T-Mobile Google Android G1: The Top 10 Disappointments
Many omissions, shortcomings and flat-out disappointments are apparent in Google's first foray into the mobile phone market. Here are our top ten.
Thu, September 25, 2008
PC World — It's no surprise that when T-Mobile's G1 phone debuted, critics were quick to compare it with Apple's iPhone and RIM's Blackberry. But it's not just the brand that's sour about the G1 -- many omissions, shortcomings and flat-out disappointments are apparent in Google's first foray into the mobile phone market. Here are my top ten:
10. Multi-Touch MIA
A small oversight, but those familiar or in love with Apple's innovative multitouch interface will groan when they discover the same feature isn't present on the G1.
9. Accelerometer Quirk
The G1 includes an accelerometer, but it functions only when the keyboard flips out, not by tilting the device. So if you want to surf the Web in widescreen, you must first double the size of your phone. Cosmetic differences such as this could spell selling point or a walk-away.
8. Uninspiring Interface
While it's not the ugliest kid on the block, the G1 interface doesn't "wow" in any way. Watch CNET's walk-through video and see how it's fine, but not quite what you'd expect from HTC's innovation and coming from under the shadow of Apple's obsessive aesthetics.
7. No Video Recording
You'd think HTC would pack in some video recording capabilities with that 3.2-megapixel camera. It didn't, forgoing a unique opportunity to beat Apple at its own game -- the iPhone does not support video recording either. If they'd sneaked in that feature, some of the G1's other shortcomings would be more tolerable. As is, the newcomer is playing par for the course and not challenging mobile phone conventions.
6. Battery Life Lacking
Talk-time on the G1 is standard: five hours. But the phone's stand-by time is a raging disappointment: the G1 can sit still for only 130 hours, compared to the iPhone's 300. And I thought my iPhone's battery was inadequate; this is almost unacceptable. So keep your charger handy, because you'll need it.
5. Skimpy Storage
The G1 comes standard with 1GB of storage with an optional 8GB Micro-SD add-on. Eight GB might sound like a decent number, but with competitors handling as much as 16GB built-in, the G1 becomes more of a money suck.
4. Stingy Data Cap
Google on the go -- but with a hard stop at 1GB. T-Mobile quietly announced a 1GB data cap on the G1. So even though the G1 is roughly $380 cheaper than the iPhone, the iPhone offers "unlimited" data connectivity. Moderate to heavy data users will plow through T-Mobile's 1GB cap in no time at all, leaving them with 50Kbps, or an EDGE connection. This is not so much a problem with the phone itself, but T-Mobile's stinginess is tied to the G1 and impossible to ignore.
