yet another android review

I picked up an G1 Android phone from Optus at lunch and here is my obligatory YAAR (Yet Another Android Review). Im not really much of a reviewer so ive hackishly whipped up positives and negatives ive found with the phone so far. I have no doubt that some of the negatives will be fixed in cupcake.

Positives

• the G1 charges when connected to a linux machine via the provided USB cable.
• the street view feature rocks
• calendars, contacts and email starts syncing with googles cloud as soon as you turn the phone on.
• within your contancts you have a ‘thumb scroller’ on the right hand side which is much better than what the iPhone has.
• people online in google talk show up as online in contacts.
• from the contacts i have the option of messaging someone over google talk, as well contacting them over MMS, SMS, phone or email.
• the actually sync from your phones to googles cloud takes about 10 seconds and happens automagically as soon as you update your phone.
• phone numbers are “click and dial” in the calendar.
• the web browser has tabs and they do work in the background whilst you have switched to another tab. something safari on the iPhone doesnt do.
• the web browser experience matches and probably exceeds that of Safari on the iPhone.
• notifications such as SMS’s, emails and google talk messages are displayed in the top panel and does not interfere with the main view if you’re working away on the phone.

Negatives

• you are required to have a google account to use the G1. you also have to sync this up over 3G/GPRS not wifi as its the first thing that the android OS asks for.
• there is no 3.5mm headphone jack.
• the keyboard is a bit hard to use as your right hand has to position itself over the “chin”. See picture above.
• the casing for the SIM and battery seems very fragile and feels like it could snap when you first open it up.
• 15 minute calendar items dont show any text until they are clicked on in the daily view.
• GPS location initially was a bit off but has corrected itself. actually its still off and seems a bit buggy.
• attachments opened from the email client are showed within an android viewer application. i was hoping for them to be opened in google docs.
• email spell checker is not turned on by default.
• you need to slide the keyboard open to write an email or SMS and browse the web. very annoying for people who work their phones with 1 hand.
• the calendar is a bit on the ugly side and it also doesnt provide me with any decent information in the weekly and monthly views unless i click an event. I like to see what i have on for the week from a single view. google calendar opened through the android web browser is a much better interface.
• location is not “click and show me the map” in the calendar. this is not the case for browsing google calendar from the android web browser.
• as the USB jack is used for charging aswell as the headphones, you cant charge and use the headphones at the same time.
• There is no ‘.com’ key on the keyboard.

How the iPhone 2G and G1 look side by side.