Review: T-Mobile G1 phone

The T-Mobile G1 is being talked about as Google's first phone, which is not quite true. It's actually made by a Taiwanese company called HTC, which also makes Windows Mobile phones such as the Orange SPV series.

The difference here is that the G1 uses Google's Android operating system, which the company hopes to make into a standard for the future, for lots of companies to use. So the G1 is really just a standard-bearer – there will be more following on using the same technology in different ways.

The G1's clearest competitor is the Apple iPhone. Like that phone this one has a touch-sensitive screen, although it also has a slide-out keyboard for typing. That's good for those who don't like the iPhone's on-screen keyboard, but it's annoying to have to flip it out every time. An on-screen keypad does appear for dialling numbers, though.

The screen is a touch less sensitive than the iPhone's – we often found ourselves repeatedly tapping at the same on-screen icon before the phone recognised what we wanted – which was especially a problem for web links. Otherwise it is quite impressive. It's designed to link to a Google account: give it your Google account details when setting it up, and it'll automatically synchronise contacts, email, calendar and chat settings. It can synchronise with a PC as well, but extra software is required to do so.

The phone can access Google Maps and Youtube clips easily, and it also plays music loaded onto it. As with the iPhone it's possible to download extra applications, including games, and the clever Shazam tool that recognises music that's playing in a room.

The G1 itself is fairly well built, although we're sceptical that the flip-out mechanism for the keyboard will last the 18 months of the contract without any problems at all. The phone's body bends slightly at the bottom to move the microphone closer to the mouth, which gives it a pleasant shape in the hand when talking.

Some of the games use the phone's motion-sensing technology for control, but this hasn't been carried through to the rest of the phone – it doesn't automatically switch the display when the phone is turned on to its side, for instance. The trackball at the bottom of the unit is a very good idea, though – it allows for quick and easy control and navigation that nicely supplements the touchscreen. The camera is a disappointment.

Generally, the G1 is an impressive phone, with some nice touches, such as the meter on the standby screen that shows how charged the battery is when it's mains-connected.

At £40 per month it's competitively priced against the iPhone, and that includes more minutes and the same unlimited internet access. Our only real problem with the G1 was having to flip the keyboard out every time we wanted to type, and that is admittedly a matter of personal preference.

Otherwise, the G1 is a surprisingly clever, well-built phone with a number of nice touches that make it a true competitor to the iPhone.

Good points Good screen; excellent connectivity; synchronises perfectly with Google account

Bad points Flip-out keyboard is annoying; email support can be patchy; camera very poor