T-Mobile G1 Cell Phone Review - Conclusion

Conclusion
The Android operating system is an open platform that promises to appear on devices by other major phone manufacturers, and the G1 is likely just the first of many. Hardware-wise, it's not sexy or exciting in the least, but it offers a little bit of the best of both worlds with its touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard. In its current iteration out of the box, the G1 lacks many of the things many smartphone users seek out, including syncing with common desktop PIM applications and Exchange server syncing. Media syncing leaves much to be desired as well. If you're looking for a polished and refined smartphone, we wouldn't recommend the G1 for you. If you're tired of the same old Palm OS, Windows Mobile, or Symbian smartphones out there and want to try something new, the G1 may be right up your alley.

All in all, the G1, made by an experienced and capable phone manufacturer, works quite well, though we were disappointed with the camera's performance given its specs and the UI interface quirks. If you overlook its size and clunkiness, it should provide a pleasing experience to those who don't want to rely only on a touchscreen for navigation and are comfortable relying on all things Google for personal data management.

Who's It For

Business User
With heavy reliance on Google's web applications and no desktop PIM or Exchange syncing in sight, not to mention the lack of notes and tasks applications, the G1 is a far cry from the average business user's primary communications and organization weapon of choice.

Budget Callers
At $179 with a 2-year contract and the need for a data plan for an extra monthly cost, the G1 is not ideal for the budget caller, though it could offer a good entrance to those looking for an uncomplicated smartphone that shows promise.

Chatty Teenager
With its Big Bertha looks, the G1 is definitely not a stylish cat that will appeal to trendy teenagers, but its fantastic SMS/MMS and IM capabilities could negate that. Call time battery life is decent, but lower web browsing and music playback battery life could be the deciding issues for this group.

Media Maven
The Media Maven might at first be drawn to the G1 based on its stats given its 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera, but will be quickly dismayed with its disappointing resolution results. Without video recording capability or even video playback ability out of the box, the Media Maven will be best satisfied elsewhere.

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