Google vs. iPhone: The Verdict

With the launch of Google's G1 smartphone this week, we examine its pros and cons as well as asking: Will it knock the iPhone off the top spot?

So it's arrived. The phone designed to get nerds' pulses racing up and down the country has finally landed in a store near you. This Friday, Google launched its own assault on the mobile market through its very own 3G smartphone, the G1.

Made by HTC, the Taiwanese manufacturer which brought us handsets such as the innovative Touch Diamond, the G1 combines a nifty touch screen with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Like the iPhone, the G1 offers 3G, GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity. It also boasts a three megapixel camera -- one megapixel more than the iPhone, plus the ability to harness traditional Google applications, such as Google maps.

However, the thing that Google really generates the green-eyed monster over is Android, an open-source operating system designed to raise the bar on the `PC in your pocket' concept as we know it today.

At launch, there are 50 free Android applications available to download to your phone. These highly creative programs allow you to do everything from design your own recipes to sing along to your favourite songs on YouTube, all at the touch of a button.

There is also an application called ShopSavvy, which uses the phone's integrated camera to `scan' product barcodes, which it then uses to run a price comparison search to find the best available prices for that item.

OK, you could argue that it'd be both quicker and simpler to put the name of the product into a regular search engine. However, the point of these apps isn't convenience, but innovation.

This is the sort of thing that gets geeks (including myself) grinning with glee, and with application numbers set to grow as Android grows in popularity - there should be a lot more grinning going on in the future.

Of course, since the launch of iPhone's 2.0 software update, there are hundreds of free and paid-for applications already available from the iTunes store to keep your iPhone brimming with software.

Is it worth it?

Here's how the G1 and iPhone compare in terms of money and the minutes you get:

As you can see, owning either of these phones is going to set you back a fair amount. Exclusive to T-Mobile, the G1 is available free on plans costing £40 per month or more (£720 over the life of the contract), while the 8GB iPhone is free on O2 plans costing upwards of £45 (£810 over the contract period).

You can also get the G1 on a cheaper price plan if you're prepared to fork out for the handset initially.

In addition, both the iPhone and G1 come with unlimited mobile web browsing on all plans, an essential add-on for these smartphones.

All things considered, the G1 does work out slightly cheaper than the iPhone, mainly because you have to fork out less for the handset. However, with both phones currently only available on their respective networks, expect to pay a premium for either of these phones for the considerable future.

Of course, with contracts costing nearer to £1,000 over 18 months, many will argue that these phones are far from Foolish, and you can certainly get more for your money on alternatives such as SIM only deals or pay as you go if you're a light user.

However, I am quite aware that a comparison of these phones involves more than just the numbers.

Style over substance?

Diehard Apple fans will quickly dismiss the G1 as the iPhone's ugly and inferior sister. In terms of aesthetics, they're right. Thicker and chunkier than its fruity rival, the G1 lags behind in the looks department - but then again, when you're up against Apple, most things do.

In terms of entertainment, the G1 also has some catching up to do.

Although you can load music onto its 2GB memory (expandable to 8GB) with ease, you are currently unable to download songs directly onto the phone from an equivalent music store then copy them onto your computer like you can with the iPhone.

In addition, although the G1 does support push email (where you sync your phone to your email account, enabling you to read it on the go), it doesn't currently support Microsoft Exchange, so you can't read your work emails while on the move. (Though my next question is, do you really want to?)

In my opinion, however, the keyword for the G1 is `potential'. It may not look as slick as the iPhone, or be as finely tuned when it comes to stocking it with entertainment, but with Android, the opportunities are truly endless. `Cool factor' aside, the G1 definitely has some tricks up its sleeve.... if you can afford to own it, that is.

Backing BlackBerry

Another phone to watch out for in the near future is BlackBerry's very own offering, the Storm. With a touch screen and media player that works in a very similar way to the iPhone, BlackBerry has taken all its traditional features and transported them into a very sleek handset equipped with a 3.25 inch screen.

The Storm is set to launch in time for Christmas, and will be available free on price plans costing from £40 a month. This includes 600 minutes, unlimited texts, plus unlimited mobile internet and email.

In addition, South Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung are set to launch their own Android offerings next year, which will probably be slicker than this HTC offering.

The 3G market has come a long way since the chunky offerings of yesteryear. Combining this technology with smartphones has created a new niche with a potential big following, and though in my opinion the iPhone may still retain its crown in terms of sleekness, I think it's only a matter of time before its rivals get sexier -- and cheaper too.

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