After using the Android Phone for a week, I would like to let everyone else who want to get this phone some of my own opinions. I guess that you eagerly want this phone, either because it is a new HTC phone, or because it is running on the one Google Android Operating system on the market now?
Firstly I would like to say that I am most probably stuck with this phone for at least the next year or 2, because I don’t change my phone often. Secondly, the main reason why I changed this phone was because my mobile phone contract has ended, which means I am eligible to change a new phone at a good price. Thirdly I needed a device that could connect to the internet and do my stuff while I commute on the train. A laptop would be too bulky, and therefore, the HTC Dream G1 Android phone was the solution.
Now onto the review.
I’ll break this into two parts. The phone functionality and the internet capabilities. This HTC Dream phone does require you to have constant 3G connection to the internet, or known as the data plan. Without this, the phone is pretty much useless.
Phone functionality
When you search for contacts, the big scroll button will shows up and the letters A-Z appears in the center, making it easier to navigate down and find. If you add contacts, there is a function where you probably can save your contacts address on Google maps. The feature is clean and neat.
The SMS isn’t that bad, but I suggest you to get the ChompSMS application. The reason is you can SMS single handedly, without using your keyboard. The SMS are conversation style, like the Gmail or IM. No more annoying “1 New Message” but rather a new “reply” to your conversation. The bad thing here is, I am unable to select multiple sms and delete them.
Maybe there’s a way, do answer and reply to my comments if you know of any. Overall, the SMS and call function are pretty good, and satisfy the least requirement of a phone.
Other Phone functionality
The alarm clock allows you to add multiple clock reminders, and select which day you want it, by ticking it. This is good for me (who always overslept :p)
The main “desktop” or home screen are divided into 3 screens, as shown in my video. This is great because I can put a logical group of applications s to each of these screen. (Entertainment, phone, internet apps) The apps, shortcuts and widgets can be pulled around the interface, leaving you with a customizable desktop.
The keyboard is not too bad, even with my huge fingers, I can type easily without making too much of an error. The main phone interface is very clean and simple, with 6 buttons. The call, home, mouse ball, back, cancel call / lock, and the menu button. There’s this cool unlocking function where you can draw a pattern to unlock the phone. Unfortunately, I have stop using and instead use the normal unlocking method.
There’s this notification bar at the of the phone, so all of your SMSes, new mails, downloads, and other stuff will show as a notification. When you have that, you phone’s LED will show a green blinking light. That is how I tell if there’s a new “message”.
Security with pattern for unlocking function
Settings…
Inside the settings menu, you can toggle wifi, bluetooth, and airplane mode with the wireless controls. There’s also determine location options, where you choose GPS or mobile network signal to find out your location.
There’s also this “About phone”, where useful information about your phone is shown. The battery level is shown in %, and it falls constantly (vs other phones where you have full bar for 2 days and drops to 1 bar within half day) At a galnce you can see your Android and firmware version etc…
For this viagra without prescription week, I needed to recharge my phone every day, so that is something you have to take note. It might be due to the usage of this phone every minute during commute, checking mails and information, writing this blog (Oh yeah), exploring the phone’s functionality, and getting lots and lots of new applications and games for my everyday life.
And so, this will end part 1 of my review. Look out for part 2 in the Categories column !
:) 