After many false starts and carrier setbacks, the first phone supporting the Google Android platform -- the T-Mobile G1 -- has been unveiled. Sporting a touch screen (or slide out keyboard), push Gmail and an applications store, the G1 sounds an awful lot like another phone bearing the 'G' moniker.
After many false starts and carrier setbacks, the first phone supporting the Google Android platform -- the T-Mobile G1 -- has been unveiled.
The list of features includes:
- HSDPA 1700 / 2100 plus quadband EDGE- WiFi
- 3D graphics acceleration
- 1GB integrated storage plus microSD expansion
- 3-megapixel camera (beats out the 2MP on the iPhone)
- Android Market for on-device app purchases
- Amazon MP3 app for on-device music purchases
- Push Gmail support with full HTML client
- Bluetooth
- Google Maps with Street View (admittedly cool)
- Keyboard in addition to touch screen
What's not there:
- No Microsoft Exchange support
- No desktop synchronization
- A2DP
The G1 will offer music, available through Amazon and it's own version of an application store ("Android Marketplace"). Based on what we know thus far about the G1, that's about where the comparison ends with the iPhone.
At first glance, the G1 appears clunky and heavy - though admittedly it is carrying a slide-out keyboard -- the iPhone doesn't -- which could account for some of the heft. There will likely be sleeker incarnations in the future as other carriers come on board.
Linux and Google fans may flock to the G1 but I suspect that some will holdout for a slicker piece of hardware and wait to see what other carriers offer in terms of plans and coverage. The support of the development community will be key too to help create cool and innovative applications which leverage the Android platform and SDK.
Over time, one could reasonably expect that the form factors of the devices themselves should be fairly comparable. The question will then be which approach (e.g., Apple, Google Android, etc) proves more cost-effective and less thorny from a consumer point-of-view.
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