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Tuesday September 23, 2008
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One of the more interesting aspects of the T-Mobile G1, the first Android phone, is how much of the software is apparently going to be left to third parties. We'll see how that works out for T-Mobile, and how much T-Mobile and Google actually let people develop.
For instance, I found out today that forget video recording (which the G1 doesn't do) - the G1 doesn't even have a video player. No fear, HTC reps said, there's already a third-party video player in the App Market, and it plays iPhone formatted videos beautifully!
The G1, like all 1.0 devices, is missing a bunch of features: Microsoft Exchange syncing, any kind of desktop syncing app, Microsoft Office document editing, Bluetooth stereo, push email for anything but Gmail, UMA support for T-Mobile's Hotspot@Home service and any support for DRM media, for instance.
The real test for the openness of Android will be how many of these issues third parties can address. Apple, for instance, has made it impossible to write alternative email clients for the iPhone, and difficult to write Microsoft Office software. Will these kinds of apps be easier to write and market on Android? That will be interesting to see. If it's true, Android could become a more powerful platform than the iPhone.
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September 23, 2008 6:26 PM
Sascha, you're famous! I saw you live during the webcast. Still don't get the missing traditional audio jack - seems kinda weird given the market they're going after. PS Spoke to Sling - Blackberry and iPhone take precedence, so I wouldn't expect a SlingPlayer in '08 though it's something they will look at.
September 23, 2008 6:27 PM
Will there be a 3rd party app to allow tethering, lift the Draconian bandwidth cap (1GB) or add a 3.5mm headphone jack? *signed, a formerly excited G1 fan*
September 23, 2008 9:20 PM
I never thought I'd see the day - I'm totally rooting for Google on this one; open development and open access to the platform is the way to go, even if there are drawbacks to it. I just can't really condone with how incredibly closed and sandboxed Apple has been with the App Store and the iPhone. Here's hoping Apple opens up over time, and that Android is a catalyst even for that, but I never thought I'd stand against Apple on something like this. :(
September 24, 2008 4:40 AM
Been watching the dev. of Android for a while now, and have to agree, IF 3rd parties can get the led out and address v1.0 problems, all parties involved might be on to something of real value here. As it stands right now, I'll stick with my iPhone, thanks very much. But I also have to agree with alan - Apple, open up the doors just a bit and let a few more devs into the party. Sticking your head in the literal sandbox isn't going to help anyone here.