So, i have been using the G1 for some time now, and thought it was time for a somewhat more in depth review. I’m writing this post on my G1 with postbot.
Lets start with the keyboard. The keyboard is quite comfortable, and I can almost type blind on it. I can feel where the keys are because they are slightly elevated and there is a small empty space in between the keys. Typing for a longer time is quite doable, but of course not as comfortable or as fast as a normal keyboard.
The available applications on the android market is filled with most of my basic needs. The most important one is the ssh client, which the app connectbot does damn well. It remapped some of the keys of the keyboard to give some easy access to the ESC or ctrl key. It also has copy support but that a bit cumbersome but it works.
The email apps are doing their work quite good too. There is the gmail app, which can only read the email from your G1 associated account. It does the usual threading just like gmail. Then there is the normal email app with support for imap and pop. I don’t use pop, but I heard it pulls in all email, like all pop clients. Pop is also the only way to have your full email available offline. Imap support is good, and also works with your second gmail account. There is a very small cache for imap, everything else gets pulled in over the air. It would have been nice to have the option to save imap and to use 2 gmail accounts in the gmail app because the email app does not do threading.
Cell reception is good, and haven’t really had problems with that. Wifi reception is decent. In Cologne there is pretty decent 3g reception, and i have to admit, I’m quite amazed by 3g speeds and latency.
Media wise i haven’t really tried too much, the mp3 player was decent but the crappy ear plugs and the lack of a mini jack let it go unused. I need to order a converter cable to use my brand new headphones.
Overall the system is quite responsive, and quite stable. Ive had two spontaneous reboots, and a few crashing apps, but that’s way less than on my p900.
The only thing i dont like about the G1 is the battery life. At tops it has lasted me around one and a half day. Which is short for me. My previous phone (se p900) got almost one week. But i wouldnt trade my g1 for a p900.