The Morning After: Is The T-Mobile G1 Still Hot?

One day later, we’re still trying to figure out how much we like the new T-Mobile G1, the first phone that’s based on Google’s Android operating system. It’s not an iPhone killer—news flash: nothing will be—but it’s not a total letdown. Some things just make no sense, such as the lack of a headphone jack, while others are pretty nifty, like that compass mode.

The G1, as a whole, is a fine first generation device. The only reason it’s been hyped to the extent that is has is because it’s the first phone that runs on Google Android. If it ran Windows Mobile nobody would give a damn about it. It’s got a touchscreen, which are all the rage these days, but it is a limited one: it’s not multi-touch like the iPhone’s, nor will it ever be. That means no fancy two-finger swipes and wipes.
The phone’s answer to the App Store is the Android Market, where any developer with the will and knowhow can upload programs. There’s no politburo that says you can or cannot upload a program to the Market, which could end up biting Google in the ass. Can you imagine having to navigate though, on your little screen, hundreds of Magic 8 Ball applications? What’s worse: 100 percent control over the content (à la Apple), or a do-whatever-the-hell-you-want attitude, as is Google’s way of doing business. Time, and user feedback, will tell.
Then there’s some of the fine print. It emerged late yesterday that T-Mobile is imposing a 1GB data limit for all 3G connections. (Never mind that 3G is only available in a handful of locations so far.) Once you go past that, it puts the brakes on your wireless Internet access, limiting how fast you can transfer data. Thanks, T-Mobile, really.
Granted, this is all based on the info T-Mobile and Google has sent to the press. And who knows, maybe after using the phone for a bit we’ll be saying how great it is.
For now, though, we’ll say Apple has nothing to fear.
Prove us wrong, T-Mobile and Google.