The First ‘Google Phone’ Has Arrived
Move over, iPhone. The Google phone has arrived. T-Mobile has partnered with Google to launch the G1, which is the first phone to feature Google’s Android software. As you may have guessed, Android makes the phone function very similarly to the iPhone.
Like the iPhone online store, the Android Market is full of free applications and widgets developed by programmers around the world. A big difference between Google and Apple though is that Google will allow open submissions to its store instead of turning away programs it deems inconsistent with its mission.
Critics cite the G1’s biggest improvement over the iPhone as being the Menu button that pulls up a panel of large buttons of functions that relate to what you’re doing. For PC fanatics, it’s the equivalent of a right-click button on a computer mouse.
As would be expected with version 1.0 of this phone, there are many small glitches, but these are expected to be ironed out quickly. Some bright points though are picture messaging, voice dialing and the option to turn any song into a ringtone. Additionally, as a Sidekick phone, the screen pops open with a small keyboard underneath.
Though the G1 isn’t as streamlined or beautiful as the iPhone, soon enough Androids will expand into a variety of formats and networks. Finally, adopters looking for an iPhone alternative have some viable options.
Tags: Android, Google, t-mobile, Technology
October 28th, 2008 at 12:35 am
So the wave of more directly focused follow-up products begins. It will be very interesting to see what other companies come out with in answer to the iPhone, continuing the curve of the “smart” phone wave that Palm/Handspring started (at least on a larger scale) what seems now like a long time ago. Until a company hits as many marks as the iPhone, I’ll be surprised if anyone else has as much success, but at least now everyone and their dog expects to have smartphone features.