SPECIAL G1 REVIEW!

The G1:
First off, this is like a pre-review. The launch for the T-Mobile G1 phone is set for Wednesday, Oct 22nd. I started using mine on Monday, Oct 20th because Google wanted to allow me to post a review in my blog for the launch date for promotion. Or maybe mine just arrived a little early. I prefer to believe the former.
But what I'm saying is - this isn't the G1 at launch - when there may be many more apps available (I got it Monday morning and the amount of apps available almost tripled in the fist 24 hours I had the phone).
Also - Apps are the meat and potatoes of this phone so that's a big deal. Example: My phone currently has no video player at all - but there will be an App for it at launch. Which also invites you to remember - any problem (whatsoever) may be fixed with with an app. Example: If I'm a douchebag who wants to edit this tiny, meaningless thing in the phone, and the phone won't let me - chances are an app will come out to right any wrongs and allow in options to exist.
Also, because they are user-generated and not regulated by the company - ANY app can come out and fix things. Meaning - if you have a video player on your G1 that doesn't play a specific filetype, a developer can just produce one that does, and bam - you're set. You really have to think of in terms of a computer, rather than an electronic device regulated by a company (like an iPhone or an Xbox 360). Anything someone wants will get made.
So here we go!

- General: Okay, this is just like a computer. Set your background wallpaper (in-phone editor, letting you crop any picture to perfection for it), and set your shortcuts on the desktop. This means I can put a shortcut to any program on the phone, a link to a specific webpage, specific Gmail mail lists(like all conversations between me and Lou), a link to a specific contact (ie: to have a place to click to directly call Tom Wells), or a folder (which cant contain more links/contacts/whatever) wherever I want on the desktop (Those aren't all the options of what you can add, just the ones I've come across). I specifically have a weblink shortcut to my online DVD collection, so when I find a sweet movie deal at Newbury Comics, I can check my collection and make sure I don't already have it!
Also - at the time I started writing this review (20 minutes ago) I couldn't set it to directly call someone with a one-touch shortcut - but by this time a new App has been released that allows you to do that and anything else whatsoever on the phone.
You can scroll through all this stuff (you have three seperate homescreens) with your finger, or with the trackball. You have a little tab at the bottom of the screen to pull up a list of every program on your phone as well (think of "Start>Programs" in Windows) so everything is always easy to get to.

- Ringtones: Upon seeing this, I was so super sold on this device (as I should be, since I pre-ordered it a month before it came out). You can put any Mp3 onto the phone (just plug into the computer and drag-and-drop) and use it as a ringtone. For free. No more buying ringtones. Ever.
Eeeeeeever. This is a short sentence blurb but that is a big deal. Read it again.

- Phone/Contacts List: The contact list is exactly like any phones (I think that technology has pretty much got that part figured out) except it links all contacts to ALL their info - my "Tom Wells" contact has his phone number for texts/calling, his email adress, his AIM name, his physical adress, spots for any amount (and I do mean any amount) of other numbers (work, home, truckstop bathroom), facts about him, or anything to reach him by. ("Facts about him" may be used for one of the many many people in bands I meet and forget about).
*SUPER FEATURE* - It also gives you the option to make it so that when a specific contact calls you, it sends them right to voicemail - this for annoying dicks you want to avoid (did someone just say the name "Brad Rorher"?) but don't want to hurt their feelings. This is awesome.
One thing (that is typical of T-Mobile) that stinks is that you can't assign a ringtone to a Group. Meaning if I put Arcello and Ben Chauvin into my "Idiots" group, it will show them together when I display the group, but if I want to assign them both a specific ringtone to indicate Idiots are calling, I have to assign them individually.
Small inconvenience, but I want this review to be unbiased. I don't want anyone to think I'm just against iPhone-Bin-Laden and Apple-Quaida (pronounced app - al - kie - dah).

- Communications (GMail, Email, IMs, Myspace, etc): The Gmail app is perfect. That's all. If you have GMail on your computer, think of a mobile version of that, with all the options. Email is good (used for a secondary or non-Gmail email adress) too. I use it for my job, and it's simple and works well. Instant Messenger is okay. I don't like the fact that it forces your Categories in Buddy Lists to be in alphabetical order. I have my AIM set up with my girlfriend at the top, then the VBW, then Girls I know, and then Guys I know (with different, and politically incorrect group names). This changes it to display them in alphabetical order. Another small inconvenience.
Myspace application is great - I'm waiting for a Facebook one.
*SUPER FEATURE* - All communications applications send alerts right to the homescreen of your phone on the top left side, so you never have to open the programs just to check if you have anything new. You can also slide the "Alerts Bar" down and see all the previous alerts you've gotten - like if you were sleeping - and clear them as you see fit - meaning if you want to remember to respond to an email or a text, you can just keep that alert there until you don't need it.

- Connectivity - The G1 works on the Edge network (normal mobile phone internet), as well as the 3G network (the new, much higher-speed mobile internet), and wi-fi. The 3G coverage isn't great yet (or so I've heard - I have it here in Warren, RI with no problem for some reason), but T-Mobile is supposed to have it nationwide by the end of November. The wi-fi is also great. It finds a network and asks if you want to connect, and you can set it to automatically connect.
Download speeds are great, even with no wi-fi. I think I've waited for about 15 seconds at the most to download any of the Apps so far, and email, calender, etc updates have been absolutely instantaneous with my computer.
Also, the internet, Google search (direct app), WikiMobile (direct app) and Youtube mobile (direct app) have also been unbelievably fast, on the 3G network.

- GPS - Google Maps is built in, and I've downloaded "Locale" and "Locations". These three features make up the GPS usage. You see your own location, as well as set it as a location in your phone - like "Home", "Recording Studio", "Truckstop Bathroom", etc. You can set the phone to change settings when you get to that location - like when you get to the movies, your phone automatically goes on silent. Or if you're dating four girls at once, you can set it so the background on your phone is a picture of them whenever you get close to where they live.
You can also set it so that when you're home, it forwards all your incoming cell phone calls to your home phone (or any number). This is great if you have a home phone and you don't want to use your minutes.
You can (obviously) find directions from location to location. You can look at it all with satellite view (what the earth really looks like), map view (the way your location looks on a map) or streetview (which is a view from the street around a location - which is also retardedly cool - go look up Google Streetview to see it). Streetview is in limited areas, but is all over Providence.
GPS also lets you look up what business are close to you, and gives you all their info (name, address, phone number, website), making 411 pretty unneccessary.

- Multimedia - The phone has Amazon Mp3 (a DRM-free downloading service - the Senior Discount CD is on there for $8.99) which downloads directly to phone, over wi-fi or 3G, as well as an Mp3 player. Pretty sweet, especially compared to the iPhone's iTunes B.S. smothered-in-DRM-downloads that can only be accessed over wi-fi. The phone does not come with a video player, but an app has already been released to play videos (it will be available on the launch date). It also has a 3 Megapixel camera and a picture viewer. No video camera capabilities yet, but I'm sure it will be coming - my Sidekick LX was also launched without that ability, but soon got an update that allowed it.

Battery Life - First off, the battery is replaceable - meaning that if your battery shits out, you get to keep your phone (and all your specific settings) and just get the battery replaced (as opposed to the iPhone, which has a built-in battery - if it goes, you have to replace the whole phone).
As for the life - the battery is supposed to be great on this phone. I have not had that experience yet. I haven't had it die on me, but I charged it when I got it yesterday for about four hours, then used it for about 6 and it was almost dying. I will admit, I read afterwards that you're supposed to charge it to 100% and I certainly didn't, and I also have kept 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, and everything else on 100% of the time, as well as set up the entire phone (all contacts, all ringtones, backgrounds, apps, updates, downloads) during that point in time, so I was really giving it a harsh run the entire time it was on. So I'm going to have to keep experiencing it to see when it dies. I gave it a full charge last night and we'll see how it holds up.
*UPDATE* Okay, so, like I said, I charged it all last night, woke up at 9:30 AM and unplugged it for a battery test today. I kept the 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, updater, and everything else on the entire time, and for the beginning of the day (while writing this blog) I was playing with the phone alot. Starting around noon I started using it more normally (not on it constantly, but doing texts, calls, and emails on and off all through the day). So it lasted under all those conditions from 9:30 AM - 12:30 AM. 15 hours, and at that point is when the phone was at 15% battery, which told me to plug it in (meaning I don't know how much longer it will last after that - the Zune has QUITE a battery life after it gets to the "critical" point) - so this device has a very nice battery life on it (even with EVERYTHING on).
At this point I must point out - the G1 is a multitasking phone, and there is no way to turn off an app. The previous six programs you used on it are continually open all the time.

- Normal features - the phone has everything I can think of from a normal phone - Alarm Clocks, Calculator, Voice Dialing, Call Forwarding, Bluetooth, etc.

- Miscellaneous (Google Calendar, Apps) - Calendar is awesome, works perfectly. I'm waiting on other Google Apps (like Google Docs and others) to get released. They sync and are displayed so well. Other Apps I've downloaded so far are ShopSavy/Compare Anywhere. These are two barcode scanning apps that give you the best prices on any product AND how close you can buy them. They sound pretty cool, but the things I usually shop for are DVD's/books/video games, which I always buy from Half.com, Ebay or used from Amazon, FYE, and Gamestop (in conjunction with their specific sales). It would be impossible to really hunt for a good deal like that unless you're a person so it just gives retailer prices (Best Buy, etc) which aren't any help to me specifically.
But, if you are looking for something specific that's not media (like a specific mouse you use, or DVD-R's, a PC, a flatscreen monitor, etc) than this could be a big help. It also lets you store a product, enter in a price you're willing to buy it at, and it will alert you if any retailer sells it for that price.
Not too many Apps have been released yet (around 30) and I'm sure it will jump at launch, and then jump again after the public has had it long enough to figure it out and make their own apps.

Pricing (Thanks Brad for suggesting this) - If you're comparing it to the iPhone, the iPhone is more expensive (in every way - and I'll explain that).
Here's the iPhone's pricing - the phone is $200 (8 GB) with a two year service plan. The plan itself is $95 a month (700 minutes, unlimited texts, internet, etc). That's basically the "unlimited" plan. Music downloads are $1, and it's ANOTHER $1 if you want to use them as ringtones. Or you can just buy ringtones from AT&T (iPhone's carrier). AT&T also has wi-fi hotspots but you have to pay to use those too.
With the G1, the phone is $179.99 (expandable memory - has an SD card reader inside) with a two year service plan, and you have two (or so) options when it comes to plans. One (mine) is $40 (high-end voiceplan) + $35 (unlimited text, internet, etc, and 600 minutes per month for the G1), so that's $75 for the comparable plan (both are represented here without taxes). And you don't have to pay for ringtones, and T-Mobile also has wi-fi hotspots, but unlike the iPhone's, they are free.
You can change your normal T-Mobile plan to a basic voiceplan to $30 a month (300 minutes, unlimited nights and weekends), and your G1 plan t0 $25 a month (400 texts, unsure on internet usage) so that's $55 a month total.
On my sidekick I also had insurance on it, which was another $5.99 a month. I find T-Mobile to have the best pricing for smartphones, as I've been a sidekick user for some time - by the way, the Sidekicks do not compare at ALL to the G1.

Overall, I give the phone 4.75 stars out of 5. It's just great - best phone I've ever dealt with by far, and completely kills the competitor. I can't see one advantage the competitor has and things can only get better with the new apps. I've also only had it for a little less than 24 hours, so I will possibly add some updates to this blog as I figure out more stuff - I really am trying to display the flaws as well as the great things about it, and they will perhaps rear their ugly heads as I use it more.
- chuckstaton