YouTube clips took quite a while to load via 3G, and quality wasn't the greatest. Though images and audio were synchronised, it was blurry -- but then again we were watching low-res versions since we were on T-Mobile's network instead of on Wi-Fi.
The 3.2-megapixel camera beats the iPhone's 2-megapixel camera, but you can't record video. Worse, there are no camera settings, such as white balance, effects and shooting modes. And taking pictures was a challenge. You have to have a steady hand to get a clear shot, as the slightest movement will result in a blurry image. We took about ten or 12 pictures before we could get a satisfactory shot, and by the end, we were frustrated. Picture quality was mediocre -- objects on the outside had sharp definition but they got soft in the middle. The images also had a yellowish hue.
Performance
Call quality was good and we enjoyed good sound with minimal background noise, though audio was blown out when we set volume to the highest level. Unfortunately, the speakerphone wasn't as pristine. On our end, the voices sounded tinny and garbled at times; meanwhile, our callers said that we sounded far away.
We were impressed by the snappy responsiveness during our testing period, and were happy not to experience any system freezes or crashes. The T-Mobile G1 has a rated talk time of 5 hours and up to 5 days of standby time. On an average day of using the phone, Web, GPS and multimedia applications, we noticed that the battery life dropped anywhere from 40 to 50 per cent.
Conclusion
Despite our complaints, we did come away impressed with the Google Android operating system. There's huge potential for the G1 (and any Android devices that follow) to become powerful minicomputers as developers create more applications for the open platform.
But still, the G1 doesn't quite offer the mass appeal and ease of use as the iPhone, so it won't be a good fit for someone making the jump from a regular mobile to their first smart phone. Power business users also might want to hold off until more corporate support and productivity applications are added. We'd say the T-Mobile G1 is best-suited for early adopters and gadget hounds who love tinkering around and modding their devices.
Edited by Kent German
Additional editing by Marian Smith
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User reviews8
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Tom Disturrbed Jones 6 May 2011
Good: Android, and fast internet
Bad: Out of date Android, slow processor, rubbish Qwerty keyboard and too big.
Comment: My first ever Android phone, I now own a Samsung Galaxy Apollo. I had this phone for a few days, It was an absolute brick to hold, my hand barely fits round it, and not even slightly practical. The android is Android 1.5, which is quite frankly the most out of date Android you can get on a phone. So about 100,000 of the apps on the Android Market automatically won't work, and all you'd want this phone for is Android. Because you might as well look elsewhere if you don't want a phone purely for Android. Slow processor, It's 400+mhz or something, it's very slow and struggles to run the simplest games and apps. My main gripe with this phone is the Qwerty keyboard, I only bought this phone because I knew it had a Qwerty which would help for texting. The buttons are stupid, they stick and are made of rubber so you have to put a hell of a lot of pressure, also you have to open the keyboard to have landscape view, making it extremely difficult to use. This phone on release was worth £400, You can get a Samsung Galaxy S for that price, which has over double the processor and is much better. The good is basically the internet is insanely fast, that would be the only reason I would have kept it, but I decided to upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy instead.
Good: Android, fast internet
Bad: Low Resolution screen, terrible touchscreen, Out of date Android, overpriced, Slow processor, an absolute brick and a horrific Qwerty.
Junaid 'Devs' Bux 29 October 2010
Good: the looks and the QWERTY keyboard
Bad: no standerd 3.5mm head jack
Comment: i want this phone so bad
Carl.W 10 June 2009
Good: Slide out QWERTY keyboard, Cupcake update makes this phone on par with HTC Magic
Bad: Battery life
Comment: I do believe CNET need to re-review this phone now that the Cupcake update has occurred.
The touchscreen is highly responsive, and where I was tempted to get an iPhone, as this phone is massively cheaper and has the luxury of three screens to arrange your favourite apps, it means that the phone is set perfectly for your lifestyle.
I've been waiting and waiting for the right phone that I can live with for 18 months, but a fortnight (two weeks) in I can safely say this will be my phone for longer than that.
The QWRTY keyboard takes a little getting used to if you, like me, have just moved from a conventional key design, but once you do, texting, and emailing is a lot easier.
Every smart phone is suffering from poor battery life when fully used, and the G1 admittedly is no different, but I can survive a whole day without charging, only to do this at home, or at my work's desk.
I love how integrated it all feels. Google are becoming a real competitor in this market and how much longer will we have to wait until we see them compete with the mighty Microsoft for becoming the desktop OS of choice.
I have been an Apple user for the last 5 years, but I can now comfortably say I will be migrating totally to Google in the next few months. The power of mobile phones is a lot more than just making calls nowadays...
Overall, highly delighted with my choice and am comfortable to whip this baby out anywhere and be content that my first smart phone is one of the best on the market.
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