T-Mobile G1 with Google

I have only ever had one 'smartphone' prior to purchasing the T-Mobile G1 withGgoogle phone in November 2008. When it arrived at my door, and I first turned it on, I could feel the fear building in my veins. How was I going to make this a user-friendly phone?

The user's manual quickly became a phone accessory. I took it everywhere I went with my phone. I found the touch screen and scroll ball to be very easy to use and manuever. I personally still prefer to use the scroll ball over the touch screen. At times, the touch screen doesn't always do what I want it to, so the scroll ball ensures that I select the right application.

Learning to make a phone call on the G1 seemed to be my biggest obstacle. If I hold the send button too long, I get a voice dialer option. Also, at times, the phone goes into a lock up mode that won't dial the numbers I am pressing on the touch screen. This gets very frustrating. I have found almost every application to be very user friendly, except for just wanting to make an outgoing call.

There are thousands of user applications that a G1 owner can download, and many of them are free. I have applications for Yellow Pages, The Weather Channel, and english to spanish translator and many other fun and useful products. Most of the applications run smoothly, but at times, I get a 'force close' error. This often requires me to restart my phone and try again.

The built-in YouTube application is great for killing time. It allows you to instantly log into YouTube to watch the best videos on the web.

I have found the internet service on the G1 to be beyond my expectations. The pixel and viewing quality for individual sites is superb for the size of the screen. Loading time is decent, and I like that I can view websites in their full screen, rather than through their mobile sites.

When it comes to Wi-Fi access, the phone works great to receive wi-fi connections, however, beware of major battery drain. If you are connected to wi-fi access, you can expect your battery to be dead in just several hours.

The text message display on the G1 has to be one of my favorite features of the phone. Instead of breaking up each individual text, as they come in, they display like an instant message conversation. It makes text messaging much easier to read, especially when 1 text has to be broken up into the 2.

Quality if lacking in the camera application for this Google phone. Despite boasting a 3.2 megapixel camera built into the phone, the slightest movement can destroy a picture. I have yet to be able to take a picture without blurry edges. The sensitivity on the phone could definitely be improved.

The general ergonomical use of the G1 phone has something to be desired. While I like the flip out screen, I have found I have to hold the phone at odd angles to avoid hitting the scroll ball. The biggest issue is the lack of an on screen keyboard if you prefer not to flip the phone open.

Overall, the T-Mobile G1 phone is moderately user friendly. I believe there are still typical quirks to be worked out as more people become Google Android users. I think this is a great Android starter phone, that ovreall has a good quality with minimal major problems.