Google Android poses little threat to iPhone...yet

Cleve Nettles
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September 23, 2008
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Today's Tmobile-HTC-Google three way Android G1 event was watched intently by those in the technology community - especially by those with the defacto king of the mobile devices, the iPhone.

Well, the good news for iPhone users is that the G1 isn't a finished product yet...you are still king of the mobile devices for the forseeable future.  Most of the functionality of Google's device is in the hands of 3rd party developers.  It doesn't mean that future hardware products won't be more compelling.  Gizmodo made a good table on the features of the leading smartphones, below:

Frankly, we really like Google's attempt, however short they came.  We love the syncing to the cloud.  The camera at 3MP is more of a sweet-spot.   Developers have more of a free reign even though Vista warnings have to come up everywhere...and then there is the physical keyboard.

But, really, its not even close yet.  More videos from Engadget below

 

Comments (8)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | September 23, 2008 - 8:10pm

A nice alternative for the Windows Mobile and the Palm crowd. I was waiting for this to come out but I'll be picking up a 16GB iPhone 3G. I'm not impressed really. I'd say it's a poor man's version of the iPhone and the phone and the software look cheap, clunky and very unrefined. Feels rushed.

Fat Phil (not verified) | September 23, 2008 - 11:48pm

If we step off the soap box for a moment...

This is a good thing for us all. Google and Apple have enormous mindshare in today's culture, at a time where Microsoft are losing customer confidence and Nokia et al are strugging to re-discover what made them successful in the first place.

Without a real competitor there's little pressure on Apple (or, where tarif pricing is concerned, mobile carriers) to bend to the will of the consumer.

The "G1" is just a box, ugly or not... the real threat is Android, and I think we're going to see a *lot* more of it than the iPhone in the press from now on, and in many different form factors.

Apple woke people up, but they're too self-obsessed with "Me Me Me". Now is a very opportune time for something like Android to clean up.

Hell, you only need one thing that the other guy doesn't have to make a killing blow. This thing has a whole bunch of em.

We can start with replaceable battery. That's a sell to me for one. Next?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | September 24, 2008 - 1:19am

I stopped looking when the user guy picked up some iphone junk, who cares about the biggest flop within mobile phone buissness, so much advertisment and hype and only 4-5 million units sold.

It could been interesting to see the Android phone.

Ethan Sisson (not verified) | September 25, 2008 - 9:05am

Flop? "Only" 4-5 million units sold?

You're a little funny in the head aren't you?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | September 24, 2008 - 1:42am

"I stopped looking when the user guy picked up some iphone junk"

you should have kept looking mate! you'd have seen how much better the iPhone is in almost every way! 16gb and 3.5mm jack will be enough of an advantage for most - this thing is 1 gig and no proper jack or proper music software!!!.. i expected a lot better.

Rich Williams (not verified) | September 24, 2008 - 3:41am

"who cares about the biggest flop within mobile phone buissness"

hahahahaha I stopped reading after you said that! Its business by the way

Trotskiii (not verified) | September 24, 2008 - 8:41am

Fed up with Apple's treatment of App Store developers?

SIGN THE PETITION:

www.petitiononline.com/appstore/petition.html

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | September 24, 2008 - 11:51am

does it have mms? cut and paste ? sms forwarding? can you text contacts to other people? if someone sends you a message with a phone no in can you effortlessly add that no to your contacts? you know, the rocket science stuff that no-one has ever got a "smart phone" to do. if it does a lot of people might prefer the google phone to the iphone especially non mac users.