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Google phone gets mixed reviews

Google phone gets mixed reviews Mixed reviews have greeted the arrival of the long-awaited Google phone in the week of its release.

The G1, just like its makers had hoped, is being compared to the iPhone. However, some reviewers think it is less an iPhone killer and more a device that could wrestle some sales from Apple's God machine in the long-term.

One big advantage that Google believes gives its handset the edge over the iPhone is the handset's slide-out QWERTY keyboard which allows more room for users to read emails as well as making web browsing easier.

Unique G1 selling point number two is Android, a Google-devised mobile operating system for which other companies are actively encouraged to develop applications for.

One such application is TuneWiki, a music player which allows 'mobile karaoke' by flashing up written lyrics on the screen to a YouTube video of the song.

UK consumers who want to have the handset can have it for free if they sign up to an 18-month contract with T-Mobile costing a minimum of £40 a month — or £720 in total.

Naturally, our American friends over the pond can get the G1 phone more cheaply than we can — a two-year contract will only set them back £420.

A British Google phone is still cheaper than the iPhone though, which requires an 18-month contract that typically adds up to £810.

Pieter de Klein, of T-Mobile UK, was surprisingly modest when explaining the G1's possible appeal to the Daily Mail. Mr de Klein thinks that the iPhone will attract custom from people who favour style while the G1 will score heavily with consumers who like substance.

He said: "It is a bit like comparing a Mercedes with a Ferrari. Some people hate Ferraris and like Mercedes, or it may be the other way around. There will be an audience for both."

"The G1 allows users to communicate in two ways — both through the keyboard and the large touchscreen. You can type in a decent message and view it on a big screen."

Craig Wigginton, managing partner for telecommunications at Deloitte & Touche, seems to be firmly in the style camp when assessing the G1's merits: "The white or cream colour doesn't look so sharp while the black is just a little more polished," he said.

Google phone news posted on 25 September 2008

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