Google Phone: Whaddya Wanna Know?

[Tomsguiderachel]

The T-Mobile G1: Reviews are out, but they didn't answer your burning questions. We will.

Google Phone: Whaddya Wanna Know? : Read more

 

[Guest]

What are the details of the Google's ability to remove applications on the G1. Will Google or T-Mobile be able to 'brick' the phone?

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

[citation][nom]pete4532[/nom]this is a completey worthless article just used to fill space on your page, I am not amused[/citation]
Pete, this is not an article. This is a forum discussion about the Google/T-Mobile G1, which we just received at our offices. I want questions from readers, and this is the only method I have for getting those comments.

Thanks,
Rachel Rosmarin, Editor of Tom's Guide

 

[ilovebarny]

well i want to know how well the touch screen will work. is the interface confusing to use? are programs hard/complicated to access?

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

[citation][nom]idontwantanickname[/nom]What are the details of the Google's ability to remove applications on the G1. Will Google or T-Mobile be able to 'brick' the phone?[/citation]
idontwantanickname,

Great question, and, of course, one that we can't answer by testing the device. I can, however, direct you to articles that point out Google's confession in a Terms of Service document. Google says,"Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement ... in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion." We can access this listing of terms directly from the phone, but you might want to read this article.

It seems to me that Google does have the power to remove applications from the phone. At least it is owning up to that fact. Can it "Brick" the phone remotely? Obviously, T-Mobile can turn off your cellular service, but it is difficult to imagine a scenario where Google would want to brick a phone simply because a user downloaded an app that violates a developer agreement. Apple's solution to this problem is to push out software updates that restore a "jailbroken" phone to factory settings--that's not quite a brick. Perhaps, should a G1 coder create a very popular terms-violating piece of software, Google will consider this same software-updates path.

I'm going to keep my eye on this issue, though.

Thanks,
Rachel Rosmarin, Editor of Tom's Guide

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

[citation][nom]ilovebarny[/nom]well i want to know how well the touch screen will work. is the interface confusing to use? are programs hard/complicated to access?[/citation]
Lots of questions! Here we go:
The touchscreen is very good. There's no multitouch like the iPhone, but for simple scrolling and manipulating it is top-notch.
The interface isn't as simplified and refined as the iPhone's, but I must say that I love the menu button on the G1--you can bring up the menu without leaving behind the app or screen you were using previously. iPhone's home button pulls you away from whatever you were doing and brings you to a full-screen menu.
Programs/apps are easy enough to access--you simply click on them--but one thing I did notice is that the phone is a wee bit sluggish about opening the apps. Just a few seconds delay, but noticeable.

Thanks,
Rachel Rosmarin
Editor, of Tom's Guide

 

[ilovebarny]

how big is it compared to the iphone?

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

[citation][nom]ilovebarny[/nom]how big is it compared to the iphone?[/citation]
The G1 is bigger in almost every dimension, except width (not thickness, but literally how wide the phone is)--the iPhone 3G is about 1CM wider. An interesting thing to note, though, is that while the iphone is completely flat, the G1 angles in at the bottom to sort of cradle your face while you talk on it (sort of like an open flip phone, but less "bend."). I haven't noticed people talking about this slight angle, but it definitely adds comfort to talking on the phone.
Thanks,
Rachel

 

[daemonion]

Hi Rachel,

Can you give me the top 3 loves/likes and top 3 dislikes/annoyances you have with the G1?

Thanks!

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

Like:
-the industrial design/sturdiness/ruggedness of the slide-out keyboard. Nice mechanism.
-the notification taskbar that's always on the top of every screen, and tells you when any app (e-mail, voicemail, calendar etc.)needs to inform you about an event. Wish my iPhone reminded me about stuff so visually on every screen.
-The general flexibility of Android as a platform/integration with all of the other Google product I rely on every day (Calendar, Gmail, Reader, etc.)

Dislike:
-the way the security feature for locking the phone (a certain finger-swipe patter than you create to unlock the phone) only lets you try to swipe 3 times before it locks you out.
-the flatness of the keys on the keyboard--I can barely feel them when I type.
-No Headphone jack! You have to use a mini-USB adapter or something. I guess this isn't a real music phone like the iPhone, but you should be able to plug in some headphones, at least.

Rachel Rosmarin
Editor of Tom's Guide

 

[daemonion]

How easy is it to put Android apps on the device?

Are apps easily found using a filtering/browsing store-like feature? Do they automatically install? Is there a rating system or anything like it?

Thanks again.

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

Sadly, there aren't too many apps yet. There is a five star rating system, and it looks like all of the apps so far are free. You can leave comments/reviews for each app and read others. There are lifestyle/productivity/shopping/tools,etc. as categories to browse. Games aren't treated as a category, their almost their own little mini-store. You can search using keywords.

I'm trying to download and install PacMan right now. It says "Your Item will be downloaded." I'm supposed to check back when it is done...there's a tab on the app store for downloads. PacMan is listed there as installed...I'm opening it...and I'm in the game! That was super easy and fast! Granted it was only a 1MB game....When I open the handset's keyboard it pauses the game. That's convenient.

 

[daemonion]

In my opinion - the iPhone's "wow" factor has a lot to do with how seamless it looks and feels. I think a lot of this is the transitions between different apps and features.

How does the G1 transitions between apps? How about going from portrait to landscape? Does it feel smooth, or a little laggy?

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

As I said in an earlier comment, its a little bit sluggish when opening apps and moving between them. It isn't terrible, but it isn't as fast as the iPhone. The accelerometer, or whatever mechanism controls the portrait/landscape function, is nearly as smooth as the iPhone's, but perhaps a little bit slower...

 

[Guest]

What I liked most on an iPhone is how nicely the UI is integrated. It feels like a phone, acts like a phone, not like a PDA like Windows Mobile. When you think "hey, it would be nicer if this feature is here", chances are it is already there (e.g. you can search a restaurant on the "Map" and create a contact easily with phone number, URL and other extras with one tap)

How is G1 in this sense?

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

I would say that the G1 is on par with the iPhone, if not better than the iphone when it comes to this type of integration. But only if you're already a Google-head. If you rely on Google Calendar, Gmail, Google Maps (not to mention Google Docs, Google Reader, Picasa, Google Chat, etc.) this phone integrates them all better than the iPhone does--with the iPhone its a bit of a hamstrung job, you can't edit your Google Calendar on iPhone, etc.

But if you're not married to Google's many products, this won't impress you much.

 

[daemonion]

Not sure if you can answer this question ...but is it easy to import Outlook contact info to google calendar?

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

Daemonio--do you mean easy to import Outlook contact info to Google Calendar in general, or directly from the G1? I don't think it is possible to do it on the G1. From Outlook, however, it is easy since Outlook uses CSV files--here are the instructions: http/www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=83126&topic=15286

 

[daemonion]

I'm a Windows Mobile user - and all of my contacts, events, etc is all synced with Outlook. I just wanted to make sure that I could switch all of that over to Google's proprietary software so I wouldn't have to manually input all of my contact/event information. Thanks for the link!

So, another question. In your opinion, how easy is it to search for information on the fly? For example: movie times, nearby mexican food, get directions, weather, stocks, etc.

I'm trying to compare this to Windows Mobile's Live Search feature. You basically load up a program where you put in your city/area, and then can one or two-click search for movie times, nearby restaurants, gas prices, pull up a map, etc. It isn't seamless by any means, but it works.

How is "on-the-go" information gathering on the G1? Easy? Tedious? Too many "clicks?"

 

[Tomsguiderachel]

[citation][nom]daemonion[/nom]I'm a Windows Mobile user - and all of my contacts, events, etc is all synced with Outlook. I just wanted to make sure that I could switch all of that over to Google's proprietary software so I wouldn't have to manually input all of my contact/event information. Thanks for the link!So, another question. In your opinion, how easy is it to search for information on the fly? For example: movie times, nearby mexican food, get directions, weather, stocks, etc.I'm trying to compare this to Windows Mobile's Live Search feature. You basically load up a program where you put in your city/area, and then can one or two-click search for movie times, nearby restaurants, gas prices, pull up a map, etc. It isn't seamless by any means, but it works.How is "on-the-go" information gathering on the G1? Easy? Tedious? Too many "clicks?"[/citation]
Like Apple, Google will be relying on application developers to provide some of this location-based and time-sensitive goodness. Today, there doesn't seem to be a great all-in-one app for doing all the things you mentioned. I'm sure the app store will improve over time. What you're talking about is a sort of "deck" or dock that most traditional phone users get from their carriers. That's what a nicely pruned selection of apps is supposed to do. On the iPhone, it is generally one click for each of these tasks: movie times, nearby restaurants, gas prices, map (well, you have to enter an address so multiple clicks). I assume at some point it will be the same for G1. It already has the map. Now we need Yelp and other location apps for G1. Speaking of location based services, I haven't yet tried the GPS on the G1. That's because I've been inside all day writing back to all of you The GPS does not lock on indoors. I will try it later.

Rachel