First Swedish review of G1

What better way to get a proper review of the G1 than to lend it to a reporter?

Feel free to read the first Swedish review of the Google Android phone T-Mobile G1 at: http://www.mobil.se/ArticlePages/200811/28/20081128115759_MOB313/20081128115759_MOB313.dbp.asp (Swedish only)

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As a response to a comment to the article above I'm posting this image of the back of the phone, see earlier post for more pictures.

One year of waiting - 5 minutes of work

It is now a year ago that I first started coding on the Android platform. While this is the first mobile platform I'm developing on there has been few hurtles during the year, much thanks to the good documentation and other developers on the forums. I have followed the improvements of the SDK with much interest since the initial preview and was delighted when they finally released the source of the platform together with the G1. And now there is something unreal with watching that application on the phone that for so long only has been another window on the computer.

When the SDK first came out, and until the G1 was released, many developers with experience from other mobile platforms complained that you can't develop for a mobile platform without having the physical device to ensure everything works as expected. Today Google proved, for me at least, that everyone that has been skeptical where wrong. Until about an hour ago I have only seen my application in the emulator on the computer. I did expect to get a similar result on the phone but I could not have dreamed of it being this simple.

Here are the 4 steps to get the applicatiton on the phone:
1) Check Settings->Applications->Development->USB debugging
2) Connect the USB
3) Run your project in Eclipse
4) Select the phone from available devices

That's right, it wasn't more to it!

The application is working great on the phone and the only real differences I can identify so far is that I have a touchscreen and not a mouse to work with and that the DPI is much higher. One thing that didn't work straight away however was debugging against the device, but I'm to excited to care about that now.

For the last month I have been using a G1 skin on the emulator and like to give credits to Jeffrey Sharkey for the great skin he has produced, check it out at: http://www.jsharkey.org/blog/2008/10/10/leveraging-the-android-emulator/

One year of waiting is now over and I like to hear what the skeptics should complain about now.

Two of a kind...

The G1 have arrived and I must admit that I'm happily surprised so far.

I don't really like everyone that compares Android with the iPhone. Android is so much more than the iPhone can ever be but since I'm an iPhone user for over a year back and really like that phone it simply is my point of reference.

List of things that I like:
* The size was smaller than I had expected, it's not as wide as the original iPhone (and 3G). It's about the same length but thicker.

* The screen slides away nicely for the keyboard. But the screen can wiggle a little bit when pressing on it.

* It's really responsive, after the 2.0 firmware update I have constantly been irritated on the delay on the iPhone (currently using firmware 2.1).

* The speaker volume is actually loud enough to be used, or so I think.

* The home screen is just great with the customization that can be done.

* USB STORAGE, after a year with the iPhone I didn't really think that I would get access to the storage on the phone by simply puttin in the USB cable. Not having to use a specific program to access my information is just the beginning of what an open handset can offer us.

* Memory card slot, with MicroHDSD now at 16GB there isn't really any reason not to use replaceable cards for all of your media. And why stop with 16GB just bring an other card with you!

* Paying mp3 files, I know I have a friend how love Ogg but I haven't tried those yet. But with the open platform and the ability to replace any program for your own favorite that can hardly be a problem.

The weak list so far:

* No onscreen keyboard, as soon as something should be typed the keyboard has to be opened which can be quite irritating if you using portrait mode.

* The camera is just as bad as the one on the iPhone.

* Smaller screen than the iPhone but the same resolution so Steves "IT'S AMAZING" should be valid for this one also.

Unsettled whether I like or not:

* It uses physical keys for the back navigation and many other functions, going from the iPhone this feels a bit strange but on the other hand it's nice to always have the buttons their and save the screen area.


The final remark after playing with the phone for less then an hour must be that it is a nice product and as Android continues to improve this could very well be the iPhone killer that we untill now have been waiting for.

Finally some comparison shots with the iPhone.

Two G1 please...

At last I have got a confirmation that we will get our hands on two G1:s. It took us just a bit under one month but shortly we should be among the first to get our hands on the handset in Sweden.

I like to thank everyone that has assisted in the hunt for G1:s. This is really great news for the upcoming ADC!

There will be an update when I actually have had them in my hand, until then lets cross our fingers and hope that we will receive them this time around...

A cinema that moves you...

I spend this weekend at HBC's show in Stockholm.

My biggest impression was from the motion programmed easy chairs developed by D-box. While high definition is great there is hard to compare incremental advances against adding a whole new dimension. I cannot help but wondering when we will see this as part of the original movie instead of as an added feature.



In the pictures below you can see some of the setups that was available at the show. There is only when someone has installed multiple projectors which all has been calibrated to the same standard that you really can start to compare them. The same goes for receivers and speakers which they also had an seamless test setup for at HBC.

The secured iPhone...

Have you been worried what your phone might be used for if it got stolen or lost? On my trip to Stockholm this weekend I managed to secure the iPhone so I only could receive phone calls and short SMS. No more worries that someone might call some expensive overseas calls with my phone or that someone should grab my contacts.

The problem with securing the phone to this level is that I was unable to call, check my contacts, get the details about my hotel reservation or do anything else except receiving phone calls and SMS, but that is a small price to pay for the ultimate security - right?

It might not have been my intention to secure the phone while I was traveling but if you like to try for yourself here is what I did.

1) Ensure you have a bunch of programs from the AppStore and some bookmarks and other icons (Cydia perhaps?)

2) Get a train ride or other transport medium which cannot provide a reliable internet connection.

3) Ensure that you can update one of your AppStore applications.

4) Update the application and ensure that the internet connection is interrupted during the process.

5) If you are lucky all of your icons except your bookmarks should have disappeared.

6) Just to sweeten the deal further, neither the bookmarks or the media player should now work, and once someone calls you you should not be able to hang up either.

7) Congratulations you have an iReceiver!