on me though.tried the g1 and was impressed. browsing was miles better than anticipated and i prefer the keyboard over that on the iphone.
i'd still take iphone purely for the packaging and menus, though for the price i think i'll be getting a g1, especially as its likely to be attract some decent programs in future.
going to ring t-mob when i get chance, it'll be whether i'm tied into a contract that swings it as i've got plenty of reasons to leave them already, though i can be bought!
I love the G1, it's just the keyboard and awkwardness of it, it has huge potential though.
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