Why HTC T-Mobile G1 is a Failure? Missing features
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T Mobile G1 HTC Dream seems to be cool with a full touch keyboard and other features, but why is the world still crazy about the iphone? Here are the top reasons why the Android powered tmobile G1 is not much hyped as expected.
no out of box video
1. TMobile G1 cannot play videos!
Tmobile G1 cannot play videos out of the box. Though there is a good 3.1MP camera, there is no provision for video recording too. You can however play youtube videos in a few clicks. This leaves behind potential apps to be built by third party developers. Why was video recording and playback missed out in G1, when android is capable of playing a lot of formats (H.264, streaming, 3GPP, MPEG4, and Codec 3GP) ?
No microsoft-exchange support
2. No desktop syncing and Microsoft exchange support
Iphone is an year old now and google does have to catch up with these features. Targeting the business class users, who insist on in sync contacts and calendars, it would mean that missing Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, delivering push email, calendar, and contacts can really make a difference. This is because your contacts and calendar will be picked from google counterparts. Google says “Forget microsoft, switch to google” ???
only one gmail account
iphone multiple mail options
3. Only one gmail account :
All apps like email, chat and address book will function primarily with your gmail account. So if you need to access another gmail account, you may have to go for a factory reset. This again calls for another app to be developed, where users can access a secondary account (not necessarily gmail) by a pop/imap. And another app for instant messaging, something like meebo / pidgin would wok perfect in this environment. Google is pinning down all G1 users to google, while mobile me from apple was just an option.
4. Virtual keyboard better?
Difficulty of using a keyboard along the width. Search results appear the other way!
While majority of operations are driven by touch, a virtual keyboard makes more sense. In case of G1, you need to flip in the keyboard to type in a email address and slide it back. That is really a pain!! And there is no multi touch.
From the tmobile g1 official video, tmobile G1 supports one touch google and you use the keyboard to type in your query. Here is a potential problem, the keyboard is along the breath of the device, and certain apps can work only on the upright. Imagine rotating your device, opening your keyboard, and typing in something. What i see One touch google search is actually
- One touch to invoke google search
- rotate and Swivel out keyboard (keyboard is along the width)
- Type in google query
- Swivel in keyboard
- rotate and read the results.
One touch??? I purely appreciate the virtual keyboard. People at apple think!! How about a g1 virtual keyboard instead of a touch keyboard g1?
Little internal memory
5. Very little internal memory
With access to the amazon mp3 store and the soon to be built google app store, a 1GB memory card is going to be insufficient. There has to be that one device that can carry a million songs, thousands of videos and such, with all business capabilities, and integrated with a phone. Will there be one? (Even iphone has only 16GB capacity). When will the world move out of giga and into tera? 
A non standard audio jack
6. The non standard audio jack
While the iphone is branded as a ipod with a phone, audio playback in this generation gadget becomes an absolute requisite. But when you get to the tmobile G1, expect to be baffled by the new audio jack, meaning you need a special connector to use earphones. Out of the box – no audio! (Image credit – engadget)
The Steve Jobs factor
7. Steve JOBS factor
Millions of people watching and thousands of blogs predicting the event from a week before, Jobs does surprise the world in his keynote. A launch like that of the iphone can sell thousands of plain bricks. I am not able to think of apple without Jobs. I totally adore his attitude!!
May be, the G1 wil become better (perhaps G3 or G4) can come close to the iphone. I just said “may be”!!
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19 Comments on this post
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ashwin said:
heh, nice content and images dude.
i guess you should submit this article to digg.September 25th, 2008 at 3:03 pm -
mureli said:
Quite true about that steve jobs factor. If he releases junk products also, it ll accepted, but a kind of man he is, he always looks for the best product.
I do not think the memory is 1Gb, it can be expanded upto 32GB.
September 26th, 2008 at 5:58 am -
admin said:
@ ashwin
thanks a lot man. I ll submit to digg. Any digg love would be appreciated.
September 26th, 2008 at 6:22 am -
admin said:
@ mureli
Jobs is my role model. he always looks out for the best of the products, mac for instanceWhat is the purpose of an expandable memory. 50% would not be aware, and less than 10% will actually upgrade.
why not provide better memory out of the box?
September 26th, 2008 at 6:24 am -
raam sundar said:
Nice post dude!!
Steve jobs certainly adds to the value of a product, but there are a lot other features as you said, which can make tmobile a better phonebefore they catch up, iphone will move to next generation.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:18 am -
dcbug said:
The internal memory is not small. It is expandable and apple costs a $100 for 8GB extra, thats a lot of money.
Why do you need extra memory?
September 28th, 2008 at 10:50 am -
admin said:
@ raam,
surely the iphone will be a generation ahead. But when the iphone was launched there were a lot of complaints too..
I see a lot of good features about the gphone, which i have not mentioned here..September 29th, 2008 at 12:08 pm -
admin said:
@ dcbug,
the internal memory is definitely small. I prefer to have a couple of good movies and a good collection of a minimum of 50 songs. This memory is clearly inadequate.September 29th, 2008 at 12:10 pm -
aravind said:
I think there is no provision for video recording in iphone too..
October 1st, 2008 at 5:43 pm -
balaji said:
heh barath, nice post da. Especially the images. Good one man.
October 3rd, 2008 at 3:28 pm -
admin said:
@ balaji,
Thanks dude!
give me a call and we ll meet up for coffee.October 3rd, 2008 at 10:03 pm -
crazyspiiter said:
i agree with the post on its a failure for 1 larger memory means more things 2 b stored and faster reaction if i have smaller memory it means i have 2 rationalize what i can and cannot store inside my phone and it may not function at a quicker speed. 2. A on screen keyboard is less hassle than a slide out screen because the typing on the phone while slid out feels pretty funny 2 me and num 3 is this phone doesnt seen accessory friendly 2 me i mean look at the head phone jack if i broke my original headset not only i have 2 carry my convo or listen n watch multimedia without my headset id have 2 purchase it from tmobile and it mite range anywhere fron $15-$23 total. Num 4.Tmobile knows what it takes to screw up a good mobile device i owned the tmobile wing and for almost $500 i got a phone that i had to reset everyday, volume was terrible, a pathtetic 200 mhz processor, a somewhat unresponsive touch screen hell my htc hermes was more of use than my wing And yes i agree about jobs that man has set the standards for what a cellphone should be (NO IM NOT A APPLE FAN BOY BUT I AM GIVING CREDIT) id say the only thing the G1 might have apple beat on is the widely use of 3rd party software yes its a new step for tmobile but they could have done a better job than this besides crumble under the hype
October 24th, 2008 at 8:57 pm -
admin said:
@crazyspiiter
Thanks for a big comment, you are welcome to guest blog here, if you are interested.
As you point out memory and other features could have made the G1 a better phone.
October 25th, 2008 at 5:31 pm -
bestOfthebest said:
i have owned the g1 for a couple of weeks now
altho i agree with a couple of your comments (audio jack, video capture, exchange syncing) you definitely come across as an apple fanboy
memory – its an sd card, just like in a camera. infinitely expandable, not limited like the apple
jobs doesnt sell anything but quality – lets hope the g1 doesnt catch fire
virtual keyboard – it may be a nice option (one is due out), but if i had to make a choice, i prefer a touch keyboardyour 5 steps to enter a google search is only 2 more then necessary with the iphone (open the keyboard and close it)
November 11th, 2008 at 8:10 pm -
admin said:
@best of the best
I admit the audio jack and the memory aspects. Still the memoy is not out or the box and most people would not add external memory.
FYI, one of the researchers at the android community has claimed that there will not be a virtual keyboard till 2010. G1 is not that bad, but is at the not as good as iphone..
November 11th, 2008 at 9:34 pm -
richie said:
Sorry but I have to disagree. Now, I know this whole thing was made before cupcake (and it seems like before the g1 even came out), so you may have been right on a few things at that time. But now that cupcake is out, I’d say the g1 is better then the iphone (and I’ve owned both)
Lets go through the list:
1. Now it can
2. Pretty sure there’s an app for that
3. There might be an app for this as well, but if not, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, why would you need to access another gmail account?
4. See number 1
5. It sucks that the g1 only comes with a 1gb memory card, but like people have said, it can be expanded. I have an 8gb card and that’s more then enough for me.
6. This definetly sucks, but is not a huge deal for me either, the g1 headphones work great just like any other headphones out there (imo)
7. Don’t really know what to say about that lolSo yea, I’ve owned both phones and have to say the g1 is much better. Just my opinion of course, but I would take the g1 any day lol
May 31st, 2009 at 6:03 am
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