Is it time to subscribe to a printer service from HP?

Ever since my dad brought home an...

What’s the best way of buying a phone today?

How did you buy your latest phone?...

MWC: What device highlights did you miss?

So, early last week I predicted that...

Mobile Industry Review Show – The G1 – Week 40

This week, we’ve turned Google.

And courtesy of T-Mobile UK’s branding of their launch event, we’ve — generally — gone pink, too. Yes indeed, last week we were at T-Mobile’s Winter launch, checking out what’s coming for the all-important Christmas period.

The Nokia N96, the LG Renoir, the E71, one of the top Samsungs, as well as T-Mobile’s own USB Mobile Broadband WiFi Hub (that got Dan Lane very hot under the collar. Despite already having a WiFi router at home with USB broadband stick support, I think he wants one!)

Of course, the T-Mobile Google handset, the G1, manufactured by HTC, is the biggie. For that reason we’ve dedicated most of the show to that. Indeed, we bring you the entire walk-through by T-Mobile’s Richard W. Richard was the event’s assigned G1 expert and he showed us a lot of the device features — we’ve brought you that unedited and direct — almost 10 minutes of it.

What does Rafe Blandford of All About Symbian think of the G1? We bring you his view during the episode. (In fact we’ve got a supplemental show coming this week featuring Mr Blandford in more detail on the G1.)

T-Mobile UK’s Winter launch was also a good opportunity to do some normob (relatively) walk-abouts as we haven’t had the opportunity to do many of those recently. Dan Lane takes the camera — as is right and proper — and follows James Whatley on a tour around the room.

* James takes us on a quick introduction to the event ( 00:58 )

* Rafe Blandford on the G1 ( 02:08 )

* Normob Tour ( 04:00 )

* Ben Smith & Dan Lane walk around each stand at the event ( 08:12 )

* We talk to Will McInnes on his views representing T-Mobile and the new G1 ( 09:52 )

* Richard Warmsley of T-Mobile gives us the ‘official’ T-Mobile G1 walk-through (unedited) ( 12:47 )

* The MIR Show team give their view of the G1 ( 29:13 )

* An finally, we have Ben’s facts ( 33:01 )

A bumper show this week — 35:02 minutes.

30 COMMENTS

  1. thanks for this, the red notification LED no one talked about is brilliant in the ear piece. i want to be able to tell from a glance if i have a notification.

    i want it, but it isn't going to come out in Finland, hello grey market!

    by the way, the out takes in this episode are going to be hard to top. “i'm named after the guy who discovered uranus.”

  2. The platform looks a little more portrait oriented even though most people prefer landscape. Any talk of how we'll do firmware updates? Free on contract?!? Why is it closer to 211$ in the states?

    Brilliant episode.

  3. Actually it's the other way around, a few of the apps will even refuse to work unless the screen is opened and in landscape mode, although that's mainly about keyboard access. The rule is (and, without a accelerometer assisted flip it IS a rule) that if it requires the keyboard, it can only be done in landscape, if it doesn't require the keyboard it can be done in either mode.

    Firmware updates will be pushed out via the operator, which concerns me somewhat as operators are often less than speedy in pushing out updates… but we'll see how we get on with the new and improved “open” t-mobile… don't hold your breath though 😉

  4. you guys were cracker jacked by the end of the show!! awesome!
    the girls at the party were preety awesome too. blondes brunettes and redheads!
    Jimmy was like a kid in the candy sotre doing the normob hahaha.
    how come the 6650 didn't make an appearance in the show? i saw the poster for it in the background.

  5. You make a good point about the 6650. I think it's a really interesting device and want to have a play with one…

    We'll see what we can do.

    ..and glad you enjoyed the 'Walking with Normobs' section this week – a bit of MIR trivia for you: Ewan does ALL the camera work except for this one section. Dan Lane does it… and has done it for as long as we've been doing it.

    What does that tell you 😉

  6. I'm *far* from a regular on this site, and this is only the second of the Mobile Industry Review videos I've watched, but I really did enjoy this episode.

    The lack of formality and political correctness is refreshing, even if it is a tad ott. I wonder if a more tech-centric, rather than a jump-around-the-room-centric review style would prove to be more popular, but hey, I'm just one person. 🙂

    I'll certainly be looking out for more of your reviews

  7. I have messaged Will McInnes to invite him to the next iteration of the London Android Developers Group which is scheduled to take place on Monday 20th October. If he turns up with REAL Android hardware he could be a hero for the night (at least)!

    Details of the event may be found at http://java.meetup.com/170/

    The venue is the Monument pub – which provides us with power, WiFi, leather sofas and reasonably priced refreshments served by very friendly bar staff.

  8. Oh – and you must really STOP describing a show which is so blatently RECORDED as LIVE from London. In my book LIVE means in REAL TIME, not half a week after the event!

    I may sound a bit grumpy – but it is probably because I do not seem to be invited to handset launch parties (even though I have considerable more handsets about my person than most indivduals would deem feasible…….

  9. even tho my grail device is a N85, i may have to renew my contract with at&t and acquire the subsidized 6650 for 129.99 – a 50 dollar rebate for 6 months, or even a year and wait for the N85 to come down a bit and still pawn my 6650 for what i paid.
    from what i've read in HOFO, it's supposed to be a solid device.

  10. click the tv link and catch up!
    best mobile comm video podcast on the web! i wont mention other bloggers, i know how Dan feels about them. ha ha ha

  11. We actually have a couple of 6650's… I haven't been very impressed TBH.

    It's a reasonably well built handset, a bit rough around the edges (literally, the metal corners are sharp!) and the external screen is nifty if not gimmicky. Software-wise, it's just your bog standard S60, no wifi makes it a bit frustrating at times and the camera is awful.

    I don't know where it's aimed in the market… S60 seems a bit much for a low end handset like this.

    … it's a confusing one!

  12. Thanks Dan. That's what I'd prefer. Now if they'd only get the price down on Tmobile USA.

    I hope the XDA people will get this device hackable soon as it's launched.

  13. hey guys thanks for featuring the 6650 on the latest show, week 41.
    eh i'm a xroads with this phone. since the phone selection sucks for at&t, there are only a few phones to choose from. either get the w760, razr v9x, 6650, or the htc touch pro.
    seems like i will have to drop the 300 and get the htc since the other ones are nothing to brag about.

  14. hey guys thanks for featuring the 6650 on the latest show, week 41.
    eh i'm a xroads with this phone. since the phone selection sucks for at&t, there are only a few phones to choose from. either get the w760, razr v9x, 6650, or the htc touch pro.
    seems like i will have to drop the 300 and get the htc since the other ones are nothing to brag about.

  15. hey guys thanks for featuring the 6650 on the latest show, week 41.
    eh i'm a xroads with this phone. since the phone selection sucks for at&t, there are only a few phones to choose from. either get the w760, razr v9x, 6650, or the htc touch pro.
    seems like i will have to drop the 300 and get the htc since the other ones are nothing to brag about.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recently Published

Is it time to subscribe to a printer service from HP?

Ever since my dad brought home an HP LaserJet printer (version 3, if memory serves), I have been printing with an HP. Over the...

What’s the best way of buying a phone today?

How did you buy your latest phone? I'm asking because I'm thinking about what I should be doing. When I was living in Oman, I...

MWC: What device highlights did you miss?

So, early last week I predicted that next to nothing from Mobile World Congress would break through into the mainstream media. I was right,...

How Wireless Will Pave the Path to Neobank Profitability

I'm delighted to bring you an opinion piece from Rafa Plantier at Gigs.com. I think it's particularly relevant given the recent eSIM news from...

An end of an era: Vodafone UK turns off 3G services

I thought it was worthwhile highlighting this one from the Vodafone UK team. For so long - for what feels like years, seeing the...

Mobile World Congress: Did the mainstream media notice?

I resolved this year to make sure I wrote something - anything - about Mobile World Congress, the huge mobile industry trade show taking...