There was a pretty good article yesterday on the NY Times about how Android will compare to the iPhone. The writer, Tim Haddock, actually compares the first Google Android phone, the G1, to the iPhone. Here are some interesting points about the G1 worth looking at:
- touchscreen – just like the iPhone, except it doesn’t support multi-touch
- trackball
- flip-out Qwerty keyboard – business users will like that
- removable batteries – I’m jealous
- 3-megapixel camera – I’m even more jealous
- 25% thicker and nearly 20% heavier than the iPhone 3G – that’s big!
- no headset jack! – how am I supposed to listen to music with that? You’ll need a special headphone adapter to connect to its proprietary design.
- maximum memory slot of 8GB – haha.
- no sync capability with iTunes or even desktop computer at all!
- apps available via Android Market – much better than the highly restricted App Store.
The G1 launches on October 22 and will cover only 22 markets in the US, due to T-Mobile 3G poor 3G coverage. This is supposed to improve with time. For information, AT&T’s 3G network covers more than 275 markets.
Although I am very excited about Google Android, I will not be rushing to buy the new G1. I will wait a few months (years?) until Android is available on other phones and offers more to me than these poor features.
You may read the full article here.