Google Smartphone Appears
Google Smartphone Appears
September 29, 2008: The long-awaited Android-powered phone, the G1, has finally appeared, and while the words “iPhone Killer” have not been uttered as yet it is shaping up to be a very compelling package.
A hefty push into the smartphone market by Google, US telco T-Mobile and handset maker HTC, the G1 is the closest swipe at Apple’s revolutionary iPhone, and one that has the potential to leave it for dead due to its open nature.
A tight piece of hardware combined with Google’s revolutionary Android mobile operating system (OS), the G1 is aiming to be the Ying to the iPhone’s Yang - as open as possible rather than closed and proprietary.
The quality of Apple products is undeniable, however, it is continually under fire for its iron grip. Google is taking the complete opposite route with the G1 and hoping to encourage innovation and community application development with its open platform.
It is hoping, but perhaps one should say relying on developers to dive in as while the G1 shares many similar features to the iPhone and other smartphones, at launch it will be missing some of the crucial functionality needed to woo business users.
For example, Microsoft Exchange compatibility and desktop synchronisation software to keep calendars and contacts in sync have been omitted from the initial release. And while Microsoft office documents can be viewed, editing capabilities will unfortunately be missing initially, which is a bit of a disappointment considering the G1 sports a fancy QWERTY keyboard underneath the iPhone-like touchscreen.
However, that said it does feature native synchronisation features for those using Google internet services such as Gmail and the company’s extremely popular Google Calendar.
Even with the missing features, Google sees the glass half full and has proclaimed the omission an opportunity for third-party developers. Beyond this it also highlights the open nature of the platform right from the start and how - as we have seen with Apple’s groundbreaking iPhone store – third-party applications are the future.
The G1 is the first, but certainly not the only Android phone. A number of companies including Samsung, LG and Motorola are developing handsets to run the OS, and that’s just for starters. The G1 will be released in the US on October 22 and in Europe in early 2009. Australians that don’t want to go the import route will, as usual, have to wait it out as the first Android handset it is not expected to be formally released in Australia until Q2 2009.
As to whether or not the first Android offering can knock Apple off its perch, we’ll have to wait and see.
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