The T-Mobile G1 officially goes on sale Oct. 22, but reviews are already flooding in. Early reviews are polarized, with some signaling the first Google Android-based device is a true iPhone challenger, others calling it an iPhone rip-off, and still others expressing overall disappointment.
The G1 touts touchscreen functionality, a QWERTY keyboard, and a Google-centric mobile Web experience. Google-centric means the phone comes fully loaded with Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube and other popular Google software familiar to PC users.
“Whether or not you would want this phone is going to depend a lot on whether or not you are a Google customer and make use of tools like Gmail and Google Calendar,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy at Jupitermedia. “If you don’t, this is probably not the device for you.”
For Heavy Google Users Only
Prices for the G1 start at $179 for some existing T-Mobile customers with a two-year voice and data agreement. T-Mobile has 1.5 million preorders for the device basically sight unseen. Analysts said these are most likely from early adopters who buy up new tech in a hurry, as well as T-Mobile customers looking to upgrade to a touchscreen without switching carriers.
The smartphone offers some user-friendly features and Google Web enhancements. Users can search with the touch of a finger, and a full HTML Web browser displays any Web page the way it was designed to be seen — and any section can be zoomed in by tapping on the screen.
But, Gartenberg said, if you aren’t a Google customer — or if you don’t plan on becoming one — this phone won’t be as user-friendly as it seems.
“In fact, you have to have a Google account just to use the device. If your calendar and contacts are not up on the cloud, there’s no…