Hands-on with the Google G1 Android Phone

A little while ago I was fortunate enough to be sent a Google G1 to have a play with…

I guess like most people we have all read so much about the new Android phone by Google – simply called the G1. Pictures of the handset to be honest didn’t make me go wow like the iPhone, but being a Google Phone and running a new mobile called Android, I was curious..

First Impressions

On opening the handset – I was was pleasantly surprised about the look and feel of the G1.  I was expecting a brick-like handset, and on putting it in my hand for the first time – it actually felt quite nice.  The screen takes up most of the handset and at the bottom you have four buttons (Pick-up, Home, Back and Hang-up) separated in the middle by the scroll-ball navigation button.  The bottom part of the handset is angled slightly, not sure if I like that?

Set-up

One of the really great things about the Google G1 is the amazing set-up routine.  On entering you Google Account details, within seconds your contacts, emails and calendar are synced with the handset.  Bam you are good to go!  Of course this is all well and good if you already have a Google Account, but then what did you expect?  It is a Google phone after all? 10/10 this is how it should be done – it even beats Apple’s Simple set-up.

Keyboard

I loved the slide-out keypad on the G1, as much as I love my iPhone, you really cannot beat the tactile feedback that you get with a real keyboard.  The thumbboard is a new experience to me, as I have been used to traditional numerical keys. I was always pretty quick with 2 finger text entry on these handsets, and I would imagine that after getting used to the QWERTY keyboard, I think my thumbs would get quick on this.  The buttons seem nicely spaced out, and accessible.

Touch Screen

Of course one of the main selling points of the G1 is its touch screen.  When the handset is closed this is your main form of interaction with the handset, for dialling numbers etc..  It works well in principle, but for some reason doesnt seem as polished as the iPhone touch interface.

Andriod OS

The G1’s operating system called Andriod is pretty slick, I found it very easy to use and to navigate my way around.  It’s not as slick as the iPhones OS but for me it clearly comes 2nd to every other mobile OS out there, with Apple’s OS top.  I really like the customisable ‘desktop’ that you can quickly added shortcuts to your favourite apps and move them around.  It just feels so more less-restrictive than the iPhone, which I like.

Comparison to other mobiles

The image above shows the Nokia N82, Google G1 and Apple iPhone 3G side-by-side. The Nokia N82 is a high-end feature-packed handset, and although it is not a touch-enabled handset its a good reference for how a traditional mobile handset compares to the advanced G1 and iPhone.  The G1 seems like a compromise between traditional phones and the ‘cutting edge’ iPhone.

I tested the browser on all 3 mobiles to see how they compare.  Here are the results of just typing igadgetlife.com into the address bar of each mobile:

The images speak for themselves.

The browser experience on the G1 was really nice, again, it just didn’t seem as polished as the iPhone, especially when it can to panning and zooming.

Conclusion

Unfortunately my time with the G1 was very limited and I didn’t get to test many aspects of the handset, but..

All in all I have to say that I was really pleased with the Google G1, it was so much better than I had expected to feel about it.  Ok it may not be perfect, and nowhere near as polished as the Apple iPhone – but I really think that this is the 2nd product to really shake-up the mobile market – and makes me look at Nokia Handsets disappointedly (Of which I have been a huge fan for years).  Come on Nokia keep up!

The Android OS seems great, the customisable ‘desktop’ is wicked..  The seamless integration with your Google cloud is a dream.  Its just a shame that Google launched with a ‘great phone’ instead of a ‘wow’ phone!

I wonder what the G2 will bring us..

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