Official Thread: T-Mobile G1 Q&A - Your Questions Answered

[LordKurgan]

Kaz,

Quick question I heard T-Mobile was providing some type of online contact sync software using something called "T-Mobile Address Book". It was in the feature list on T-Mobile's site. I'm guessing its something that gets enabled on your account when you have the phone. If so could you shed some light on this? Thanks ahead of time.

[Swimm12984]

any word on that app thread kaziko? PS...ur the man!

[mast3rpyr0]

Ok got 2 questions for ya Kaz:

1) Is edge something new or is that just the regular cell service thats been around since ever?
2) why is it that i have service everywhere but places i live? lol i get 1-2 bars in and around my house and 3-5 everywhere else.

[oomikeyboy]

Q. How do we go about resetting the phone to factory conditions? Ie. what if we install too many random applications or something, and we would like to return it back to stock. Sort of like a format or something, is this possible?

[YanivC]

Nice Post Kaz,
Is your phone still getting hot? Now Ill admit Im about as horny as an 18 year old on prom night for this phone, but I currently use the Curve and its an amazing phone. I bought the iPhone for my wife and it truly is an outstanding phone.
I pre-ordered my phone on Sept 23rd at 11:45 am..... am I going to be disappointed?

[tiki]

I'm in an area with no 3G- so I'll be using the G1 with EDGE.

Can you describe exactly what you mean by applications "stuttering" on loading?

What exactly happens?

Thanks a ton!!!

some other questions- will it display flash on webpages?

Can you surf right over to a site hosting FLV files (like youtube, engadget, etc) and watch them?

How do CSS/Ajax elements display in the browser- for example, widgets on Igoogle.com

These will not display at all on a sidekick..

[_SoCal_]

Quick question

When I pre-order the phone on t-mobile, the only color selection is black and brown. Isn't there suppose to be white also? Did the white ran out?

Thanks!

[Swimm12984]

Quick question

When I pre-order the phone on t-mobile, the only color selection is black and brown. Isn't there suppose to be white also? Did the white ran out?

Thanks!

white was never available for pre-order as far as I know. there was rumor of a chipping problem with the paint

I'm in an area with no 3G- so I'll be using the G1 with EDGE.

Can you describe exactly what you mean by applications "stuttering" on loading?

What exactly happens?

Thanks a ton!!!

I believe he means a slight pause in teh seamlessness of the applications...typical for most smart phones on the market (as far as my experience). Don't think it has anything to do with the 3g coverage vs. EDGE...Sounds more like a memory/processing power/firmware issue to me

some other questions- will it display flash on webpages?

Can you surf right over to a site hosting FLV files (like youtube, engadget, etc) and watch them?

How do CSS/Ajax elements display in the browser- for example, widgets on Igoogle.com

These will not display at all on a sidekick..

As far as I know there is no native flash support so no FLV in webpages (hence the onboard youtube application) but the widgets on iGoogle are javascript based I believe so those should work without a problem....since there is an iGoogle link on the G1s main Google search page (from the pictures I've seen)

Ok got 2 questions for ya Kaz:

1) Is edge something new or is that just the regular cell service thats been around since ever?
2) why is it that i have service everywhere but places i live? lol i get 1-2 bars in and around my house and 3-5 everywhere else.

EDGE is just a low-level high speed GPRS...half a step towards 3G....not new at all....most smartphones have un on EDGE networks int eh states up until relatively recently when 3G rollouts started taking place with the different carriers

[christexaport]

kaziko, I really appreciate your response. However, you failed to actually answer some of my questions. Understand that my current primary device is the best smartphone on the market, the Nokia N95 8gb. In order for me to consider this device, I need to know how it really works, and whether the Android platform could possibly contend with the mature Symbian platform.

If applications are in hibernation using no resources, how are the processes still running? If I have a downloader working, a third party messenger, an internet radio app, and your browser all running while creating an office document from text copied from an SMS, the processes of all these apps will require computing resources. Are you sure about your response? Is the term hibernation perhaps the wrong term? (I think I just found the spinach in the teeth of an otherwise hot date.) It is version 1.0, so I'll be watching how its multitasking skills are accomplished.

If you must browse through the menu to switch tasks beyond the last six, the multitasking capabilities of Android are far behind the S60 platform. I'm currently, and always, posting from my device, and never a PC. I have 12 apps running right now while typing this on my T9 keypad, and can switch to either of them in under two seconds. And these apps fully run in the background, not hibernate. I'm wondering what those 36 apps you ran were... Like did Google Apps maintain presence while receiving IM's and downloading in one browser window while watching a movie in another? Real actual multitasking, like on a PC. My expectations are very high, and I want the best torture test I can find.

Don't assume because you don't need a RAM monitor others won't. The Android platform is also a self development platform, and if its like Symbian, users and novice developers will always be testing beta version software constantly in development. Knowing how the device is responding to applications is important to power users that look to push their devices to the limit, like me. I'm a registered Symbian-Freak.com AND Android-Freak.org member. I wring every ounce of power from the most powerful devices made, and its a hobby of mine and millions of other gadget freaks and enthusiasts across the globe.

I know the iPhone's custom YouTube app (created to cover up the fact their "great" browser lacked Flash support) made most people want one too, but most real smartphone users watch from the browser, either via the latest S60 browser, or Skyfire for WinMo. Even my device has a built-in app, and two even better third party award winning freeware solutions. But with a Flash enabled browser, what's the point? The actual page shows and works just like the website, or doesn't it? That's what I'm asking.

If desktop YouTube page works in the browser, it DOES support Flash! What I'm trying to figure is if its Flash7 via Flashlite3 or another way, or Flash8 or 9 level support, and how its done. Flash content won't require a codec, as you suggested, I don't believe. Nokia's Webkit browser uses Flashlite3 to render up to Flash7 content. Skyfire does it with rendering in the cloud on their servers. There are various ways to do it.

You mentioned YouTube performance. Was this via the built in player, or the browser? I'm more interested in the browser, not alternative viewing experiences. I'm sure one of the developers will create a better possibly free solution with multiple website support.

What is the process by which text is selected/copied from webpages? How do you copy a link? And can you save a link without actually pressing it?

You may not need a reboot option, but with an open source platform and device, testing applications mid development will be a common practice. Take it from a Symbian and Windows XP user, reboot is a great function for any smartphone. Anytime you can create and install custom apps, you'll have runaway processes and need ways to manage resources in case of memory issues and frozen processes. Without a true task manager, a reboot will be almost necessary. Otherwise, starting to turn back on will take much longer. This is an example of experience in smartphone design showing. Android has some maturing to do.

Guys, HSDPA, or 3G, is mobile broadband internet, with speeds close to basic DSL. EDGE is 2.5G, similar to old dial-up speeds. This faster internet throughput is the driving force behind the latest features in smartphones. Faster web means the internet can act like it does on the desktop now.

[hyperdroid]

Kaz,

Quick question I heard T-Mobile was providing some type of online contact sync software using something called "T-Mobile Address Book". It was in the feature list on T-Mobile's site. I'm guessing its something that gets enabled on your account when you have the phone. If so could you shed some light on this? Thanks ahead of time.

T-Mobile Address Book is something that is out already on several phones. Basically its a address book back up. When you add someone to your address book in your phone you can have it sync over the air to your mytmobile.com page. So if you ever lose your phone and get a replacement phone, all your contacts will be online. Not all phones have this feature just a couple of them, mostly samsung phones. Hope that helps!