WOW! T-MOBILE blew it

[docprego]

Finally someone had a chance to challenge Apple. I was seriously excited to see the possibilities Android offered, maybe even buy one. All of the pieces were in place;

-A big announcement with a lot of hype
-An "Apple like" special event to announce the miracle device (btw hire professional presenters next time, these guys combined don't equal one Steve)
-Tremendous clout on board-Google, HTC, and to a lesser extent T-Mobile
-The technology world's attention was fixated on the announcement

Then they go and release the most generic looking phone I could imagine. To make matters worse it lacks some of the most basic features a smartphone should have.

How in the world did they show up to this event without being 100% certain that they had EVERY SINGLE iPhone complaint addressed by their device? They should have held off another couple of months and got all of the features functioning, it should have been an iPhone slaying if they wanted to have a chance.

-Let's see, the iPhone lacks A2DP-what do you know, so does the G1!
-3.5 mm headphone jack-oops iPhone has that one!
-No video playback! They are counting on a 3rd party to add this functionality to their "app store". Apple has this more than covered, their iPod app is brilliant
-Speaking of their app store-it is totally unregulated. Should be filled with viruses and 25 flashlight apps for the grand opening! Apple takes a lot of heat for their app store policing, it is done for a good reason.
-No desktop app to sync the phone! iTunes, 'nuff said
-No exchange support built in-iPhone +1
-No integrated memory. Granted it has a micro SD slot but c'mon iPhone has a minimum of 8GB, eventually it will reach 32GB. Don't forget the phone is not $179 after buying your memory card anymore.
-No multi-touch! How do you bring out an iPhone competitor without one of its most brilliant features?
-Finally the design is just awful. iPhone is the benchmark in elegant and useful phone design.

Sorry Google, major FAIL.

 

[Small White Car]

You seem to be under the mistaken impression that this phone is trying to fight the iPhone.

It's not. They want to suck up everyone who is still using a RAZR phone. There's a ton of them out there.

So it's really not Google's fault or T-Mobile's fault that you misunderstood what they were trying to do. I don't blame you, the press has been talking "iPhone killer" left and right. But I don't believe I've heard one word out of Google that suggests that's true.

Fact is, everyone ELSE made that up and now they're upset that they were wrong.

 

[179202]

I'm not sure if you've heard but the press is quite influenctial nowadays.
Most people don't read googles or any press releases for that matter. They simply read the overview commentary of them.
And besides, fact is, the iPhone is a smartphone and the new android phone is a smart phone. Whether they want to or not, T-Mobile/Google have entered the same market sector and so will have to compete. Sorry, but that's just fact no matter what way you swing it.

 

[Small White Car]

T-Mobile/Google have entered the same market sector and so will have to compete.

Does a $2,000 Macbook Pro "compete" with a $499 Dell laptop?

Should Apple be worried that the Dell is cheaper? Should Dell be worried that the MBP has better hardware?

Not at all, because they target different segments of the laptop buying crowd. And there's enough business, out there for them to each take different segments and still do well.

If you think the iPhone and the G1 just HAVE to compete against each other directly, how do you explain these 2 different laptops? Shouldn't 1 of them "win" over the other if we go by your theories? The fact is, there's room for both.

 

[7on]

I think they'll keep viruses out just fine. For one, Google probably has a team of employees monitoring the store. They never said they wouldn't pull Apps.

Though I think it's kinda crummy requiring a gmail account. Hopefully that's just bad wording on their part.

I like the design. Though I do wish the screen was flush with the edges. I hate how touch screens would get lint in the corners.

MicroSD is good, 8GB sells for less than $20 (though T-mo stores will probably sell them for $50).

It was a big presentation because what is T-mobile's current phone in this class? Oh yeah the Wing. It came out March '06. Runs Windows Mobile. It was the first Smartphone with WM6. Now they have the first Android phone. T-Mobile rarely drops the ball, it's just that there hasn't been anything worth it for consumers. T-Mobile's core business is the lower-middle class. They don't do expensive phones. This is why the conference, because they have a smartphone for their demographic.

True a little bit might be to upstage the iPhone. But T-mobile isn't competing with the iPhone, they're competing with AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. Hell, they even have an iPhone department for customer service (and it's not because of T-Mo D's deal with Apple). In fact, T-mobile would rather you get your own phone and unlock it. That way they still get your money and they don't lose any on a subsidy.

Anyway enough rambling. Android is still young. You have to remember, when the iPhone came out it was EDGE, no app store, no Exchange, could only use Apple headphones, $600, and no music store. We've come far in only a year. Android will jump further than apple did in one year. Just because Google isn't stopping anyone from making a video app, desktop sync, exchange support, putting Android on other handsets, other carriers, etc. Essentially Android is a jailbroken iPhone OTB. Google is just giving the customers what they want.

I do have to admit, the 1GB cap for OTA seems rather absurd. Should be at least 3GB if not more. Maybe they're raise it as they get more 3G towers up?

 

[Compile 'em all]

You seem to be under the mistaken impression that this phone is trying to fight the iPhone.

The G1 is a direct competitor to the iPhone. It was released as such.

 

[mkrishnan]

To make matters worse it lacks some of the most basic features a smartphone should have.

Where have I heard this phrase before? No, no, wait a minute, it'll come to me. This exact phrase?

-No desktop app to sync the phone! iTunes, 'nuff said

This one does bother me -- the Exchange part is concerning. But on the other hand, the device does cloud sync with Google's calendaring and contact services, right? And GMail can manage POP and IMAP accounts, which would also then be on the phone, right? So arguably, aside from Exchange accounts, in some ways this service offers a more basic (but more robust) version of what MobileMe is.

 

[Nicholas.C]

ha, sorry but google sucks at this one... We know that apple iPhone lacks some features, but it isn't nothing like the G1.

 

[hogfaninga]

I think it is premature to say they blew it. Give it a few months after they release it to the public and then you can say that. I think they did a pretty good job for a brand new release and if I owned a iPhone(I won't sign with AT&T--been there, done that), I would be happy. Maybe Apple will implement somethings that phone has that the iPhone doesn't. Competition is good for consumers.

 

[mkrishnan]

-No video playback! They are counting on a 3rd party to add this functionality to their "app store". Apple has this more than covered, their iPod app is brilliant

As I think about it more, this one does concern me also... Programs like VLC always tread a fine line over whether they are compliant with the law with respect to their codec libraries. Microsoft and Apple don't have great reputations for porting their video codecs to systems outside the Windows / OS X worlds. Codec development / optimization costs and licensing fees are something, at least for the major codecs, that I want to pay for as part of my OS / device bundle cost -- I don't want to be paying for all kinds of video codecs on an a la carte basis.

 

[Nicholas.C]

does the 1g have a camrea?

 

[7on]

As I think about it more, this one does concern me also... Programs like VLC always tread a fine line over whether they are compliant with the law with respect to their codec libraries. Microsoft and Apple don't have great reputations for porting their video codecs to systems outside the Windows / OS X worlds. Codec development / optimization costs and licensing fees are something, at least for the major codecs, that I want to pay for as part of my OS / device bundle cost -- I don't want to be paying for all kinds of video codecs on an a la carte basis.

But imagine if VLC came out on Android? Or even an mplayer compatible player.

does the 1g have a camrea?

3mp

 

[Elven]

And no video.

But please sod features just look at the thing, my word it's ugly.

 

[Rojo]

Ok, I can maaaaybe see existing T-Mobile customers getting this, if they desperately want to stay with T-Mobile. If the iPhone didn’t exist, this would maybe be a decent phone to get, I guess. But the iPhone DOES exist, and for those saying that the G1 isn’t trying to compete with it are delusional. Of COURSE it is. Google has been pushing all the things the iPhone does NOT have in their marketing, in an effort to compare and contrast, and try and fool people into thinking this is maybe better than the much-touted iPhone. Sure, it has a few trivial features that the iPhone doesn’t have, but it falls incredibly short on so many MAJOR features the iPhone DOES have.

For those customers where carrier doesn’t matter, or who are at the end of their contracts and can switch easily, why would any of them choose the G1 over an iPhone? So they can have cut & paste? I don’t get it.
So they can have a Market where “anything goes” (I don’t understand how people don’t get that there’s more bad than good in allowing this). About the only thing the G1 has better that actually MATTERS is a better camera, but it’s only slightly better making the trade off not worth it for all the features and memory you LOSE. The G1 is only going to appeal to a select few that want to feel superior because they have a smartphone with cut & paste, but they sadly won’t realize that c&p will never win over a consistent end-user usage experience, iTunes integration, and the all-in-one power of the iPhone. Google took the “customizability” of their phone (which COULD have been a great selling point) way too far, by forcing customers to have to download apps to serve basic functions the iPhone has already built in, or making them attach dongles in order to plug in headphones, or by giving them a paltry 1GB of memory and saying they have to buy more instead of just giving it to them. WTF???

All in all, this is a really disappointing first attempt to steal the iPhone’s thunder. I would hope in a couple of years, and several models later, Google will finally get it right and produce a worthy competitor.

‘Cuz this ain’t it.

 

[Streamer]

Well, as I'm now an expired TMobile customer, they're aiming it at me, but DC isn't yet a 3G market and also they're only expecting you to limit yourslef to 1GB data per month? Bang goes streaming......

 

[mkrishnan]

But imagine if VLC came out on Android? Or even an mplayer compatible player.

I did imagine it. In fact I addressed it directly. VLC is great, but I would be more comfortable with officially licensed support for at least one of the major platforms (either the Windows ones or the Quicktime ones).

 

[gdeputy]

Does a $2,000 Macbook Pro "compete" with a $499 Dell laptop?

Should Apple be worried that the Dell is cheaper? Should Dell be worried that the MBP has better hardware?

Not at all, because they target different segments of the laptop buying crowd. And there's enough business, out there for them to each take different segments and still do well.

If you think the iPhone and the G1 just HAVE to compete against each other directly, how do you explain these 2 different laptops? Shouldn't 1 of them "win" over the other if we go by your theories? The fact is, there's room for both.

are you serious? Both phones are close to 200$, and apples is leagues better. So basically, for 20 more dollars (your contract is already up if your upgrading) you can go to ATT and get an iPhone, or pay 20 less for 1gb storage and a phone that is lacking severely.

I too wanted G1 to be awesome, but it blew it bad.

If you think the target market is that different your a moron, the pricepoint, touch screen multimedia phone is what they are doing with this, which is exactly what apple does as well.

using a 500 dollar laptop and a 1700 dollar laptop isn't even a close comparison. These phones are very close in price, in fact, you would be DUMB to spend 180 on a g1 if you could grab an iPhone for 20 more.

 

[Michael CM1]

You guys are doing good. I'm hitting the name:

What in the hell is up with "G1"????? When you're talking about a cell phone and the existence of a 3G network, how much more confusing do you need to be? The fact that the processors used in Macs up until 2006 were named using the G-series, it's even more boneheaded. People know what a BlackBerry is. People know what an iPhone is. I think people remember what a Palm Pilot is. A G1? Might as well be a sports car or one of your homies (what up, G?).

Say what you want about marketing, but how else do you explain the success of McDonald's?

 

[Aranince]

I really don't think Google/T-Mobile were trying to compete with the iPhone. Their goal was to create an open phone OS that will allow for customization and user apps.

 

[179202]

Does a $2,000 Macbook Pro "compete" with a $499 Dell laptop?

Should Apple be worried that the Dell is cheaper? Should Dell be worried that the MBP has better hardware?

Not at all, because they target different segments of the laptop buying crowd. And there's enough business, out there for them to each take different segments and still do well.

If you think the iPhone and the G1 just HAVE to compete against each other directly, how do you explain these 2 different laptops? Shouldn't 1 of them "win" over the other if we go by your theories? The fact is, there's room for both.

The macbook pro is a professional consumer laptop. The Dell is not. There are different segments of the laptop market, jsut as there are different sectors of the mobile phone market. One of those sectors is the smart phone market. A sector of that is consumer touch screen devices.
Common sense tells me they're in direct competition (this is after all why Apple needed to drop the price of the iPhone with the 3G...so it could compete better). Evidently, you completely missed the point of my factual observation (which is better is a personal opinion).

It's ok though. It will drive both of them to deliver superior products, and in the end we, the consumer, win.

 

[Small White Car]

If you think the target market is that different your a moron

You apparently don't have much experience with the call phone market.

My wife really wants an iPhone, but because she's got an old, good deal with T-Mobile she went with the iPod Touch and kept her RAZR. The cell-phone pricing schemes are such a spaghetti mess that there are a LOT of people who want to stay with their current service provider for some reason or another.

And that's just one example. I know other people who are stuck with their provider because their entire families are on the same one and they enjoy the free calls.

There are also lots of people who refuse to go without a physical keyboard.

So lookie there, I just found 3 groups of people who will not buy an iPhone no matter how much Apple advertises or lowers the price. I'm sure there are other groups like this, but can we put the myth of "no market segments in smartphones" to rest? Obviously there are lots of segments. And the market is so huge, and so un-tapped (most people don't have smartphones at all) that it will be quite some time before Google and Apple have to fight over customers. Probably years.

 

[allmIne]

I think they'll keep viruses out just fine. For one, Google probably has a team of employees monitoring the store. They never said they wouldn't pull Apps.

Though I think it's kinda crummy requiring a gmail account. Hopefully that's just bad wording on their part.

I like the design. Though I do wish the screen was flush with the edges. I hate how touch screens would get lint in the corners.

MicroSD is good, 8GB sells for less than $20 (though T-mo stores will probably sell them for $50).

It was a big presentation because what is T-mobile's current phone in this class? Oh yeah the Wing. It came out March '06. Runs Windows Mobile. It was the first Smartphone with WM6. Now they have the first Android phone. T-Mobile rarely drops the ball, it's just that there hasn't been anything worth it for consumers. T-Mobile's core business is the lower-middle class. They don't do expensive phones. This is why the conference, because they have a smartphone for their demographic.

True a little bit might be to upstage the iPhone. But T-mobile isn't competing with the iPhone, they're competing with AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. Hell, they even have an iPhone department for customer service (and it's not because of T-Mo D's deal with Apple). In fact, T-mobile would rather you get your own phone and unlock it. That way they still get your money and they don't lose any on a subsidy.

Anyway enough rambling. Android is still young. You have to remember, when the iPhone came out it was EDGE, no app store, no Exchange, could only use Apple headphones, $600, and no music store. We've come far in only a year. Android will jump further than apple did in one year. Just because Google isn't stopping anyone from making a video app, desktop sync, exchange support, putting Android on other handsets, other carriers, etc. Essentially Android is a jailbroken iPhone OTB. Google is just giving the customers what they want.

I do have to admit, the 1GB cap for OTA seems rather absurd. Should be at least 3GB if not more. Maybe they're raise it as they get more 3G towers up?

Such a great post. Very well thought out, and you've hit on a point almost everybody else has ignored; the iPhone has had a year to progress from where it started. The g1 is brand new! I'll not repeat everything you've said, but suffice to say, I think you're right. It's unfair to expect the g1 to be competitive right out of the box.

FWIW, the iPhone is much cheaper now than it was when it was first released; hell, I picked mine up today for £0. It's silly to deride the g1 for being $20 less expensive than the iPhone; if it drops as the iPhone has, it'll soon be $100 cheaper, then free w/ contract. As demand evens out, and production ramps up to full capacity, the price will fall significantly, essentially nullifying the pricing arguement.

 

[179202]

You apparently don't have much experience with the call phone market.

My wife really wants an iPhone, but because she's got an old, good deal with T-Mobile she went with the iPod Touch and kept her RAZR. The cell-phone pricing schemes are such a spaghetti mess that there are a LOT of people who want to stay with their current service provider for some reason or another.

And that's just one example. I know other people who are stuck with their provider because their entire families are on the same one and they enjoy the free calls.

There are also lots of people who refuse to go without a physical keyboard.

So lookie there, I just found 3 groups of people who will not buy an iPhone no matter how much Apple advertises or lowers the price. I'm sure there are other groups like this, but can we put the myth of "no market segments in smartphones" to rest? Obviously there are lots of segments. And the market is so huge, and so un-tapped (most people don't have smartphones at all) that it will be quite some time before Google and Apple have to fight over customers. Probably years.

You do realise that you yourself were the one who suggested no market segments (with your macbook pro/dell comparison). Hmmm. Know what you want to say before you actually post, that way, people can respond appropriately.

I'm done conversing with you. Over and out.

 

[docprego]

I have read all of your replies, some good points were made. It still doesn't explain how a company shows up to introduce their iPhone competitor (and I am 100% certain that's what it is) and doesn't have a device ready which can absolutely pulverize the iPhone. My point is they missed their opportunity. With the spotlight on them it was their chance to one up Apple. Do you think they will have this much attention 6 months down the road when a more competitive Android phone is released? No way.

 

[bradl]

I really don't think Google/T-Mobile were trying to compete with the iPhone. Their goal was to create an open phone OS that will allow for customization and user apps.

You're right. Google was NOT trying to compete (directly) with the iPhone. Instead, they are going the other direction and competing with the other mobile phone software that is out there.

Seems that everyone on Apple's bandwagon forgot about Windows Mobile, let alone whatever OS RIM puts on their Blackberry phones. That is Google's target, more than the iPhone. The iPhone is iCandy right now, and while they're targeting the business aspect, They may release something that Apple may want to bring out themselves. But as for competing with Apple? Hardly, and some people here need to open their eyes and realize that Apple isn't the be all/end all in the latest mobile phone wars.

BL.