Initial Thoughts on Android and the G1 Smartphone

I spent the day yesterday at the New Business for News Summit and played a bit with the Google (GOOG) G1 Smartphone I got the day before. For those who want to know, it is a loaner and I am not using it as a phone yet. I am still carrying around my trusty Blackberry Curve (made by RIMM).

 
I Got My Android G1
Originally uploaded by fredwilson.

So here are some thoughts:

1) Keyboard - I love the sidekick style keyboard. I used a sidekick for almost a year and it's a fantastic user experience. The keys are not as tactile as a Blackberry and I think the Blackberry keyboard is better, but the G1 keyboard is just fine. If you can't use an iPhone (AAPL) (like me) because of the touch keyboard, this will work fine for you.

2) The Browser - Way better than the Blackberry but not anywhere near the iPhone's browser. I kept trying the pinch gesture in the browser. They need that big time.

3) App Market - Really nice. Great experience. A surprising amount to choose from.

4) Installing Apps from the Browser - A big win. I installed Twitroid via a browser download. It worked just fine. This is the value of an open phone versus a closed phone (iPhone).

5) Gmail and Gcal - As you might expect, these Google apps work perfectly on a Google phone. I forward all my Outlook mail to Gmail and I use Google calendar synch to keep my Gcal and Outlook calendar synched up. I don't yet have a good solution for getting my Outlook contacts to Google but I think my friend Charlie pointed Bijan to one yesterday that I'll try out. Of course the right thing for me to do is just move to Google apps and leave Outlook and if I stick with this phone, I'll do that.

6) Battery Life - I don't think my battery was completely charged yesterday morning so take this with a grain of salt, but by noon the battery was dead. My Blackberry goes all day on an overnight charge.

7) Twitroid - The best non-iPhone twitter app I've ever used. One thing I'd love is "saved searches" since I search on certain words all the time in twitter.

That's about it for now. I didn't really get into the phone yesterday so these are my initial reactions. I'll play with it some more and get back to you all with a more exhaustive review.

I'll end by saying that Android is a great mobile OS, certainly in the same class as the iPhone OS, and way better system than Windows mobile. I can't speak of Symbian because I've not really used it. Blackberry is still the simplest and most powerful OS for a hardcore business user, but Android is close and will only get better. And because of the open source/open hardware model that Google has adopted, we are likely to see a huge number of hardware configurations for this OS in the coming years. Android's a winner in my book.

Comments

[sbjforever:]

Your piece should be headlined and end with what it begins: :for someone who can't use an iPhone touch keyboard. That said, for the tens of millions of others who are perfectly happy with iPhone touch typing, indeed, would never ever go back to a keyboard, it can be disregarded.

2008 Oct 24 11:52 AM

[bobthenoob:]

Another blogger spewing misinformation...

"4) Installing Apps from the Browser - A big win. I installed Twitroid via a browser download. It worked just fine. This is the value of an open phone versus a closed phone (iPhone)."

RIMM is in fact copying iPhone on this capability to download directly from the App store.

2008 Oct 24 12:15 PM

[GSlusher:]

Re: "open" phones & installing applications. The "open" model for the Android phones also means that it will be very easy to write and propagate viruses, worms, spyware and other nefarious "applications." Will you have to load anti-virus software on your phone and wait as it checks every email? Will you have to periodically reinstall the software because it has slowed down from the overload of malware?

Other problems could arise from poorly-written software. Some application may cause the phone to crash or, like one game that I used on my Palm TX, to turn the device back on (full operation) after you think that you've turned it off, running the battery down.

2008 Oct 24 02:00 PM

[jmmx:]

Why would anyone buy a Google phone? Even if it is considered equivalent to iPhone (which one can argue it is not).
1- Hate Apple - ok some people feel that way 5%
2- Gotta have a keyboard - ok 20%
3- Want to save $5 per month - ok 5%

Apple now owns 50% (or more) of the smartphone market (they sold more units last quarter than did RIMM. Other than the reasons above, why would anyone want to buy a smartphone other than iPhone, which is much more elegant, and already has 5000 apps in a secure, easy to use environment that is integrated with its media browser/store?

Basically, G1 will compete *for the most part* with RIMM. Just as in music players, there will be those who buy the iPhone, and those who buy other products. We have seen with the iPods, that Apple maintains a share (actually growing world wide) and new entries compete with the other players. So it will be with the iPhone, and they will be able to keep their price point.

Yes, they will take some market share from Apple - but not that much.

2008 Oct 24 02:06 PM

[golfdoc:]

my brother is very happy with his iphone, says the apps are only getting better. i looked at the G1, don't like the look at all. i'm sure it will take some market share away from RIMM though. i'm hoping apple will bring back the aluminum cover for christmas, then i'm ready to give myself a stocking stuffer.

2008 Oct 24 04:00 PM

[iJah420:]

GSlusher

In the back of my head I knew someone was going to bring this very point up. I feel it (Malware , Virus etc..) is being TOTALLY overlooked by the open source community. GSlusher Thanks for opening this discussion. I feel a forum needs to be opened on this very serious subject. Apple was and still is BASHED for keeping their OS locked down. I feel AAPL was and is smart to play this card due to their understanding of the serious threat that hackers pose to a platform and it acceptance.

ijah420 says Apple has their $%^& together and the others are climbing a 12 pitch roof smothered with Vaseline. ;)

2008 Oct 24 04:56 PM

[KenC:]

It must be the Sidekick experience that you have, because I found having to slide open the keyboard every time I wanted it to go landscape to be annoying. Didn't you find that annoying? And, the inconsistency in the UI from app to app was strange. That bothered me too. Then again, I only played with it for 5 mins.

2008 Oct 25 01:10 AM

[mollytjm:]

i still favor an OS that is safe from viruses and harder to hack...the iPhone has the Apple OS. it's code is so tight (which is why Mac programs are smaller than PC programs) that it gives great virus protection without having to purchase an antibiotic or worry about what email you can open.

i got an iphone a couple weeks ago and the touch keyboard is different...took a couple days to get use to it, but now it's much faster than the old keypad type.

the screen resolution is amazing. i play mahjong on it and worried about being able to see the tiles, but i just pinch the set up bigger and it's great. and the apps... whew! i already had some free books loaded on it and reading them is a pleasure and easy on the eyes too.

there's room for multiple players in the smartphone game...but i think the iphone will continue to grab market share. the others will steal share from each other.

2008 Oct 25 10:36 AM

[well:]

not impressed, and as for competing with rim, i would much rather go for a storm than this device, especially if it concerns business. rim is more secure they have their own data center, battery is removable, packed with features.usable worldwide. with the options we already have on the market google is a little late.

2008 Oct 26 10:22 AM

[dj illa:]

i am currently using the motorola krave and feel like it blows other phones away. What makes it unique to me is the fact that it is also a flip, AND i can access the flip from the from of the phone without flipping it open. Has anyone else got to use one yet? motorola.com/krave

2008 Oct 28 04:34 PM