HTC Dream / Reviews

here we are at the end of our very first Android-powered review. The T-Mobile G1 made quite a start and had us impressed on quite a few counts. It's far from the perfect package but it gets the things that mater done and gets them done right. The interface is not only up and running, it has purpose and direction.

It maybe a long journey but the first step is daring enough. Instead of trying to expand on an already existing platform Google decided to build a new one from scratch and the effort is well worth it.

The immaturity of the platform has its disadvantages too - the limited third party software and the lack of hardware choices. Those are being addressed as we speak of course and the Android Market will be brimming with software sooner rather than later, while new Android devices should be just around the corner set to launch in 2009.

Read original review at GSMArena.

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The dimensions of the Dream are 117.7 x 55.7 x 17.1mm with a total weight of 158g including the battery. While this may seem pretty hefty, you do have to bear in mind that it has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, so it should be compared with devices such as the HTC Touch Pro and i-mate Ultimate 9502 rather than slim lightweights like the iPhone.

The Dream is encased entirely in a matte-black finish. Unlike in the US where it is also offered in white and bronze, this is the only color available in Asia at the moment. The buttons on the front face of the Dream are all located below the screen in a section that's slightly tilted upward. This looks a little strange at first but it does make the device distinct from the wide range of Windows Mobile devices made by HTC. Aside from the Menu, Home and Back buttons which are required to navigate the OS, there are also the Call and Hang Up keys for phone calls. A trackball is found in the center of this entire portion, which allows you to scroll and navigate pages. This is similar to what you will find on most BlackBerry devices starting from the Pearl and Curve series.

This tilted part is the only front portion of the Dream that does not move when pushing up the slider to expose the QWERTY keyboard. This blocks the right thumb and takes some getting used to. The layout of the keyboard is a five-row one with dedicated number keys at the top. The keys are small but distinct and make for good typing. Keyboards hidden under sliding screens are usually too flat for comfort but HTC has managed to make those on the Dream sufficiently tactile and we were able to type pretty well on them.

Like many of HTC's touchscreen products, the Dream comes with only a single mini-USB port. This is meant for charging, syncing and connecting a wired headset, which means you need an adapter to plug in your favorite 3.5mm audio headphones. A microSD card slot is available on the bottom left side of the device. This is cleverly hidden and can be accessed only when the keyboard is exposed.

Read original review at CNET.

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Even if it's the first device to feature the new Android operating system, G1 seems solid enough to be a compatible option for those who are looking for an iPhone rival. After 2 hours of use, I realized that the G1 was only a shell that kept in the real “pearl,” more specifically Android. It's like you get a PC that has the Windows operating system installed, but if you really want to do something with it you must start installing the applications you need. This is also the case with G1. You'll hardly have time to get bored with the device, as you can do just about anything with it, provided you find the right third-party application.

Read original review at Softpedia.

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The T-Mobile G1 is made by HTC. We’ve been closely following HTC’s rise to fame as the premier Windows Mobile smartphone manufacturer on the planet. HTC makes some seriously high-quality hardware that never fails to impress us - with solid build quality and a penchant for the high-tech, HTC devices deliver on sensory and practical aspects. As such, we expected the HTC-made T-Mobile G1 to be a robust handset packed with the latest mobile technology.

Did the T-Mobile G1 live up to the high standards that we’ve set for HTC smartphones?

Keep reading to find out.

Read original review at IntoMobile.

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The G1 isn't going to blow anyone's mind right out of the gate. Looking only at the hardware, there's nothing here that's particularly impressive, yet nothing that's particularly bad (though the GPS needs some work). It's a fine, solidly designed device that has enough style to please most users -- but it won't win a ton of beauty pageants. Think of it this way: if it were running Windows Mobile, it'd be a footnote in HTC's history.

At the end of the day, however, this isn't about the hardware, and really never was. The story here is Android and what it promises... though doesn't necessarily deliver on at first. Like any paradigm shift, it's going to take time. There is tremendous potential for this OS on mobile devices -- it truly realizes the open ideals laid out by Google when they announced this project. The only problem seems to be the stuff they either left on the back burner, cutting room floor, or hoped would come from that exciting, untapped world of open source developers. While there's plenty to praise in this phone, there's a lot more that's missing -- and some of those missing elements are what we consider to be core components of a device in the G1's class.

Shortcomings aside, though, you're still buying into one of the most exciting developments in the mobile world in recent memory. When you put the G1 up against, say, a Sidekick LX, it seems like a no-brainer for T-Mobile customers looking for a powerful QWERTY device -- especially at $20 less. You don't need to be a cutting-edge mobile geek or a pundit to do that math. When facing off with platforms like the iPhone and Windows Mobile devices, it holds its own, but has a lot of ground to cover before it's really making the competition sweat. Still, if you're just excited to be a part of a platform that's likely going to be around for a very, very long time, the G1's a totally reasonable day-to-day device to make it happen, and we expect some pretty great things from this corner of the market down the road.

Read original review at Engadget.

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If you’ve been waiting for Android then I suggest you keep waiting. The overall OS seems to be held together by duct tape and needs a lot of work. Apple focuses on the minute details to enrich the overall experience for iPhone users and Android could learn a lesson or ten from it.

The hardware design is dated and while the touch-screen and keyboard are great you can’t just forget about the wretched battery life, horrible GPS and the overall ergonomics of it. I wish the G1 were better in every respect because I don’t think the iPhone is that great, but I find myself wishing it were more like it. It’s the best alternative to the iPhone, but it’s just not there yet.

Read original review at TechCrunch.

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The long-awaited HTC G1 (also called the "HTC Dream") smartphone with Google's Android operating system is finally available on the T-Mobile network. Aided by a unique appearance, abundant internal memory, and a powerful processor, the G1 is designed to appeal to smartphone users who demand dependable and constant online access.

The HTC G1 sports a tremendous leap in user-friendliness of smartphones with the help of the Android operating system from Google. If you're looking for an awesome, fast smartphone, the HTC G1 won't leave you disappointed.

Read original review at Tech FAQ.

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Sure, we hit up the press event and got some early hands on action, but there’s nothing like a really solid review, right? We’ve been using the T-Mobile G1 for around a week and we’ve literally combed through the entire device. So much so that we split up the sections piece by piece and separated it into hardware and software.

Hardware:

The hardware part is a little tricky. The phone has supposedly been in development for years, yet we can’t get beyond the feeling that this device is a little bit too prematurely at the prime-time stage. The black model especially just looks like a prototype in a couple areas. One being the four physical buttons on the banana end of the handset. Those are send, home, back and end/power. While the tactile feedback of those buttons is fine, you often times try and select one, and it doesn’t register anything. That’s because of the small size and physical surroundings if you will. They are basically flush with the case, thus making it difficult sometimes to accurately push one of them.

The screen is very crisp and actually offers the second best touch-screen experience ever, yes, compared to the iPhone at number one. For all you Storm lovers, we haven’t officially reviewed the Storm yet so that is why it’s not in this list if it did in fact make it on. It’s a capacitive screen which means that force isn’t necessary. Essentially the touch panel registers the minute electrical pulses in your fingers instead of looking for an actual physical touch input. That works great and we’re happy to say the screen has a high-quality feel all around. It’s not glass, rather a very hard plastic which we love using.

Read original review at BGR.

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Whether you view the T-Mobile G1 as a success or not will depend largely on your expectations. If you are a hard core smartphone user that travels in enterprise circles and expects to find a huge assortment of software available for your device, the G1 will not be for you. At least not yet. But if you are more of a T-Mobile Sidekick type person that is just looking for a fun phone that offers good calling and mobile internet access, then the G1 could well be the perfect cell phone for you.

This is especially true if you are one of the Google faithful that uses that company's services for things like mail, calendaring, IM, and maps. The G1 ties in tightly with these Google services, and will likely support others in the future.

The G1 hardware might not be as slick looking as an iPhone, but the UI has that same kind of look and responsive feel that will please users. And if you are heavy into messaging, nothing beats a hardware keyboard. Even the G1's average QWERTY keyboard puts any on-screen virtual keyboard we've used to shame.

Even though we love the new OS and are pleased that there are no real deal breakers in the G1, there are enough small issues and 1.0 type features that keep us from giving the G1 our highest rating. But with that said, the G1 is certainly a device that deserves your consideration, especially if you are in the market for a mobile internet device that also happens to be a very solid phone.

Read original review at MobileBurn.

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Between the Youtube videos, fan sites, and ever-cranking rumormills, it's like we knew all about the first Googlephone before we ever got our mitts on one: a boatload of apps available through the Market, built-in Amazon music store, 3G, Wi-Fi, Google Maps with Street View, that crazy shape-driven lock code, and so on. Sure enough, all those message board stars are present and accounted for on the G1, but don't worry: There are still plenty of surprises to keep you entertained.

Google4 Surprise #1: Android is pretty freaking on-point for a first-gen software release. Sure, it has bugsWeb pages don't automatically re-size and the zoom feature blowsbut it's also remarkably polished, bristling with nifty tricks. Take the long touch: Not unlike the windows-born right-click, it brings up useful contextual menus. Long touch a field of text, for example, and you get the option to select it, copy it, or paste something in (take that, Jobs!). And though Android's first home is a touchscreen phone, you can tell that the OS was designed to work with hard-buttons as well.

Read original review at Wired.

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Let me say up front that when the phone works the way it is suppose to, I love it. However, I went through 3 of these phones and still have serious issues with the one I ended up with (I'm with Rogers BTW).
- The phone will shut off or freeze up unpredictably and the only answer is to remove and re-install the battery.
- Sometimes when I try to place a call i can enter the number and get to the 'Dialing' message, but the call never goes through. Turn the phone off/on and calls can be placed.
- Battery life is absolutely horrible. If 3G and wifi turned I can't get through a day even if I don't use the phone.
- I tried to do the Magics exchange through Rogers way back when these problems first manifested but the program was suspended and they never followed up (as they indicated they would) if the program was re-instated.

Unhappy with the phone. Unhappy with Rogers.

I finally gave up, dropped my data plan and went back to a simpler phone.

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This phone was great at first, but recently has had serious problems. We are experiencing a problem that some other users are having too. The phone will often lose signal, but still indicate full bars. The 3G service does the same thing. This indicates either a serious software problem or some kind of hardware issue.

Do not purchase this phone if you want to use the services you're paying for.

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this device set the standards for android devices. for its 1st attempt it was bad. when they designed this they made it completely updateable. really good buy for me kept me entertain for months on in.

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As a management consultant who travels almost weekly, I was eagerly looking forward to having mobile email and internet and urged by my wife to get this phone when it came out. However, after nearly two years with this phone, I can't wait for my contract to be up. As an early adopter of the T-mobile G1, I have definitely felt all the downsides of a first generation product.

Pros

- Physical keyboard is handy for texting and surfing the web.

- GPS and turn-by-turn navigation is free and helpful.

- Phone has good integration with Google email, calendar and other apps.

Cons:

- Everything (startup time, apps, navigation, camera) on this phone is extremely sloooooow.

- Software is buggy and phone shuts down unexpectedly at times.

- Battery life is abysmal, the worst on any phone ever. You will need to charge several times per day, particularly if you use Bluetooth or surf the web.

- Syncing of music and other files is primitive compared to iphone/ipod and itunes.

- Lack of standard headphone jack is really annoying when traveling (and you want to listen to music and charge the phone at the same time).

I have a long-time friend who I met recently after many months and lo and behold he had only recently gotten his first smart phone, also a T-mobile G1, and it had even worse problems than mine. After asking him what he was thinking (he definitely should have asked me for my opinion!), I told him to make sure the software was at least up-to-date and that I wished him luck. My friend has a pretty laid-back lifestyle so he likes to crack jokes about the phone matching his pace. He is also more likely to see the phone's flaws as endearing "idiosyncrasies".

I still have a few months left on my contract but given how slow and buggy this phone is, I took out the SIM card and put it in one of the T-mobile "to-go" phones from Walmart. I am paying an extra $25 per month for the G1 service, but anything at this point is better than using this phone.

Recommendation: Don't Buy! Get a smartphone that works or a regular phone and 3G ipad (for mobile email and internet).

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I REALLY LOVED THIS phone...the apps, email, internet, even the text messaging layout is soooooo awesome. The one problem I have with this phone is that I've had it replaced already and it hadn't even been a year. It has a problem with shutting off by itself. I don't get calls sometimes even tho i have a decent battery life and signal. Also, my calls will just drop and not because of signal because the phone freezes up or shuts off by itself. This is a constant frustration with this phone. I love everything about it except for this major problem. :-( I've had a couple friends who also have this phone and they've had to replace it a couple times. I'm seriously considering going back to a normal phone even though I know I will suffer from serious withdrawel from all the awesome features...but I just can't deal with this constant shutting off and having people call me 20 times even though it says I haven't received a call but they are getting frustrated by not getting through to me. Sorry, can't deal with it anymore. OMG no joke, my phone just restarted itself. GRRRRRR

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-Pros-

+ Many Cool Apps (for free)

+ Decent Keyboard

+ Glass Screen (very scratch resistant)

+ Good Camera

-Cons-

- Terrible Battery Life

- Slide mechanism feels flimsy

- Phone freezes a lot

- Not very stylish

I'll keep this simple, the G1 is a great phone. The Android Market is awesome, and there are many free games and apps that will keep you entertained for a long time. But that's about the only good thing I can say about this phone. If you try and navigate through menus too fast or have too many widgets on the screen, the phone will slow down to a crawl. Sometime it will take 10-15 seconds to load the home screen. Also the physical design of the phone is terrible, when you slide open the phone the top half feels flimsy and loose. It's not very sturdy. Also, the battery life is TERRIBLE. You will be charging this phone every day, even if you don't use it much. There's also a long delay when you take pictures.

In closing, the Android OS is very good, but this phone can't run it very well, it just doesn't feel powerful enough. And the design needs work.

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-Pros-

+ Many Cool Apps (for free)

+ Decent Keyboard

+ Glass Screen (very scratch resistant)

+ Good Camera

-Cons-

- Terrible Battery Life

- Slide mechanism feels flimsy

- Phone freezes a lot

- Not very stylish

- Terrible Speaker

I'll keep this simple, the G1 is a great phone. The Android Market is awesome, and there are many free games and apps that will keep you entertained for a long time. But that's about the only good thing I can say about this phone. If you try and navigate through menus too fast or have too many widgets on the screen, the phone will slow down to a crawl. Sometime it will take 10-15 seconds to load the home screen. Also the physical design of the phone is terrible, when you slide open the phone the top half feels flimsy and loose. It's not very sturdy. Also, the battery life is TERRIBLE. You will be charging this phone every day, even if you don't use it much. There's also a long delay when you take pictures.

In closing, the Android OS is very good, but this phone can't run it very well, it just doesn't feel powerful enough. And the design needs work.

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On my previous cell phone I used the calendar feature to send me reminders for every little thing as I forget EVERYTHING. Since this syncs with Google Calendar, I can now update my calendar on the computer and on the phone. Very nice!

After some update, touch-screen keyboard came out. There is just no comparison with the hard keyboard: the TS keyboard is WAY too slow compared to the hard one. That is probably the one reason I would not upgrade to a new Android for a long time, despite the fact that this phones majorly lags in Browser.

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I've owned this phone for about 4 months and I like it less and less every day. The simple fact of the matter is, in certain lighting conditions the keyboard is completely unreadable. I'm looking to replace it ASAP but don't want a black g1 as newer, better options are becoming available.

I actually switched to tmobile just for the g1. The phone itself is fine, just this particular model (along with white) has terrible backlighting issues with the keyboard - there is no fix. I've researched it extensively.

If you are looking at getting a G1, do yourself a favor and get the (ugly) black model. It might look clunkier but at least it is usable.

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Awesome phone, but 4 days after the warranty expired one of the boards fried. Now my phone can not charge my battery. Making my phone a brick. Replacing the whole phone is a $400 dollar affair. I will not shell out $400 a year even for this phone.

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