I'm no writer, but I love phones, I love Android, and I figured someone might find my impressions useful. I?m technically inclined?I?m the guy who puts the cables in the right places when my friends can?t figure out why their TVs don?t work?but I?m not an expert in this stuff at all (never rooted a phone or anything). I?m not a reviewer and I?m not trying to compare this to other phones? this will just be my impressions of the phone on its own merits.
Hardware ? The Phone Itself
It?s heavier than phones I?ve had and played with before, but in a good way. It feels solid. It?s heavy in a way that reminds you? oh yeah, this thing costs hundreds of dollars and can do advanced stuff. And the materials add to this effect and make the phone feel more premium. The brushed aluminum and soft plastic feel great, and the keyboard just has this great solid feel. The screen slides smoothly and well, and the hinge is awesome.
More on the hinge? it does have this thing where it?s not solidly in place. If you have the keyboard out and hold the phone above you (as if you?re lying in bed and holding the phone above your head) the screen will slide on its own. But it?s TRULY not an issue. The only time the screen has ever slid on its own was when I was testing this out, it has never happened by accident.
The track pad works perfectly fine. The capacitative buttons work like you?d expect? and I?m a fan of actual BUTTONS, but I still like these buttons. The LED notification is there, but it doesn?t seem to flash when you get a text (although I heard Chomp can make it work). There?s an LED around the trackpad that flashes when you get a call or text though, and that?s pretty sweet.
Stock Froyo Android (!!!)
It feels so much faster than any other Android phone I?ve ever used. It feels snappier than the Droid phones, it feels snappier than the Galaxy S phones. It?s not prone to slowdowns that I?ve noticed on other phones. Overall, this feels like what Android is supposed to be. And don?t listen to the nonsense about how it?s not QUITE stock Android. There?s some bloatware, yeah. But you wouldn?t say that a Windows 7 computer isn?t ?Stock Windows? because of the bloat that every single PC manufacturer puts on it. That?s just how it is? T-Mobile and HTC need the extra little cash from Photobucket to force the app on your phone, so whatever. Open the Photobucket app once, go into Settings, and uncheck the options that keep the app running.
Also, Swype being on the phone rocks. If you?re not a Swype fan, make sure to disable Swype in the options, but I?ve always hated touch keyboards, and I?ve found myself using it quite often.
Overall
Overall, this phone is great. It?s got everything I?ve been waiting for in an Android phone. It?s quick, it works like it should, it doesn?t have compatibility problems with apps. The ?4G speeds? are quite good. The camera works great and has a nice flash, and it?s definitely a decent replacement for a pocket camera (although if you want a lot of pictures, make sure to bring a small point-and-shoot with you.)
But if you?ve been waiting for a phone to upgrade to and you?re considering the G2, get it. If you?ve just been waiting for a decent Android phone with a keyboard, this is the one. I mean, if you don?t like T-Mobile, I don?t know what to tell you, but compared to any other Android phone I?ve ever tried, this is the one to get.
Hardware ? The Phone Itself
It?s heavier than phones I?ve had and played with before, but in a good way. It feels solid. It?s heavy in a way that reminds you? oh yeah, this thing costs hundreds of dollars and can do advanced stuff. And the materials add to this effect and make the phone feel more premium. The brushed aluminum and soft plastic feel great, and the keyboard just has this great solid feel. The screen slides smoothly and well, and the hinge is awesome.
More on the hinge? it does have this thing where it?s not solidly in place. If you have the keyboard out and hold the phone above you (as if you?re lying in bed and holding the phone above your head) the screen will slide on its own. But it?s TRULY not an issue. The only time the screen has ever slid on its own was when I was testing this out, it has never happened by accident.
The track pad works perfectly fine. The capacitative buttons work like you?d expect? and I?m a fan of actual BUTTONS, but I still like these buttons. The LED notification is there, but it doesn?t seem to flash when you get a text (although I heard Chomp can make it work). There?s an LED around the trackpad that flashes when you get a call or text though, and that?s pretty sweet.
Stock Froyo Android (!!!)
It feels so much faster than any other Android phone I?ve ever used. It feels snappier than the Droid phones, it feels snappier than the Galaxy S phones. It?s not prone to slowdowns that I?ve noticed on other phones. Overall, this feels like what Android is supposed to be. And don?t listen to the nonsense about how it?s not QUITE stock Android. There?s some bloatware, yeah. But you wouldn?t say that a Windows 7 computer isn?t ?Stock Windows? because of the bloat that every single PC manufacturer puts on it. That?s just how it is? T-Mobile and HTC need the extra little cash from Photobucket to force the app on your phone, so whatever. Open the Photobucket app once, go into Settings, and uncheck the options that keep the app running.
Also, Swype being on the phone rocks. If you?re not a Swype fan, make sure to disable Swype in the options, but I?ve always hated touch keyboards, and I?ve found myself using it quite often.
Overall
Overall, this phone is great. It?s got everything I?ve been waiting for in an Android phone. It?s quick, it works like it should, it doesn?t have compatibility problems with apps. The ?4G speeds? are quite good. The camera works great and has a nice flash, and it?s definitely a decent replacement for a pocket camera (although if you want a lot of pictures, make sure to bring a small point-and-shoot with you.)
But if you?ve been waiting for a phone to upgrade to and you?re considering the G2, get it. If you?ve just been waiting for a decent Android phone with a keyboard, this is the one. I mean, if you don?t like T-Mobile, I don?t know what to tell you, but compared to any other Android phone I?ve ever tried, this is the one to get.
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