Industrial design

The first thing that strikes you about the G1 design is its... well, surprising lack of "design." In a world filled with shiny silver / black sticks, and consumed by an unhealthy competition to be the absolute thinnest, the G1 stands out with its decidedly trend-bucking, quirky styling. That's not to say there's nothing to love here -- quite the opposite. The device bares a kind of charming, retro-future look; like a gadget in a 1970's sci-fi movie set in the year 2038. The smooth, round edges make the phone seem eminently approachable, and HTC (and design partner Google) forgo single-button simplicity for functionality, dotting the phone with all manner of hardware controls. One thing that's clear is that the phone isn't trying to break any dieting records -- but while the G1 isn't super-thin, the thickness is by no means a deal breaker. At 0.62 inches it hardly measures up to standards set by similar devices like the iPhone 3G (0.48 inches) or not-so-similar (yet venerable) RAZR V3 at 0.55 inches closed, but it won't have any trouble sliding into your pocket. Getting it to slide into your heart, however, is strictly going to be a matter of taste; this form factor definitely inspires strong feelings.
Flipping out the screen -- which slides along an odd, curved hinge -- reveals the keyboard. The mechanism the hinge is built on is fairly robust, allowing you to whip the screen out and up when you nudge it with your thumb. At first we felt like we were going to snap the thing off, but it's clear that HTC intended this to be used quite roughly. Overall the effect is positive, though when not in use the screen has a little squeaky give, a looseness, that we found annoying -- it's particularly noticeable when the phone vibrates and you get a little rattle.

On the keyboard side, the physical layout here is generous to say the least. Clearly a lot of thought went into making this QWERTY usable, and usable it is. While the keys aren't especially raised against the backing (in fact, they're nearly flush), they are fairly responsive and widely spaced, making two-handed typing a breeze. The placement of the "chin" does get in the way of speed typing at first, but once we figured out how to avoid over-extending our right hand to get to certain keys, it became less of a problem. Alternate key characters are distributed in a reasonably sensible fashion, and you're provided with another "menu" key on the left side, though we rarely found occasion to use it. We had a little bit of re-learning to do going back to physical input after using the iPhone, but once you get the hang of it, this keyboard makes dealing with lots of email or IM sessions a breeze. Our biggest gripe on input? The keyboard is the only way to interact with text on the phone. If you need to send a quick SMS, you have to get the keyboard out. This can be an incredible pain sometimes, and we're hoping that some enterprising coder comes along and gives Android (and the G1) an alternate virtual keyboard -- it would be a tremendously helpful alternative.
Battery life

We haven't yet run an all-out, scorched-earth standby torture test, but we can tell you that we got about 11 hours and 21 minutes of life running the media player on shuffle while connected to a 3G network with WiFi turned off. No calls were made or received during that time.

Thanks engadget (engadget.com)

I bought this phone after losing a series of other phones. Dumb move to spend so much money on something I have a good chance of losing? Definitely, but I'm young and reckless, which makes such irrational decisions almost necessary.

So far, I have had three models of your basic $20 or free upgrade phone, a T-Mobile Dash, a friend's Sidekick, and a different friend's HTC Fuze (he was understandably upset when I lost his). The Dash and the Fuze were both Windows phones. There was standard customization that comes with any phone, and being able to run Windows Office programs was nice, but the phones were incredibly slow. Because I didn't have the internet enabled on the Sidekick, it couldn't reach its full potential; however, I have heard terrible things about them breaking and was constantly worried about dropping it, and I was only able to set one alarm (a nightmare when you take birth control).

After spilling water on my otherwise indestructible phone, I decided to spend money on something I would take care of. One of my friends had a G1 that he cared for like a baby. He could talk all day and all night about how wonderful it is if you'd let him. I figured a phone this good must be worth trying out.

The G1 is an Android phone, which is basically all the customization ability of Linux without the awkward programming part. As long as you're good about deleting your messages before they get in the thousands, the phone runs very well. I'm not yet able to put the schedule for all my employees on there, but I haven't looked for a scheduling app. The phone is a little bulky, but I prefer the ease of a tangible keyboard to the uncertainty of a touch-screen. The Android market has thousands of free apps, so you'll never get bored. It gets 3G service, which makes web browsing easy.

All in all, this is a wonderful phone, and I definitely recommend it.

Although now outdated, this was the pioneer of Android phones - the first of its kind. And what a change it made on the market. A couple years after there's dozens of Android devices on the market, with more added every month - all thanks to the G1.

I've had both the T-Mobile G1 and the Rogers Dream and to be honest I liked the Dream a bit better (the keyboard seemed better and it didn't freeze as much). No matter how you look at it, if this is your first Android phone you are in for a real treat.

As far as hardware, it is lacking with a poor camera (even though it's 3 MP the quality is poor at best), an inconvenient location for the loudspeaker, and a pretty poor battery life. Despite all these disadvantages, it is still a great phone with an excellent display, the best OS going, and one of the few Android phones with a full QWERTY keyboard - a real life-saver for me.

Highly recommended if you want Android but can't afford the higher-class devices.

T-Mobile G1 features a full QWERTY keyboard, 3G support, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. The Google Android operating system offers good integration with Google applications as well as access to the Amazon MP3 Store and YouTube. As more applications become available, the G1 will also become a more powerful smartphone for all types of users. BUT G1 doesn't include a standard heaphone jack and lacks Microsoft Exchange support. There are some annoying design quirks that make the smartphone uncomfortable to hold and difficult to use. You can't save downloaded applications to a memory card. Speakerphone quality wasn't the greatest.

The G1 Android is by far, one of the best cell phones on today’s market.
It is fully customizable and has a lot of built in features. The GPS, WiFi and Google maps are beyond comparison. This phone is just like having a “mini-computer” with you at all times, and it has the capability to even access your home PC or Laptop…. The Android Market has thousands of applications to download for Free, so it is limitless as to what this phone can do. The slide out keyboard is very comfortable to use; making browsing the web typing e-mails, and texting, very easy . The Best of Both worlds, with the built in touch screen and keyboard.
The only down side to this phone is the limited memory, which is ample enough for the average user. The Battery life depends on the use of the phone and applications being used, a back- up battery and car charger is recommended.
I would rate this phone a 9.5 out of 10, and reccomend it to anyone. There are many trying to copy this phone but few are even coming close!

This is my third android G1 phone I bought. I really love this smartphone, is very nice on apareance, it have everything you need from a PDA, incluiding phone. You have very much apps free to download, from finance, comunications, health, comic, entertainment, etc. For me, Android is the best Mobile Operanting System and the G1 has a very useful qwerty keyboard. The only complaint I have with this phone, is that you have to register with a Google account.

Setting aside that this device does not sync directly with Outlook (you need separate third party software or accept that your contact list become public), this Google-centered device is just plain awesome. I have always been a Windows Mobile user, and must confess that this operating system and all the apps are lighter and faster and BETTER than those I found for Win Mobile. navigating and using this device is extremely easy and intuitive. What I would change on this device.....include a standard miniplug for earphones (the HTC wierd mini-usb odd shaped connector just plain sucks and is uncomfortable). The unit I purchased already had a screen protector: make sure you put one of these on your G1 to protect it and help keep it smudge-free (you can clean it constantly without damaging the screen). All else said, this is one of the best cell phones I have come across. I guess I am now hooked on Androids!

After 5 years, my Razr finally gave up the ghost and I needed to get a new cell phone. I bought this "Developer" edition G1 and since it was never "locked", I am using it on AT&T and it works fine. But I can not use 3G(difference between AT&T and T-Mobile carrier service), only"the Edge". That's ok by me. Love the GPS feature too.
This is a Black edition and with my Black Seidio case, it looks very cool on my belt.
I bought and use a 2680mAh extended battery($13 shipped) and would recommend you do too.It comes with the back cover as well. The OEM battery doesn't last very long if you are using a lot of the G1 features.
Overall, I LOVE this Black G1. It is my first "smartphone" NO WAY did I want a "BB". I LOVE the ANDROID platform.

Do some research and watch some reviews online, that's what convinced me to get the G1.

If you are eligible for a new phone or can sign a new contract, you'll probably find a better Android phone by shopping retailers, there are good deals out there. But if you're like me and can't do that right now, the G1 can do everything you want it to.

Pros:
Good web browsing, all around good phone capabilities, great screen, nice touch sensitivity, GPS navigation built in. W/ bluetooth headphones i use it as my media player (Pandora while jogging or driving), use GPS to track my jogging distance/time. TONS of great applications out there, fun games, etc.

Cons:
Battery life. If you're like me and use the phone all day long, then just like an iPhone it will die after a few hours of heavy use. I got an extended battery that you can find on Ebay for pretty cheap, it's lasting me much longer. Buying used can also get you a worn out battery, might as well get a new one anyways, they're cheap!

The g1 is a product that seems like a must have given all the free applications and cool things that you can do with this phone. I've had mine for about 6 months now and you can definitely tell that there are some pro's and some con's. First, lets start with the pros. The G1 uses t-Mobile's Android service and uses the Android market. The market is filled with hundreds of really useful and good applications. My most used are Maps, Music, Youtube, eBay (of course), and the Weather channel. It is really like having a computer with you. There are cons, of course. First, when you text, you either have to open the keypad, which I actually don't do a lot, because I don't type a lot in my messages, or use the on screen touch messaging tool. This can be good or bad. It is very hard to type using that, however, if you get remotely close to the word that you are trying to type, it gives suggestions that are easy to click. You can pretty much send a message through that one tool alone. A bad thing about the G1 is the battery is TERRIBLE...only if you actually use the phone. If you can go a while without using the touch screen, wifi, gps, or a number of other things that drain the battery, then you can probably go about 3 days without a charge, however, if you are a big texter, or use the apps a lot like I do, you can only go a few hours without a charge, about 6 hours or so depending on usage. One thing I hate about the G1 is that sometimes the screen just literally disappears. It is usually when I turn the phone on, I can't get to my homescreen, because it is taking too long to respond so they closed it (many things take too long to respond). I then am forced to shut the phone and turn it back on, a process that takes about 5 minutes each time. Lastly, the camera is horrible and not what I expected from an expensive phone like this. If I were to recommend this phone, I would say you should try for the new MyTouch instead. My co-worker just got one and he loves it.

It was a excellent phone that was able to run Android 2.2 (Froyo) once rooted. Its perfect for use with WIND Mobile (Canada) and Mobilicity (Canada).

The qwerty keyboard is really nice too. This is one of the best phones I've had so far.

Great PHONE if your looking for a AWS one (1700/2100 bands). 8/10

I have now washed and trashed 2 smart phones this year and the G1 I just bought is hopefully the best of both. I started with the Nokia Express Music with the gps navigation built in. It did not have a querty keyboard and the touch screen was not capacitivly coupled and so it was hard to type (for me). I liked the built in gps (no need for data plan). I then bought a blackberry edge phone. I liked the full querty keyboard and was a little more format friendly with the movies I converted for it, but the screen was a little small. I then decided to try the G1. I had to borrow my friends sim card to activate it (since I don't have a data plan, and he helped me hack the os (cyanogenmod.com) and now the only thing I'm missing is an app that will use the gps without a data plan. I love the keyboard and I love the touch screen. I am surrounded by wifi at work and home so I have set it up to connect and I can sync with my gmail account, calendar and contacts. I also run a program at work to sync my Outlook appointments with gmail so I get all of my work meetings in my phone as well. Great phone! My favorite yet.

It's not just a cellphone. This device is an interactive web, entertainment, productivity device. With the built in software you can access the web with google's android browser, listen to music, watch videos, take pictures or video, access google maps/navigator, etc... There is also google's app store which allows you to download a vast array of software to add additional features to the phone's repertoire, lots of which are free. The only downfall is the lack of built in memory, as most of the apps use the phone's internal memory and with so many apps it's easy to run out of memory. Regardless of this one downfall I believe this is a great entry level smart phone.

After more than a week with the G1 I can review it.
Before of it I had an iPhone 2G. for 2G user the 3G is the most noticeable advantage.
However, as an operating system even after hacking and tweaking, Android is much more unfriendly than iPhone OS. those phones was designed to IT/computer folks/gadget-whores and the main problem I've found is with inconsistent GUI.
A few days after using the G1 you get the hang of it. once you start enjoying the physical keyboard and understanding the workflow it can become an ok+ phone.
Another thing you can be relaxed is the browser. for iPhone users you won't feel that bad with the new browser. it's a little different but it still gives you great mobile experience.

Pros:
- 3G (for 2G user it's a true upgrade).
- Open Operating system allowing much more tweaking
- great hacking community
- SD slot
- Nice screen

Cons:
- ExtUSB is an headache for headset (didn't get headset with it and waiting for a converter)
- Battery Drains REAL fast when push used. (I get 0.7 days from it :( )
- Smartphone - still Phone is just another thread slowed if the phone has other tasks

To sum it up: for a used phone with a nice price it gives you a lot. especially in a time of transition to Snapdragon 1Ghz processors that would really make a difference. but if you want a gadget till then...
this one is a nice bang for the buck.

Phone has everything I want and more. Good selection of free and paid apps easily available. Real keyboard is far easier for me to use than the on-screen keyboards. I tried an on-screen keyboard for a year and wanted a real keyboard so much I bought this in mid-contract. I found only two problems. First, you can't initiate a phone call from your bluetooth headset. The unit has voice dialing but you can't just push a button on your bluetooth to use it. Second, all those apps and services running concurrently drain the battery pretty fast. Of course there are at least 3 ways to recharge the battery. From a computer's usb port, using a wall charger, and using a car charger. Phone works as a fairly good GPS but if you use it that way I'd suggest having it plugged into the car charger. It's not perfect but it's the best phone I've ever had.

Amazing machine. I love the Android market and touch screen. Processor is a little slow at time. But awesome, inexpensive phone

G1 has a touch screen and a qwerty keyboard for those that want to have the accessibility to both functions. What I dislike about this product is the fact that you MUST create a gmail account in order to access and activiate it fully. Additionally, if the phone were ever dropped and the SD card door were to break, the phone would no longer read as if there were an SD inside because of the locking mechanism the cover and piece inside do.

this product is great. I already had a G1 but it was white the only reason I changed it is because I wanted the black G1 this phone in my opinion is the best phone TMobile has to offer. I have tried other phones and they do not compare

This is truly one of the best ones out there for T-mobile and awesome for the price! The lines are well cut and curved, feeling even better in the hand. The touch screen and QWERTY were icing on the cake! Keyboard is relatively spaced out and lit up-making texting and e-mail easier and faster. Could use a little more straightforward interface, and that little chin at the bottom is truly annoying, otherwise a great phone for your texting and mobile mailng

I have a black one this phone is not as complicated as it seems pretty easy to operate. The applications are great there lots of free downs available from android. The G1 also has a very cool pattern lock feature for ultimate security. Nice size screen for viewing web pages. I would also suggest that if you buy the G1 buy the plastic shell it not the gel one it really protects the phone.

First let me say I LOVE THIS PHONE! The problem is the assembly that slides the keyboard out and the motherboard of the phone. I got my first g1 and the slider stopped working correctly after a couple days use. so i opened the phone up and fixed the slider! Yay! Only problem was the phone is not assembled very well. I dont know how HTC puts these things together.... but i was on the last paper thin ribbon cable(flex cable) when the cable would not go in. After an hour of paitently trying to put the cable in the motherboard connector snapped. For a new motherboard it would cost me 150 bucks when i payed 70 bucks for the phone. so now im trolling around ebay trying to find a phone that has a working motherboard I can swap out. If your looking to replace a screen or something on your g1....know what your getting into. Its very cramped in there and kudos to HTC for making the g1 have that many small parts.

I like because is Fast, Good Android Operating System, Excellent Touch Screen and have many features. I recommend this phone to any person that have a good data plan.

This is definitely one of the best favorite Android phones ever made. Between the unique design, spacious keyboard, and the OS itself, I've never had a phone I was more proud to own.

Okay, there are drawbacks. The sliding mechanism causes the screen to sort of droop down, but it's obviously not a major concern. The hardware, being the first Android phone, is also obviously a bit lacking, so it can be a bit laggy at times. Aand the camera is pretty sucky. But enough about that.

It's an enormously capable phone that I think I'll be hanging on to for a long time, especially compared to my last phone (Samsung Behold) that I got sick of after 6 months.

Thrilled with my purchase. Thanks Google + HTC!

I got this phone and use it unlocked on AT&T without the data-giving me internet w/o paying $30/mo. As a google devotee, this phone was perfect for me, automatically syncing all my gmail contacts into my contacts, great calendar system, and TONS of free apps. While I love this phone, and am even looking for one for my wife now, there are a few points to be made. 1-the camera isn't nearly as good as you would hope from a device of this caliber. 2-battery life, like everyone else says, is terrible. But that's to be expected from a computer in your pocket. 3-cannot easily or reliably connect to WPA-2 enterprise networks (type used in big offices, universities, etc.) Not a big deal for those with data, but a big let-down for me. Being open-source, this phone has a lot of little work-arounds for that sort of thing, but they are not for the avg user. 4-Because many apps are not written by pros, they do have a slightly higher than avg fail rate. Bottom line, Android is a far superior OS that is still in its teenage years, but once it hits maturity, I'm convinced every other OS will be trying to catch up. The G1, being the 1st Android phone, will obviously show those problems a little more regularly than most, but is still a phenomenal first effort. Worth every penny.