September, 2008 - Android Community

Monthly Archive: June 2013

G1 pre-loaded goodies: Demo Video

By Staff Editor
on 23 Sep, 2008

The G1 comes pre-loaded with many useful applications including Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Contacts, Calendar and IM. Sing in just once with you Google account and it will automatically synchronize all of your applications. You can even protect your data with a secure “lock pattern”. A drag down status bar that holds all of your notifications is extremely useful without getting in the way. This bar displays new text messages, email, calendar events, instant messages and more. When a text message comes in, the status bar will give a brief preview of the message. Contacts are easy to search through and locate. A few simple clicks and you can locate a contacts address on a map for directions. You can the location in satellite or street view as well, making it easier to visualize an unfamiliar location. Navigation is made easier with a built in accelerometer, giving a compass option to help - turn the phone, and the mapping automatically turns with you so you always know which way you're facing. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7qbPa1O8Ys[/youtube]

G1 Hands-On: Live with T-Mobile’s Android Smartphone!

By Chris Davies
on 23 Sep, 2008

After the main announcement this morning, we spent some hands-on time with T-Mobile's new G1 - the first production Android device. The HTC-made device has quadband GSM together with HSDPA 1700/2100, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, a 3.2-megapixel fixed-focus camera and a 3.2-inch 320 x 480 flush-fit touchscreen.

Slide the display to the right, and a full QWERTY keyboard with dedicated search button is revealed. The search function is device-wide and context specific: hit the button while browsing your contacts, for instance, and it will search through individual records. Press it when in the Webkit-based browser (which uses the same underlying technology as Google's Chrome browser for desktop) and it triggers a standard Google internet search. Our first impressions of the browser were that it didn't seem quite as slick as Safari on the iPhone 3G, but the hardware keyboard - while not the best we've used on a mobile device - made entering site addresses and filling in online forms far easier.

Size-wise, compared to what will likely be its most quoted competitor, the T-Mobile G1 is thicker and longer than the iPhone 3G. It's narrower, though, and of course much of the bulk is from the sliding section. A removable battery adds its own girth, too; the G1 talktime is estimated at up to 350 minutes WCDMA or 406 minutes GSM; standby at 402hrs or 319hrs for WCDMA or GSM respectively.

Storage is down from the iPhone 3G too - a 1GB microSD card is in the box, with a maximum of 8GB supported - but the G1 can send MMS messages and has Street View and a digital compass for use with Google Maps. You'll have to either use HTC's headphones or an adapter, though; the G1 lacks a normal 3.5mm socket in favor of the company's "HTC ExtUSB" which combines mini-USB with audio. As expected the G1 uses a multi-core Qualcomm chipset, the MSM7201A running at 528MHz and paired with 256MB ROM and 192MB RAM. One notable omission is A2DP stereo Bluetooth - that will apparently come in a later Android release. We'll have hands-on video very soon, so stick with Android Community! [gallery]

T-Mobile G1 as low as $179; could be as high as $299

By Brenda Stokes
on 23 Sep, 2008

According to the T-Mobile G1 event today and the T-Mobile pre-order page, you can get the long-awaited phone for as low as $179 come October 22nd. But some members of our Android Community have found their pre-order price to be exponentially higher. In fact, one member pre-ordered the device for a whopping $299. That's a significant leap from the flat-out stated $179 price tag. The pre-order page isn't quite so firm with the "as low as" language, but this will no doubt upset quite a few people. The only individuals allowed to pre-order the G1 at the moment are current T-Mobile customers. Perhaps this higher price is for those that do not agree to the two-year contract terms or have a much older phone and plan? It's interesting to say the least and while most people expect to pay a bit more in taxes and fees, a hundred and then some more is a lot.

G1 GPS confirmed!

By Staff Editor
on 23 Sep, 2008

Just announced was T-mobile’s G1, the first Android handset to be released. With an open-source OS this phone is going to be one stiff competitor to the iPhone 3G. One thing that was not mentioned during the announcement was GPS, the ability to use satellites to ascertain the handset's location.

Not to worry though, HTC’s newly posted specs page reads; "GPS navigation capability with built-in GPS receiver and map software". GPS is key in many of the applications submitted to the Android Developers Challenge. With developers in control of this device, it knows no bounds. With applications such as Amazon CompareAnywhere, ShopSavvy and Ecorio this device is a top competitor of any phone on the market.

It looks like HTC did not skimp on anything here. This fast multitasking device is packed with many up to date features such as 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with HVGA (320 X 480 pixel) resolution, full 5-row QWERTY keyboard, one-click Google search, High-speed 3.5G network connection, Wi-Fi with seamless transition to open networks, 3.1 megapixel camera with auto focus and microSD (SD 2.0 compatible) with up to 8GB cards supported.

Walt Mossberg on the G1: ‘a real alternative’ to the iPhone

By Chris Davies
on 23 Sep, 2008

The G1 has only been official for an hour or so, but that hasn't stopped Walt Mossberg from putting out his extensive pre-review first-impressions. The man who we all thought was surgically attached to his iPhone seems particularly taken with the T-Mobile device, citing slick software, the inclusion of MMS and Street View and "more flexibility in organizing your desktop, or home screen, than the iPhone, or almost any phone". However, he also saves some criticism for the G1. The lack of multitouch is an obvious black mark for the handset, as is the non-standard headphone socket. It also lacks automatic screen rotation, and the included 1GB memory card is far smaller than the $199 iPhone 3G's 8GB. Still, a removable battery and a hardware keyboard that's said to be "OK, but not great" are both improvements over the Apple device.

"In sum, the G1 is a powerful, versatile device which will offer users a real alternative in the new handheld computing category the iPhone has occupied alone" Walt Mossberg

In all, though, Mossberg seems quite taken with the T-Mobile G1, and Android as a fledgling platform. He's promising a full review soon; of course, we'll have our own hands-on first impressions as well, so keep reading Android Community!

G1 hits October 22nd for $179

By Staff Editor
on 23 Sep, 2008

The G1 has officially been announced this morning at T-Mobile’s announcement event, priced at $179. With a release date of October 27th it gives just enough time to pre-order the device. At the time of release 3G will only be available in select markets, 22 to be exact.

Plan details include $25 with unlimited web & some text messages, and $35 with unlimited data and messaging. That is competitively priced against the iPhone 3G with unlimited data and some text at $30 a month, while unlimited data and messaging costing $50 each month. These plans however are still not as low as other devices such as the Sidekick. The pre-order starts today with new member pricing at only $179 as opposed to the rumored $199. T-Mobile's 3G data network is still developing, and will reach 80% of the carrier's subscribers by the end of 2008. The device will reach 100 million customers in Europe when it is released there in early 2009. The UK will receive this device in early November 2008, though no pricing has been announced.

T-Mobile G1 Live Blog now underway!

By Staff Editor
on 23 Sep, 2008

Here we are just minutes from the announcement of the first Android powered handset. Vincent is at the event and ready to stream everything straight to our liveblog. Be sure to keep watch for the official announcement and your opportunity to win a free G1.

Amazon Download Store on T-Mobile G1 for DRM-free MP3s

By Chris Davies
on 23 Sep, 2008

Amazon have announced that they will be powering the T-Mobile G1's music download store, with users able to search, download, buy and play music directly from their handsets. Offering over six million tracks, in vanilla MP3 format without DRM, the Amazon store will be pre-loaded onto the G1 and optimized for the mobile's display. Browsing, searching and listening to audio samples can be done over 3G, but actual track downloads will only be possible with a WiFi connection.

Most albums are priced between $5.99 and $9.99, with individual tracks around $0.89. Once purchased they can be managed with any software and played on any MP3 compatible device; alternatively they can be burnt to a CD. The Amazon press release also confirms that the G1 will have "Google Maps with StreetView, Gmail, YouTube" among other apps, together with "one-touch access to Google Search" and the Android Market portal. Remember, Android Community will be Live Blogging the T-Mobile G1 announcement later on today, at http://Live.AndroidCommunity.com/

T-Mobile G1 using multi-core Qualcomm processor?

By Staff Editor
on 22 Sep, 2008

A forum user has tipped off Android Community on the G1 chipset. It appears the chipset used in the G1 will be made by Qualcomm, and is one of the company's 7201 multi-core processors, a dual core to be precise. It is said to be more stable and energy efficient than most processors; however, unusually, the two cores are not the same.

The first core is a speciality core dedicated solely to phone functionality such as making phone calls. The second core is a general purpose core intended for applications, in order to accommodate more application processing load. The end result should be less lag due to overloaded phone processors. According to the tip, clock speed for both cores will be the same. Because of this, overclocking the G1 will not have much of an increase in performance. There are reportedly still some problems with the multi-core setup that, under specific situations, may cause the phone to crash; Qualcomm is apparently "working around the clock" to fix the drivers at the root of this.

T-Mobile G1 website is up!

By Staff Editor
on 22 Sep, 2008

Just moments ago T-MobileG1.com went online. The site appears to be ready to cover the announcement tomorrow morning. Different buttons including "See", "Learn", "Do" and "Get it First" hint at a pre-order starting tomorrow.

At the top is a navigation bar including "T-Mobile Sites", "Shop", "locate" and "Support". While the site does not actually give you any details it does hint at a lot. The information as well as full announcement coverage is not up yet. The tabs read: