T-Mobile G1 Android Device is Officially Here
The G1 device (aka the Google Phone) that many people have been waiting for has hit in full force. We know there’s a lot of Sidekick user’s switching to this device. We love the Sidekick, always will, but we don’t blame people for wanting to give the G1 a try. After all it does have some of the same people working on it that were behind the beginnings of the Sidekick. If you’ve picked up a G1, let us know in the comments what you think and how it compares to the Sidekick.
If you’re one of the unlucky ones who couldn’t score a pre-sale G1, you can still get one from T-Mobile, or we’ve setup a site to help filter through eBay and find you deals on no-contract G1 phones and accessories: G1Shopper.com.
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
This phone is great. Don’t give me wrong I loved my sidekick and have been with a sidekick for 4 years, but this phone has a ton of new things that the sidekick still doesnt have. and the keyboard is pretty much the exact same as the sidekick so its pretty sweet. I’d recomment the G1
October 22nd, 2008 at 7:55 pm
I got mine on Monday.. and have been playing with it a lot.
Under heavy use, the battery life seems to be a little short, but I had all the bells and whistles on (wifi/gps/etc) and was playing with it a lot so the screen was always on.
There’s a few things that are lacking, but they are mostly software issues so I expect them to be fixed very soon. The biggest issue I have being a Sidekick user since the Sidekick II, is the way that the IM functionality works. It doesn’t seem to keep me logged in. I’m very spoiled with my 24/7 access to AIM/Y!/MSN and its not quite right on the G1, but that could also be an issue with the network (my service drops a lot at work)
I haven’t yet used it as a media player while working out, but all in all, its a great phone and the beauty of it is… this is only the very beginning.. it really is all about the software on the phone.. and not so much the hardware of the device itself.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Where’s the trademark tombstone?
R.I.P.
2008, lx,slide,sidekick III,II,I
10-22-08
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Can you get free ringtones? If you can, bye bye sidekick lx, hello G-phone x]
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Hey I got my g1 today as soon as tmobile opened its doors. I have to say that this phone is great. I love it I had an lx but I had to try something new and g1 is. A nice upgrade and if you think about it its made kinda just like the lx hardware. Well I recommed this beauty of a phone so go get a g1 lol. I don’t know if you can get free ringtones but one of the nice features on the g1 is that you can use any of your mp3 as a ringtone so there is no need to buy ringtones now that’s badass
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I had the Sidekick II and the Sidekick LX and I kicked the LX to the curb for the G1. First Impressions:
Phone very small and a lot nicer in person than shown on the pictures. Great APPS, Games, Web Browser, Touch Screen, Media Player, 3G and WiFi. Now that the positives are addressed, let me tell you what i miss about the sidekick.
First of all, text messaging, AIM, MSN, and YAHOO are displayed WAY BETTER on the Sidekick than they are on the G1. I can be gone for days and still get my IM messages on the Sidekick, for the G1, I am not quite sure. Learning to get use to threaded messaging, a lot different texting through UPOC on threaded messaging. KEYBOARD is GOOD, but NOT GREAT! Keys are responsive and spaced well and BUT THEY ARE VERY FLAT!
Currently, there are No Word Processing Support. It will not even allow me to view PDF or Word Documents. Sidekick allowed this functionality. Of course, this can be fixed through Androids and Third Party Developers. The Most Annoying Problem I am having now is the inability for me to TRX my Files from my computer to my G1. I keep getting a I/O Device Error which I never received on my sidekicks. If someone has an answer to this it will be great.
Overall, I like the G1, but I am not in LOVE with it …. yet. I love FREE APPS, FREE RADIO, FREE MUSIC, FREE RINGTONES. I lover the web browser, the touch screen, 3G!!, WiFi, Youtube, Etc, but Battery Issues needs to be addressed, Instant Messaging and Email Clients, needs to be addressed, and I need to figure out this I/O Device Error. The good news is all my gripes can be fixed through Updates or the Android Market and it is not Hardware related …
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I got my g1 on monday and its amazing. Battery life is alright but the gps is crazy with the actual street view. And ringtones u can simply upload songs to ur fone and use that as a ringtone so no buying and since u can’t send songs through bluetooth its nice to have that function jus go to the song click and hold on the screen and then click apply as ringtone and yyour good to good.
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:25 am
aim no good at all doesnt keep u on all day like sidekick kicks u off alot its good phone needs to be better for all the instant messengers
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:25 am
I got mine on Tuesday from my pre-order. I am already sending it back tomorrow and going back to my Slide. Here is why:
1. Keyboard – the keys are recessed and they added a “1-click google search” button next to the @ symbol. Nothing beats a sidekick keyboard, whether it’s the slide, lx, 08, etc. The “chin” on the right side of the device when you’re typing is just pointless. The hardware on this phone is awful, but the software should do well over time.
2. Battery – charged it fully and pulled it off the charger at 7pm. It died while I was sleeping!
3. Data- $15 extra a month for this miraculous 3G network. No thanks. Again, nothing beats the Sidekick data plan. They also “recommend” going with 2G networks to save battery.
Hope this helps anyone who is thinking of switching. I also switched to the iPhone and came back to the sidekick after a few months. I am a sucker for the best physical keyboard in the market.
Anyone else feel the same?
AG
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:18 am
It’s a really tough call, I love the G1, it has a lot of amazing features and the Android Market really is where this device shines, we can finally have all the programs we wanted but never got! Also the thread SMS is awesome.
However it just doesn’t feel right in my hands, and they keys are recessed, so that a little irritating too. Furthermore the screen doesn’t open as easily as the sidekick. I love the G1 and I’m going to keep it, but the Sidekick still feels like home to me.
But, with the recent Microsoft take over I am offically not buying another sidekick, no matter how awesome. I know I’m a snob.
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:49 am
love my g1
had sidekicks for about 5years. So far the small complaints people have about software (my thing being the mms attachments, gotta figure out how to save them) will all probably be fixed soon, open source developers galore =]
The one thing i do feel awkward about is not having the d-pad on the left like the sk lol its like i got the trackball on the right and then i reach for the dpad on the left and its missing but *sigh* thats after years of being a sk user
October 23rd, 2008 at 11:59 am
i love my sidekick. i have the lx i had the slide and the iD i love my sidekick to death no homo.. i would of switched over but not for an extra 15 bucks a month that is ridiculous i guess ill wait for the new sidekick which will probably be 3g 🙁
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Speaking of Microsoft, has anyone shed any light on whether the next device will definitely be from Microsoft or is the news that has been reported to mean the device will still be Sharp hardware with Danger software?
I have read a few different articles, one quoting the Danger CEO.
If anyone has any info, please let me know! Thanks,
AG
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
my mama just got the G1 yesterday
i personally dnt like it.
i LOVE my sidekick 08
October 23rd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I’ve used Sidekicks for 4 years. My G1 arrived on Monday and other than the battery life issue, it’s everything I’ve been wishing my Sidekick would be: touch screen + sk-like keypad + synced gmail/gcal + mapping + great web browser + active application development + custom ringtones.
The G1 isn’t an iphone killer, but it’s definitely a sidekick killer … especially since both phones are on Tmobile.
October 23rd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
hey guys i got a question can u get free personal ringtones or is it like the sidekick where theres only certain ones? please help me out cuz that a reason why im leaning towards gettting an iphone and not a G1
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
At first the G1 did feel really weird.
but after 3 days of using it, i’m very comfortable with ti.
The keyboard is easier in my opinion. I tried typing on my LX keyboard and it felt very hard to me lOl.
Yes the AIM does suck….for noww.
There’s going to be an update this week to fix it though.
And as far as ringtones.. yes it’s FREEEEEE.
It has more freedom than the Sidekick does..
I’m able to modify things the way that I want.
I would recommend taking a look at this phone
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I love my G1 got it monday and can’t seem to put it down, I still have my sidekick Lx, will always love the sidekick but the phone was getting on my nerves and too many ppl have it.
Only issues I have with the G1 like many sidekick users who switched over, the IM on the G1 always signs you out without you knowing until u go to a convo. I’m positive this will get fixed with an firmware update since TONS of ppl are complaining about this.
Regarding the ringtones, you can have the mp3 songs u put on the phone as a ringtone, so there’s no need to buy ringtones when u can do it yourself, that i LOVE about this phone and soo am glad i upgraded from the Lx.
October 24th, 2008 at 6:34 am
All this talk about about the ringtones but can you edit them? Does it just play the begin of the song or can you pick the part of the song you want to be a ringtone?
October 24th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
yes you can edit them.
October 25th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Sidekick user since 05 and honestly I was afraid of switching. Being accostumed to an os for exactly 3 years(funny how I got my sidekick II on oct 22nd 05) made it hard for me to decide but danger’s neglect or lack of funding or whatever their excuse is to not make the hiptop/sidekick a better phone pushed me to this. I honestly hope they shove these words up my behind in the near future but until then android is my new home…
Danger…. make something that will make me comeback, I still have high hopes.
October 25th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Ok in someones opinion….what would be a better by, the sidekick 08 or the G1? Please go in detail…I currently got the Slide and ready to get rid of it.
October 25th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
As I said earlier, I had the G1 Tuesday and just sent it back today. I have the slide and I am actually trying out an 08 this afternoon. Once i get it, I will leave (iori) comments.
To each his or her own, but I just can’t really find a keyboard better than the ones on sidekicks and the $20 unlimited sidekick plan is the best anywhere.
October 25th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Actually Iori, it’s very simple. IF you are comfortable with the Danger OS, keyboard, and you want the EXACT SAME PHONE, but with VIDEO added and the ability to change the outside deisgn then the Sidekick 2008 is for you.
However, if you want a phone with youtube, unlimited APPS and capabilities, 3G, threaded messaging, free ring tones, and google synchronization with Gmail, Contacts, Gtalk, and Calendar then the G1 is for you.
My decision. I loved the Sidekicks, I had a II, switched to the Wing (a horrible phone) so came back to the LX and now have switched to the G1. My rational for the decision, The Danger OS, i had outgrown and I needed more. Android has unlimited possibilities not to mention their User Interface, Apps, and 3G/Wifi options allow me to be more productive as an individual in my 20’s …
October 25th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
the phone is awsome, but the IM’s arnt that good. lol. but overall it reminds of the sk tho.
October 26th, 2008 at 12:52 am
Im not sure if this is a dumb question, but can you download javalife (I think that’s the program) you know it has aim,yim blah blah, and if yeeah wouldn’t that answer peoples aim and all that problems idk
October 26th, 2008 at 1:14 am
wow :/ this phone
sounds crazy
October 27th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Yo might be a dumb question….but what is threaded instant messenging? Is it like when ur on aim on a regular phone? Cus if that’s the case that sucks….I thought the instant messenging was gonna be the same like on the sidekick…I currently have the slide and is so ready to upgrade….idk if ima get a lx or a g1….
October 28th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
So I made it down to a tmobile store and checked out the g1’s hardware. Their are some pro’s and con’s to it. It is a lot smaller that it looks on screen, and somewhat thinner too. I thought that was cool. I think the phone is kind of narrow, which translates into a smallish screen, which is bad, but not a major issue. I love how it opens up with the half swivel, half slide. That was cool. It made me look at the sk flip a little differently after that… The major problem with the g1’s hardware for me is the keyboard. It’s a little stingy in my opinion. The flat keyboard isn’t working for me. It seems as if it would be tougher to type on. That kind of disappointed me because, even though I’m sticking with the sk anyway, I was a fan of the g1, but that kind of brought it down a bit. One more thing I noticed is that the screen does not flip unless the phone is either open or closed. Major pain. They should get that fixed too.
October 28th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
SK=Kids
G1=Adults
I had the sk for 3 years since the SKII and its time for a change. Everyone and their grandmother has a SK and I’ve outgrown this whole DangerOS thing. Anyways, I am gonna miss the sidekick, being online all day, but, I’m getting old and ima need a more mature phone…
October 29th, 2008 at 7:36 am
I been had the G1 for a week now n its a great phone it has everythin u can ask for free reingtones… u got bunch of free apps I like that imeem mobile app plays random songs for u all u have to do is type the artists name n the interent is great and fast n I’m in chicago rite now where ever I go is really fast n I got a lot of wifi connections around here u can do a lot on this phone foreal I’m likin it a lot I thought it would be bigger as seen on the website n a few videos its actually smaller n thinner n I like it its not heavy n bulky like some people said its not heavy at all foreal but over all I give the phone 10/10……
October 29th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I have a question for the 3g users. I know that with my sk, I have great service in some places and patchy/ no service in others. Does the g1 get service in the places that the sk didn’t as well as the places that the sk did?
October 29th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I have the sk lx now i have had all the sidekicks and would swear by them i would never get another phone again…i would stick to the sidekick…i am a recording artist and i write all lyrics on my note pad i look at a g1 at tmobile today and was excited about getting it unlimited app and so many other options i cant wait to get mine and hey if it dosent work i will go right back to the sidekick but it seems that wont be necessary.
October 29th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
To me it comes down to wether youw ant a phone for fun aor communication. If its fun and apps then go for the g1 or if you want a phone for heavy communication then the sidekick, the IM and keyboard can’t be beat. I love talking to all my friends at once and easily so im staying with sidekick. But for people that don’t do that as much and want alittle fun g1
October 31st, 2008 at 9:34 am
The G1 is a nice phone and is good for people that like touch screen phones and other stuff. But the thing i don’t understand is that this website is for sidekicks. So i don’t know why they will have post after post for the G1. I will understand 1 post maybe 2 but come on. If the website is about sidekicks why mention the G1 so much. In my opinion i think the makers of hiptop3.com are turing on the sidekick. I think they should make a website just for the G1 and leave this one how it was, just for sidekicks!
October 31st, 2008 at 5:49 pm
I aslways perferd the sidekicks they are the best phones. Plus this new so called g1 seems like a to adult phone plus sidekick kick ass to any phone. Watch wen they come up wit a better sidekick bye bye g wack. You people are on crack get an awfal hardware phone really sidekick way more original
November 8th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Some may find this article informative.
Check out this article:
pasokon writes “ZDNet reports on an Android bug in T-Mobile G1s with early versions of the firmware: ‘When the phone booted it started up a command shell as root and sent every keystroke you ever typed on the keyboard from then on to that shell. (See article to read more)
November 11th, 2008 at 7:33 am
How about ya keep both fones ya broke sumama betches!
Oh yea G1!!!!! LX!!!
Why chooose wen u can have it all?
November 11th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I’ve had the G1 for just under 2 weeks now, and I’m having a really hard time deciding if I should take it back b4 my 14 days are up or hang onto it to see if it improves with time. My previous phone was the sidekick 3, and although I used to piss and moan about stuff every now and then, I realize now, after using G1, that I LOVE my sidekick3!
The main problems when switching to G1…
-Keyboard sucks. Buttons are almost flush with the background, hard to distinguish the letters by touch… backlight turns off (haven’t yet played with settings for this- don’t know if they exist) I am typing this on it and its KILLING me!
-Settings not very thourough… by this I mean you can’t choose how you’d like things displayed or organized- how long the screen stays on/how long your backlights stay on/camera/focus settings etc…
-No flash on camera, no video. Often times the autofocus feature (which I don’t think u can turn off) takes about 10 seconds or more to snap the pic, many times will give you error tone and refuse to take a pic (I tell people they are too ugly, my phone doesn’t want to snap for u!)
-I personally have NO AIM service anywhere I’ve been in the last 2 weeks. Mpls, NW Suburbs, St. Cloud, SW Minnesota… my sidekick worked in basements, elevators- u name it!
-only had 3G service ONCE for about 5 min.
-everytime I get a WiFi connection, its so weak that EDGE service is faster.
-many of my youtube videos say “video cannot be played”
G1 is cool because:
-FREE RINGTONES!!!!!
-multiple browser windows can be open at once… (awesome!)
-Picture quality is amazing (but no flash/and takes FOREVVVVER to auto-focus)
November 11th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I’ve had the G1 for just under 2 weeks now, and I’m having a really hard time deciding if I should take it back b4 my 14 days are up or hang onto it to see if it improves with time. My previous phone was the sidekick 3, and although I used to piss and moan about stuff every now and then, I realize now, after using G1, that I LOVE my sidekick3!
The main problems when switching to G1…
-Keyboard sucks. Buttons are almost flush with the background, hard to distinguish the letters by touch… backlight turns off (haven’t yet played with settings for this- don’t know if they exist) I am typing this on it and its KILLING me!
-Settings not very thourough… by this I mean you can’t choose how you’d like things displayed or organized- how long the screen stays on/how long your backlights stay on/camera/focus settings etc…
-No flash on camera, no video. Often times the autofocus feature (which I don’t think u can turn off) takes about 10 seconds or more to snap the pic, many times will give you error tone and refuse to take a pic (I tell people they are too ugly, my phone doesn’t want to snap for u!)
-I personally have NO AIM service anywhere I’ve been in the last 2 weeks. Mpls, NW Suburbs, St. Cloud, SW Minnesota… my sidekick worked in basements, elevators, all over- u name it!
-only had 3G service ONCE for about 5 min.
-everytime I get a WiFi connection, its so weak that EDGE service is faster.
-many of my youtube videos say “video cannot be played”
-navigation kind of suck(see below) but I heard we can get google maps for SK now? Cool- gonna have to try it!
-freezes up when you go to home screen (similar to jump button on SK) and slow switching between apps
– short battery life… doesn’t last me 8am til 4 pm
G1 is cool because:
-FREE RINGTONES!!!!! FREE GAMES and APPS!!!!!!
-multiple browser windows can be open at once… (awesome!)
-Picture quality is amazing (but no flash/and takes FOREVVVVER to auto-focus)
-(IMO) threaded texts is cool.
-zoom on web pages/touch navigation is obviously helpful
-google maps/navigation- cool, but can’t pinpoint my location within less than a mile (which makes a big difference if you’re lost!) My BF’s verizon phone has AMAZING navigator
So I’ve been reading about SK LX and 08 and can’t decide between the two. Also can’t decide if I should just hold onto this G1 in case things improve with updates or whatever… hmmm! I just want a phone that does what I want it to do, when I want it to do it!!! How hard is that?
And please excuse any typos- as I said b4 this keyboard is no bueno!
November 17th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I would really like to speak with Kristi about her G1 and it is a good phone but mostly everything is personal perference and will get updated soon also I have the Lx and I’ve used the ’08 plus the G1 I’m sure we could go over a few things.
P.S. G1 is awesome and so is the sidekick line but both need improvements but so far the G1 looks like its ready to improve while hiptops are taking there time.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
The G1 is a great phone perhaps if you play with it more you will understand but I love hiptop and the android devices but sidekicks take there sweet time updating the G1 is the first of its kind and there is no such thing as the perfect phone but I would really like to speak with Kristi I’m sure I could help her plus I have a Lx and and ’08.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Does the G1 have a privacy lock like the sidekicks? I want a G1 but only if I can make sure people can’t access my phone. Please let me know you lucky G1 users!
Thanks,
JC
December 4th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Second Google Android Phone Revealed
Check out this article:
KrispyDroid writes “The world’s second Google Android phone has been unveiled — by an Australian-based electronics company called Kogan. It will ship worldwide on Jan 29. It looks like a surprisingly nice form factor, not unlike a Blackberry Bold. The ..
December 8th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
does anybody know anything about the samsung behold? i’m tired of my LX and i cant decide whether to go with the G1 or Behold.
December 28th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
would like to know what to do about I/Q error device message thats what I get when I put my music on
December 28th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Hey Deirde, The G1 is only compatible with USB 2.0 ports. Basically ur USB ports and host controllers are outdated. Ur only solutions are to upgrade those ports, or use a different source to trx ur music. For example, I use my PS3. Head over to androidcommunity.com, and their’s a whole thread dedicated to this … just use the search function and search I/0 Device error. Hope this helps, need more help, catch me on AIM … MeCrazyJeff …
January 7th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Hello!!! Well here are my opinions about the sidekick vs the G1. Now before I say anything I’m a huge blackberry person. I love the Music, txting, and the Email. But I have also have been a sidekick person. I like the keyboard and the way you can easily txt/email really fast, slide it closed and your done!! But the G1? Ummmmm…..ok well right now I currently have the g1 and I’m returning it back tomorrow. Here are some faults with the g1 that I currently don’t like. The Battery doesn’t last all day or semi day. To my personal opinion the G1 phone is for people that barely use their phones. Because if your a heavy multiuser like me, your not gonna like phone. Your gonna hate the battery. Trust me. I mean let’s say for example, you get stranded somewhere god forbid. Your phone is not gonna be there for you by no means what so ever. So that’s a big fault. Another one is the way it freezes between sliding it open or closed. The main screen takes about 20 seconds to go back to what it was. I absolutly hate that. The keyboard is REALLY flat and if your a sidekick user your gonna miss that. If your gonna get any color you should choose the black if anything. So apart from that those are my comments on it. The only thing that I probably do like is the way the texts are threaded and the sidekick is not. What if you need to look back @ a text for some reason? You can do that. But the sidekick Nope forget it. After it gets full you have to delete delete. So those are my opinions, but then again everyone has their own opinion. Hope this helps!!
March 1st, 2009 at 8:02 pm
does the g1 flip like the sidekick?
June 9th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
yea anoymous it flips has video capalities and great aim finally since april has chatroom and all that iphone and sk has to me it a better phone then the iphone