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T-mobile G1

The highly anticipated Googe phone G1 has been finally released to much anticipation. The phone had an advantage or disadvantage of being pitted against the iphone. It’s success or failure is bound to be measured in terms of how well it can compete against the holy grail of phones.

This comparision is however a little unfair to G1. One thing is for sure, Google wanted to play it safe and wanted to test for itself the potential of the platform in the most usable way. So beautification was never their primary motive. But the capability realisation was indeed so.

The inclusion of a physical keyboard with exclusion of a soft keyboard summarizes it very well. The primary aim for google is to increase the penetration of its services in the mobile segment. When you use Google search, you need to “type”. Unless Google brings out some kind of a visual search, this is not going to change in the near future. Or the kind of gesture typing is perfected. Hence, the importance of keyboard.

The phone has been thus far well received for a variety of reasons, though not a run away success like the iphone. But, it has definitely changed the battlefield. iPhone made people realize the potential of smart phones. GPhone made people realize the potential of open source. Both are game changers in their own right.

T-mobile G1

The Google Phone is about to be released in a week. This is a combined effort from Google (and OHA), T-mobile and HTC for software, network and hardware respectively. There are manly implications of too many cooks as against Apple’s lone cook cooked iPhone.

Android has gone through a rough phase with speculations that it is getting delayed and might as well be forgotten. However, it is being released on schedule. Many questions arise now that will it be a half baked effort to meet the dead lines or it was just a communication issue.

Whatever, Android is back to grab the headlines. Android Market, an apps store similar to the one on iPhone is touted to bring either success or failure to Android.

People however forget that Android is not only restricted to the phone. It will go in netbooks, embedded devices, televisions, refrigerators and may be future real android’s. Don’t take it lightly, though.