Dead Finger Tech: T-Mobile G1 Google Android smartphone
I posted my most extensive review ever of a mobile phone when the G1 was launched last October and even flew from Washington State to New York for a single day for the G1 launch event. I switch phones quite often, but my T-Mobile SIM has spent at least 90% of the time over the last 9-1/2 months in the T-Mobile G1 and that is saying a lot for a device in my collection. I have since dropped T-Mobile, but unlocked the device first (via legal T-Mobile contract terms) and continue to use it with AT&T.
The T-Mobile G1 is my Dead Finger Tech pick because of the following:
- Capacitive display with full QWERTY keyboard
- Highly functional 5-row QWERTY with custom shortcuts
- Good selection of apps with excellent trial policy
- Easy upgrade of firmware OTA
- Full Google experience with Gmail, Google Voice, and more
- Made by HTC so supportive of extreme customizability from XDA Developers community
The T-Mobile G1 is not perfect (no mobile phone is IMHO) with the lame battery life, rather clunky hardware, and a bit of lagging at times. As a mobile phone geek I actually like the geekiness of the hardware and find the QWERTY keyboard to be one of the best I have ever used so am a bit forgiving of the hardware. I also bought a huge 2300 mAh replacement battery so battery life isn't an issue for me either.
I enjoy the Android OS and am waiting for another device with QWERTY keyboard that runs the OS so I can upgrade my G1, but for now you will have to pry it from my hand.