G1 vs. iPhone: The tale of the tape

Well I have a white G1 and an iPhone 3g 8gb in front of me. I’ve actually owned five G1s now through buying and selling them and I can tell you there us SOMETHING I like about it, I just can’t put my finger on it; however AT THE MOMENT it cannot replace my iPhone owing to a few software shortcomings, and there are also one or two hardware shortcomings. Here’s my roundup:

1 - the camera on the iPhone is better. No contest. I challenge anyone to offer pictures of ten different scenes on both an iPhone 3g and a G1 and show me one that looks better on the G1. No-one will, though they may make an ignorant retort. I have the pictures; I have both phones.

2 - sound. The G1 has a poor speaker. It is about the same loudness as the iPhone 3g but is far tinnier and placed in a very poor position at the back of the unit.

3 - IM - the iPhone offers far more options than the G1, though since the Android platform is new and burgeoning this is forgiveable. What cannot be overlooked though is the lack of Facebook app, if the device is to compete with Blackberry and Apple. Like Windows Mobile it had a third-party attempt at such an app but this is not as slick and comprehensive as the genuine articles.

4 - Email. Whilst the G1 syncs my Gmail account superbly it does not render emails as nicely as the iPhone, nor does it display attached photos as effectively and reliably as the iPhone.

5 - convenience. The G1s Cupcake update in Jan/Feb will offer integrated onscreen keyboard support from within all applications, but I wonder how this will compare to the clever predictive setup of the iPhones keyboard. For the time being it is most invonvenient to have to slide a keyboard out just to answer a text with the word ‘yes’, and one wonders whether this constant sliding will cause the hinge to wear out. There are third party workarounds such as ChompSms and Steel but I want real, out of box integration.

These are my only major gripes.

Oh and for whoever said the Touch HD wipes the floor with these two devices, seriously get real. No Windows Mobile device with. Resistive screen (no matter how high the pixel count) could compete in terms of providing GUI fluidity, the camera is just another smudgy HTC CMOS with a higher megapixel count and underpinning it is the dire stylus-driven Windows Mobile. I dropped windows mobile after the Touch Diamond, I hope HTC will very soon.

To me I thinkthe g1 and I phone and n e other smart phone is the same. In the true essence of it all it’s all the same, eadh company is just taking another company’s idea and just add something to make it seemingly better. There is rarely a noticeable difference between these phones.

look guys no offense to apple. i had the iphone for a long ass time becuz its a superb phone. The g1 came out and i was skeptical bout it. ITS A SEXXY ASS PHONE. u can remove the battery and recharge it with another one. the iphone batterys runs out u cant do nthing bout it. OH WELL G1 ROCKS!!!

“Correction: Android is not an Open Source OS. It is an Open platform.”

Actually you can download the source–it’s open source (free OSS) now. OpenMoko (free OSS *hardware*) is already porting Android to their phone.

Also within the pass month a good number of the above features for the G1 HAVE CHANGED. I got mine last week and can use a 3.5mm headphone, run a itunes like local browser (app), have computer sync (app). Note most of the popular Apple Apps are already ported to Google’s App Market. And Adobe had announced *Flash* will be available on the G1!

The only sore is Active Sync with Exchange support is not on the G1 (yet). But then again, you’re tied to Microsoft.

“You can add video and audio recording on 3G or 2G iPhones for $19.95.” For the G1 it’s FREE.

“I might also add that Apple, by replacing the lithium battery themselves, ensures that their batteries don’t go into any landfills.”

Who knows what Apple does with the batteries. Most states require the owner to drop batteries off at recycling centers (even says recycle on 99% of LiIon due to the explosive nature).

I’ll stick to my Sony Ericsson Z750a. Works on EDGE, GSM, HSDPA and UMTS networks. For $50 from at&t you can’t beat it. I like the fact that its one of the few phones that comes with an FM radio, with Nokia being the other. With a radio I can get fast breaking news and listen my favorite radio stations such as NPR, the best thing is that its free to listen to the radio. I also like the fact that it has an internal modem. I’ve used it to access the internet on my laptop via a bluetooth connection, this comes in really handy when you can’t get a wi-fi connection.

Look’s like i rather keep my n95 8gb for another year, as it still outperforms both phones in usability - 5 meg camera - dvd quality video recording and the ability to use any service provider under the sun, - be it USA or Europe based.

Both the iphone and the g1 are still crap compared to my Win Touch HD from, yes, HTC. Only americains could think either of these phone represent some sort of pinnacle of phone development. They are already around 18 months behind the tech curve, their bandwidth is limited, their cameras pathetic, expansion is constrained, and they are strictly mass market baubles.

You can add video and audio recording on 3G or 2G iPhones for $19.95.

http://www.iphonevideorecorder.com/

Here’s a review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38DgduC4J04

how did you guys come out with a 90 dollar calculation for the unlimited email text for iphone

ex ped: $69.99 for unlimited e-mail and Web access (using the cheapest voice plan, 450 anytime minutes) plus $20 for unlimited text.

Well, I’m currently an AT&T customer, However, I’ve just ordered the T-Mobile G1. I currently own an iphone (1st Gen) so by having the opportunity to owned it and have used it, I am in need of something new. I was thinking of upgrading again as I do almost every year and was going with the 3G, but its just the same as my 1st gen iphone with 3 differences; video, gps and 3G network capable. Hmm, with that said the T-Mobile G1 is NEW!!!! PLUS MORE!!!!

I’m really excited that someone finally came out (15 Months late) to make apple a run for its money. Haven’t you all noticed that apple is an “i” company, ipod, itunes, itv(flop), imac, itouch, and iphone. Its all about itself and I find it a little sellfish and monotonous. Apple a simple advice, let the other software companies in, then maybe you can have different ideas. Besides its not all about you, and the world does not revolve around your “Macworld” well, I take that back, their are some loonies out there and they are the Applefan boyz!!!!

P.S. For Sale iphone - $120….

Apple competes on the elegance of the OS and the ecosystem around it. They control the hardware and software to ensure the highest possible user experience.

Google competes by providing applications in the cloud - gmail and Google Apps on the web. Completely hardware independent, anywhere access from a browser.

The gPhone is the handheld realization of the mobile device connected to the cloud. I can sync Exchange with gmail with minimal effort. I can browse and edit Google App documents with the browser.

Apple sells me Apps, and Music, and provides a seamless ability to manage all content between the home computer and the device. Throw in MobileMe for good measure.

Android is my connection to the universe, using software as a service.

Two very different concepts of how the world works. Which is right? Neither and both. Dollar for dollar, the 3G iPhone has the edge, as a second generation product should have over a first generation product.

Give Google credit for seeing the opportunity - Microsoft conceding the market with dreadful Windows Mobile software (I had a Samsumg Blackjack - nice device, but the OS was awful).

Apple always thinks of the high-margin customer with discriminating taste. Google provides the masses with information. Both know who their customers are and design products to meet their needs. It will be fun to see how Google’s operating system compares with Apple’s iPhone.

I do think Google will provide a way for users to get their 2000 songs on Android sooner than later. The 2G iPhone was revolutionary, but it had growing pains also.

ok first of all, stop complaining about no direct sync. it comes with a micro SD which essentially does the same thing. also, a leak said that it will also have use of amazon unbox video downloads in addition to the already installed amazon mp3 downloads

The G1 has been confirmed to accept a 16GB SDHC microSD. Google also says that firmware updates will allow 32GB cards in the future when they are released.

“Dose anyone get an uneasy feeling thinking about all googles market power?”

Good, Google knows how to run a business. They take advantage of providing everything a user wants. Something companies rarely do now-a-days. I think I’d much rather have Google controlling the market rather than Microsoft.

No one as the samsung omnia..

The one thing that has only been mentioned in one post is that although Apple screens every app that goes on the iPhone there is security as a result.

It will be interesting how long it takes Google to change its tune after the gPhone is out for a while and gets some traction in the marketplace. Apps will become carriers of spyware and malware. Just wait for the news reports that some sixty year old lady got a phone bill for $3000 because the apps she downloaded for the gPhone sent text messages to $4.99 per to some company. You will see Google do an about face and the whole open architecture will become closed. Hope it does well just to keep market pressure on Apple. I would still buy an iPhone if I was going to buy a smart phone.

Neither have VIDEO CAPTURE!
Neither have A2DP!
Neither have A LOADED STYLUS!
Neither has A SECONDARY VIDEO CAMERA!

APPLE iPhone 3G has NO MMS!
APPLE iPhone 3g has NO CUT and PASTE!

G1 has NO 3.5mm HEADPHONE JACK!
G1 has NO SYNC OPTION!

I pray every day that the iMate JASJAR (or O2 XDA EXEC) just gets improved with its software and/or user interface!!!!!!!! This phone has never had ANY competition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Actually, the Samsung OMNIA is close; it’s two downfalls–1) no loaded sylus and 2) no 3.5mm HEADPHONE JACK!)

Personally, I use 2 dixie cups and some string. No network glitches, contracts or compatability issues. The coverage is infinite.

I’ll stick to my Nokia N95 8gb, dosnt have a touch screen and web navigation isnt perfect but 5 megapixel camera with video recording and youtube programming beats both iphone and “gphone”, mp3/mp4, headphone plug, wifi, 3g/2g, gps, no network restrictions [I got T-Mobile prepaid card in mine, works perfect], and it dosnt have any of the apple restrictions and restrictions when it comes to music, no itunes or other software is necesery, windows xp/vista or mac os is all you need.
the new N96 is 16gb build in memory, costs 500$+ but no plan necesery, no restrictions or problems if you need to chenge network for any reason.

“All your complaining is doing is telling these companies what they need to have done by middle of 09. Thats the beauty of Android.”

Care to hazard a guess as to how many apps will be available from Apple’s App Store by the middle of 09? Ever wonder what the next version of the iPhone itself will be capable of by the middle of next year? Don’t kid yourself into believing that they are just sitting idly by, resting on their laurels in Cupertino.

Whoever is mentionning the “gPhone”, completely misses the point here. There’s no such thing as the gPhone:

Android is not a phone, but a platform. HTC makes the hardware, so will many other phone manufacturers. Not Google who’s just about applications.

Therefore, Google is more in direct competition with Windows Mobile or Symbian. And along with their partners (HTC, Samsung??), they are with Apple and RIM.

In term of OS srtictly, it would be more accurate to compare the capabilities of Android with the mobile version of OSX (for iPhone and iPod Touch).

The other thing is that this article does not mention the App Store and the one of Google.

Developers should make a fortune writing apps for Android’s current installed user base.

Joking aside, the G1 will grab all the current Sidekick users and they should be quite happy with the step up in features.

Who is going to give trouble-shooting support to G1 users? Google or T-Mobile?

Poor folk and their computer sync. I just browsed over some of the Google app winners and saw the app that I would personally use for syncing before ANY computer sync. I don’t know about you all but I don’t tie myself to on PC to consider syncing. I have never synced any of my phones or Palms because its just not flexible enough in terms of mobility. This app also claims to allow you to browse and transfer files from your home and work PC’s.

Give up on the naysaying Apple fans. The phones will both have their markets. The G1 in particular is definitely a go for me because of the physical keyboard. But I’d advise you to not worry about the G1 so much. Come Oct 22nd any carrier or handset maker will be able to download customize and distribute Android on devices of their choice with software of their choice. All your complaining is doing is telling these companies what they need to have done by middle of 09. Thats the beauty of Android. You can see this customized on a wide range of devices and with different carriers to please everyone. With the Iphone if you don’t care for the device (which I don’t) then you’re out of luck for having a next gen phone. Android is basically set to become the next WinMo…the default for most smart phone models.

And yet another “semi-smart” phone way late to the game and playing catch-up. The big loser here isn’t Apple but Microsoft who continues to get their head handed to them in the mobile computing platform arena. Apple + Blackberry + Palm + Google Phone = no Microsoft. Oh yeah, by the way, did anyone catch those new Zunes?

Which phone keeps more money in the US? Both are made in China. As far as American jobs, which phone employees more people?

Its manufacturer HTC called it “The most exciting phone in the history of phones.” I compiled a list of all software, hardware and service flaws of G1 and asked the question, “Would Apple have been utterly crucified and AAPL have tanked if the iPhone came out with so many shortcomings?” in:

The Big List: 30 critical issues with Google G1 phone
http://counternotions.com/2008/09/24/g1/

Everyone has their own needs, what you may like or need - someone else will have a different list. The gPhone will sell very well, simply because it’s Google, folks will have curiosity, wanting to be cool, and those who hate Apple. I would not but this phone, but I don’t have an iPhone either. I just don’t like how the gPhone looks and never liked Sidekick slide-out types.

I do want an iPhone, but can wait 1-2 years for more improvements (video cam, 32 or 64GB storage, better cam, etc). Does the gPhone do video? Is the only way to load non-Amazon music & video (if it does video) is to put it on a memory-card then load, that seems too time consuming - how would you make playlist from the card? There are a lot of questions about the gPhone that need to be answered.

Don’t have one, but prefer iPhone = video, podcast, real internet, email, radio (via Last.fm or Pandora), IM, runs SlingBox - gives you live TV, thousands of Apps, easy sync, cam, maps, weather, games, stocks, etc etc etc. Only thing the iPhone needs (to me) is more storage, higher MegPix cam, and video cam.

gPhone is not an attach on the iPhone, it’s more of an attack on Windows Mobile. Google & Apple are valued partners, so folks get off it. Google hates MS not APPL. I hope they both have big success, more people leaving Windows Mobile & RIM the better.

you can’t really compare the iPhone with any other phone without talking about the usability. A smart device is a device that doesn’t require a user to be smart. It is based on a concept “Don’t make me think”, I want a phone that is seamless and I can navigate and get things done without thinking too much about it. Why is that important? well for me there is enough stuff going on in my life that I need to pay attention too or think about. The last think I want to do is worry about how to use my smart phone. I like the Apple’s model of controlling what goes on your iPhone. We know what happens when it is out of control. Look at windows, how many annoying popus do you have to look at on a daily bases. I don’t know why the damn thing slows down as you install more stuff. I think Apple is aware of this issue and that’s why they have a close platform.

I think Android is what is really exciting about this phone. having the first OPEN SOURCE operating system in the US, i have to buy it just for the apps that are bound to come out. but still, no headphone jack?

Dose anyone get an uneasy feeling thinking about all googles market power?

My understanding is that the MOST important difference, not already listed, is that T-Mobile’s UNLIMITED plan is actually capped at 1GB per month. After that, you get throttled to dialup speeds. AT&T’s UNLIMITED has so far, shown itself to be unlimited.

And, why not list the lowest contract plan? Not everyone needs text msging, or they’ve figured out a workaround, to avoid the cell carrier tax.

You need to put the following in your table: the iPhone has tv and movie video download and playback, the gphone does not (both have youtube). The iPhone has the iPod built in, the gphone does not. That is huge

ex ped: Done

So I have to transfer my CDs to a microSDHC card then plug it into the G1? Really?

@ Scott,
Dude it has a microSDHC card. You can take it out and put thousands of music files on it. You should be able to eventually upgrade it to 32GB. SanDisk has a 12GB card available, and 8GB cards are less than $50.

Yaker, Charlotte , NC said:
Yo guys … 20 $ price difference is not what you should look at.

* iPhone voice plans suck - its a fact 80 freakin $$’s for a freakin 400 minutes heck no
* gPhone - use your normal voice plan and pay 35 more on whatever.Rox

That’s not true re. the iPhone voice plans. The iPhone’s $70 plan includes 450 minutes of voice AND unlimited data. So it’s basically just $30 for unlimited data over the standard AT&T voice plan rate.

“* iPhone voice plans suck - its a fact 80 freakin $$’s for a freakin 400 minutes heck no
* gPhone - use your normal voice plan and pay 35 more on whatever.Rox” - Yaker

@ Yaker: Simply UNTRUE. AT&T voice plans are *not* $80 for 400 minutes.

With the iPhone, you add $30 a month (for data) on top of the standard voice plans. Wow, just like T-Mobile!

Pricing between the two carriers is essentially the same. Having previously been a T-Mobile user, and currently being an iPhone user on AT&T, I should know.

Oh, and AT&T doesn’t cap your monthly data at 1 gig, like T-Mobile will.

FUD Different.

Jay Williams said:
“Digital Compass is also on the iPhone.
It is available as a free ap.
battery is replaceable on iPhone
Apple does it for a small fee.”

I might also add that Apple, by replacing the lithium battery themselves, ensures that their batteries don’t go into any landfills.

For those of use worried about the ecological implications, that’s huge!

“No sync?!” Why dont you script kiddies get a job. It’s got a memory slot that is removable… as a contingency.

So, only *crickets* coming from the Microsoft camp… looks as though they are wilting faster than the government bailout!!!

Go Google, good first step, now, lets really impress with the next one not being some Chinese knock-off trash…

Why do people care about computer synch. Stop thinking backwords. I NEVER computer synch my WM device. All my contacts and mail sych through the internet.

So no computer sync means the only music you’ll get to listen to is that from Amazon. How will I load my CD catalog on it?

Yo guys … 20 $ price difference is not what you should look at.

* iPhone voice plans suck - its a fact 80 freakin $$’s for a freakin 400 minutes heck no
* gPhone - use your normal voice plan and pay 35 more on whatever.Rox
* As for sync stuff - its freakin open source - write your own. atleast you dont have steve jobs standing ont he hill like darth vader and destroying and killing any new app which competes with his.

Wow what a disappointment for the G1!! That’s all they could come up with, even having the iPhone as a standard to base a design off of?

As a previous owner of the iPhone, my HTC Tilt is 10x better then the iPhone, looks like I won’t have to worry about an upgrade yet. May be by the time G6 comes out, they will catch up to the iPhone!!

Geeee

Like many others, I think the lack of computer sync is the biggest drawback, though of course it won’t affect everyone equally. To those of us using a phone as a music player, however, this makes G1 not even worth considering. Say I want to put part of my 30GB-100GB music library on my phone.

G1 scenario: spend $70 more on memory to upgrade the 1GB included on top of the $180. Then take forever to load music wirelessly, with possible inconveniences along the way of how to select only the artists/folders I want. If I want to re-sync, go through this pain again and again.

iPhone scenario: no extra memory installation required. I plug it into iTunes, where I check off only boxes next to artists/folders I want to sync, and in 20 minutes I have 7GB of music on my phone. If I want to re-sync it’s even faster. Plus, I deal with a beautiful UI that I am probably used to if I ever owned an iPod (and 70% of US music player owners did/do).

However, I’m sure Google can release another phone (perhaps from another manufacturer and on another network) that would have wired sync.

The problem with pitting iPhone/OS X against G1/Android is that it’s bit like comparing apples to oranges (pun intended). iPhone is one well-integrated device. Google can’t compete on that by definition since they are not as tightly integrated with HTC as Apple’s hardware and software are with each other - but that’s also not what Google is trying to do. They are trying to offer the same platform on many devices and compete on breadth, not on depth. Any one such device is likely to lose to Apple in the short-term, but collectively they have a shot.

Finally, to Bill in NYC: the competitive dynamics in phone and computer markets may not necessarily be the same. Apple has always had the vertical integration model: hardware and software in the same shop. They lost their PC business in the eighties, but they won in music players with the iPod (and more recently started to make headway back into the PC market share). Google, in contrast, is concentrated 100% on software, just like Microsoft did in the eighties. That also means that Android will start to displace Windows Mobile before it even touches the vertically integrated iPhone and Blackberry.

This newest iPhone “killer” is a complete JOKE. Here’s what you’re buying for your whopping $20 off the price of an 8GB iPhone 3G:

1GB of onboard storage
No standard 3.5mm headphone jack
1GB/mo data limit over 3G
Heavier, thicker form factor
No Exchange compatibility
T-Mobile’s woefully inadequate 3G coverage

Yeah, quite a deal. HTC sure didn’t do Google any favors putting out this clunker for the debut of Android.

Why is gPhone compared to iPhone at all?

iPhone is not a market leader no matter how you look at it. Blackberry has the biggest smart phone market, I think even Windows Mobile sells more than iPhone.

Strangely, not once has Blackberry and WM been mentioned in all those G1 articles.

this google phone really reminds me of early apple computers…

very advanced technically, but forgot the most basic stuff.

long time ago, apple came out with a really fast and advanced mac (at the time), but they didnt put in a floppy drive, so there was no way to install other software (cd burners werent invented yet).

so people where saying that Jobs was “too” advanced for the time.

This looks like a repeat of the PC wars between IBM and Apple from the 80s. Apple lost out big time by not letting other hardware manufacturers clone their technogoly. Seems like they might be making the same mistake again.

Wow, from the looks of things the gPhone is going to get it’s you-know-what handed to it! Talk about a disappointment. I would have expected an innovative iPhone killer. Instead they are peddling a HTC Tilt with a new OS, and new childish look. Of course, I could be biased since I have a Palm Treo 750 and just got a iPhone 3G as well…

No computer sync! Really?

My understanding is that gPhone is “tightly integrated” with gMail (and the associated contacts) and gCalendar…I already sync my MS Outlook to gMail and gCal, so that’s what I plan to do when I get my gPhone.

Why is the GPhone even being compared to the iPhone, it shouldn’t be. GPhone was designed from the ground up to be cheap and cheerful. Google is going for the bottom of the consumer barrel (on purpose) whereas Apple aims for the more discerning (read: wealthier) consumers.

This silly comparison is like comparing Target to Bloomingdales. The only thing these two phones have in common is that they’re not from the “classic” handset makers.

I normally dont post on these things but to answer some questions about the sync, that will be done via the Net using Google apps (ie Gmail and Calendar ) as for upgrading the memory that is any standard SDHC 8 Gig Micro SD card so it depends on how much the local Computer Store has them on special for.

Open source O/S being a drawback? Are you serious? Ask a linux person how that O/S being open source is an issue and they will laugh at you.

As for it not having sync ability or access to an exchange server, those are software issues. This means, as soon as someone figures out the software for it, they send either an app or make a software update and instantly it will work. It has a mini-usb which means the sync ability, while not currently there, is ready for the software to have that happen. The exchange server is just another piece of software to get.

For all of you apple fanbois out there, especially you eco freaks, this phone has a detachable and replaceable battery, meaning instead of buying an entire brand new phone, you just replace the battery.

ped: What is the cost to upgrade from 1 GB to 8 GB of memory?

ex ped: T-Mobile hasn’t released any prices, but the G1 takes a standard microSD™ (SD 2.0 compatible) memory card, and if you shop around you can pick up 8GB cards for under $70.

Another downside overlooked is in the US, T-mobile is using 1700 MHz for their 3G. AT&T uses 1900MHz for 3G. So even if the Gphone is unlocked, it will only work on AT&T’s edge network.

Yet again, despite the faults of the new Google phone, Verizon drops the ball.

The major drawback I see of the G1 is the open source O/S. While open source is generally a good idea I would feel much better about a phone whose O/S is a subset of your computer’s O/S. Particularly when that O/S is state of the art (Leopard) and is extremely reliable and easy to use.

Looks likes KID’s phone.No PC Sync and no Microsoft exchange,they can’t compete with iPhone.Here it tells the lack of vision of the product.

Correction: Android is not an Open Source OS. It is an Open platform.

That means google will let any developer or user create applications for the system, but they are not permitted to make changes to the OS. The OS, despite marketing is just as proprietary as Apple’s

ex ped: At the press conference, Andy Rubin said developers COULD change the OS.

How do you measure usability? There were plenty of MP3 players on the market and we all know the story…

No sync with my computer for contacts and appointments?? Thats a deal breaker for me.

Google - come on! I own too many shares of GOOG for you guys not to have had the time and $ to allow computer sync to the device! That’s what would have set it apart from the iPhone and made it a better business option for those who despise crackberries!

No computer sync — seriously??? Surely the reviewer got that wrong?

Without computer sync how would you back it up, or enter a thousand email contacts, or sync your email and music?

What would be the point of owning a wireless device that can’t talk to other devices?

And of course that would mean, unlike the iPhone you can’t use it to control your stereo, playing iTunes.

What a lame device.

Digital Compass is also on the iPhone.
It is available as a free ap.
battery is replaceable on iPhone
Apple does it for a small fee.

Although the memory is expandable isn’t it only up to 8GB? If so, that should be noted. or am I missing something?

Device Control - iPhone, point-and-click is more like just tap. So G1 doesn’t have tap ability, too ?
O/S - you could say Apple’s is open if you count the dev toolkit. More like a meta-O/S
Locking - is the G1 unlocked ? Does it have a SIM that allows swapping to another network ? Apple gets flack for it’s bond to AT&T. Where does the G1 stand in this regard ?
2G/3G - The Apple column is labeled 3G though there are 2G specs listed. Same with the G1. V/D are cheaper for 2G iPhone, which is probably what you default to for the G1 outside the, what, 20 markets w/ T-Mobile 3G? That’s also a good comparison to make - 3G penetration for the carriers.

Thaks for the good start here.

Like the trackball, nice for apps. Google will need to get computer sync or it will die. Google beats the I-phone by having expandable memory and a removeable and replaceable battery. I HATE that Apple products don’t do that.

How about established user base? Unfair to be sure but certainly a factor in terms of growth. Apple has the head start - if people have and like the iPhone then it becomes a matter of does the gPhone do things well enough to encourage a switch. Now overall Apple is still a small player but they have captured significant marketshare of the smart phone market in a short time. I would also assert that people who haven’t switched from Blackberry to the iPhone are going to be less than excited to switch to the gPhone for the same reasons. Would love to see a third column comparing one of the new Blackberry options.

you should mention on the entry level price that with the g1 you get 1gb of memory only and with the iphone 8gb. that is an eck of a difference.
again saying that the iphone is missing the physical keyboard is a fact, but it is also a fact that the g1 one it does not have a virtual keyboard. it can be an advantage on both ways. the iphone is fairly thinner because of that.
the iphone has multi touch technology which allow some operations that are not possible on the g1 which does not have it.

No computer sync! Seriously?