The first mobile phone based on Google's Android has just been announced.The T-Mobile G1, made by HTC has gained a lot of attention in the press with all sorts of journalists clammering to fiddle with the thing and pass verdict.
But does it live up to the hype - well, in short, no. That's not surprising though. The hardware is pretty much a standard smartphone - that they've been conservative is no surprise - it's pretty standard in the computer industry to take what’s there and fiddle with it, not to reinvent. One must remember that the software is designed to run on lots of platforms, so the first ones will be very standard. That the software looks very much like other handhelds is a bit more of a disappointment, but one has to remember that the UI is just a small part of the whole - the actual functionality is much more important. The simple truth is that its going to take time before we see if Android is really going to live up to all its been hailed as.
I think the phone would have fared better before the advent of the iPhone and all the lookalikes. That really has changed the map for handheld communications devices. The touchscreen interface looks clunky, the keyboard looks old fashioned and the UI just looks too much like Vista.
But it will be what the developers do with the platform that will be important in the months to come. Can it really carve out a niche in the smartphone market (a market which is ever-expanding) and can the right products be envisaged and realised using this open-source base. That will be the real test for Android - and if it fails, it will be quietly discarded as yet another high hope that didn't quite reach the bar.
4 comments:
I'm quite interested in the Android platform. I own and use a iPhone but wish it did a few things better (or at all), so competition is good.
The G1 does look particularly naff though so lets hope later phones are better.
I fear though that unless it sprouts Exchange support and and corporate friendly security, it'll never really make it in the smartphone market.
Even Apple had to suck that one with the iPhone....
Yep, early days yet.
It's really still early days for the iPhone too - and I agree there are definitely annoyances.
It will be interesting to see what happens (to both platforms).
I have seen a brief demo of the phone through one of those youtube things and it looks like (as already mentioned) every other smart phone. But the same could be said for the iPhone (thinner and a pretty GUI) but what makes the iPhone is iTunes. At present if you have a blackberry or a MS smartphone if you want to install software you have to find it, possible buy it (hoping you don’t get ripped off), install it (hope it not a virus of has spyware), then repeat for updates. iTunes, you select what you want, you paying and then you play, piece of cake. If you are a developer for the iPhone all you need to do is register and then create. Once you have developed your product you ask Apple to verify and then you can easily sell your software (only 30% commission, which is not bad). This makes the iPhone so easy for both users and developers. I am aware of the problems apple are causing with some applications but the idea is sound.
Android future is based on if Google is going to make an iTunes like store (easy to develop, easy to sell, and easy to buy). I still have the feeling that Google are not going to put the effort in that is required. As for Symbian (as long as Nokia only care about hardware), this is dead, it’s going to be open source, only operators are going to care about applications, and they are well known for there feeling about locking down systems. Linux OS will suffer the same problems. I don’t want to even mention MS offering with Windows Mobile; I have had two phones and am more disappointed every time a new version is released. Developing for windows mobile is a dream though!
The other issue I have with Android is that as a user/developer I am going to be fighting the OS to stop the location based advertising. Imagine you have navigation software, you are driving along and then suddenly instead of seeing directions or being told to turn left/right you are faces with an ad and “special offer at pizza hut”.
I think it’s going to be Android RIP (but I could be wrong :-) ).
Openmoko / freerunner seems to have quietly done lots of work, but made hardly anything, which is a shame. It looked very promising for a while. Maybe Android is the next most likely chance of having openness and choice inside our phones.
Given the effort Google have put into sponsoring development of apps, I'd hope they will follow it up with a sensible software distribution system.
Or maybe OpenMoko will release something really amazing really soon. We can hope...
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