theregoesdave

Since the announcement of the T-Mobile G1 yesterday, there’s been a major backlash against the first Android phone regarding its features at the outset. We might expect this considering the long wait to see the first ever Googlephone in the wild. However, are these outcries deserved or simply needless whining?

Matt Buchanan over at Gizmodo catalogs what he calls the G1′s Five Most Obnoxious Flaws including contacts and syncing, video, hardware inadequacies, miscellaneous mp3 issues and being tied to T-Mobile. Others lament the lack of stereo bluetooth or that it’s just not as ‘pretty’ as an iPhone.

Some of these criticisms are certainly true. In fact, Google did leave it up to their Developer Community to close the gap on some of the most important Android applications such as corporate email and a video player. Here’s why that strategy could pay off big for Google.

Developer Community

The Android platform was built to allow developers and users to customize their own experience. While the interface or functionality might not be on par with the iPhone currently, the Android community has already demonstrated their ability to create a large number of useful applications during the Android Developers Challenge. In fact, many of the gaps in functionality that we’re seeing on the G1 have already been solved by open source developers who then just need to apply it to the mobile platform.

Contrast this approach with Apple, who has shaken the faith of their once engaged and passionate developer community in the last few weeks. iPhone developers aren’t even allowed to release applications for things like video or podcasting because they would be competing with Apple’s own software. Google’s approach allows for the best solution and not just the one that it creates.

In fact, Apple may go so far as to require iPhone developers to sign a Non-Disclosure agreement in order to submit their applications to the App Store agreeing not to raise a stink if their application is rejected. This is neither the best way to get the applications that consumers want onto the iPhone nor is it good for the trust between Apple and their developer community.

Capability Versus Potential

Since the majority of the complaints about the G1′s functionality at release are related to software that can be created and installed later, let’s look at the overall potential of each platform.

The iPhone is quite capable and has a bevy of third party applications for its users. The iPhone also has an edge in personal media functionality based on its roots in the iPod and iTunes dominance as a digital music retailer. However, the iPhone will never have applications like VoIP, tethering or any other application that seeks to improve on its basic messaging and communications functions.

The G1 and Android phones in general are still in their infancy, but they have virtually unlimited potential. Users will be able to customize the phone to their hearts’ content and install applications that improve upon the basic functionality of the device. It’s hard to say whether it will ever have quite as slick an interface as the iPhone out of the box, but users that enjoy tinkering with their phone will likely get more satisfaction from being able to customize it.

Overall

While it’s easy to sling mud at the G1 in the near term, critics could find themselves eating crow in the next few years as the Android software stack matures. Google’s strategy for building the Android developer community and ability to maintain a solid relationship with developers could result in game-changing mobile applications. While the G1 might appeal primarily to open source enthusiasts at first view, the Android platform could change the mobile landscape dramatically in the long term.

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