Is the T-Mobile G2 a Worthy Successor?

It’s been almost 2 years since the release of the G1, the world’s first consumer Android phone.  T-Mobile took a chance with Google and started a revolution that has grown and grown for the last 2 years.   The world has adopted Android with a strength almost never seen before.  It was a big gamble for T-Mobile, but it was a gamble that paid off, big time.  Unfortunately, T-Mobile took a back seat for a while and let the rest of the world launch better and better devices when they should have been dominating the Android world, but finally they are pulling back.  With the launch of the T-Mobile G2 reported to be only a couple of months away, the leaked photographs are starting to appear and our hopes for a killer device have been revived.

So what do we know so far from the rumors floating around?

The G2 will have a 1GHz processor:

The current trend for high speed processors is the 1GHz Snapdragon processor, though the Samsung Galaxy S series uses the 1GHz hummingbird processor.  It’s unclear exactly which processor will be in the G2 but we’re hoping for something to match the Samsung Vibrant.  There have been plenty of rumors of faster processors but nothing that appears ready for prime time, so we can assume we’ll be getting the 1GHz flavor of some sort.

The G2 will have a 3.7 inch screen:

I don’t think I’ve read anything yet about the type of screen that will be included in the G2.  Will it be an AMOLED or some other technology?  We know that HTC has been working on their own technology, but we don’t know much about it.  We also know that new technology takes time and wouldn’t be ready for the launch of the G2.  Has the backlog of AMOLED screens caught up?  Let’s hope so!

UPDATE:  According to a post on CellPhoneSignals about leaked info in the WalMart web site, the Screen will be an AMOLED and the Processor will be the Snapdragon.

The G2 will support HSPA+:

HSPA+ will provide much higher data speeds and allow T-Mobile to compete with today’s high speed 4G competitors.  Current 4G counterparts are also incorporating front facing cameras that can make use of the higher data speeds and allow for video conferencing.  From all the photos we’ve seen so far, there is no sign of a front facing camera in the G2.

The G2 will have a hardware keyboard:

The G1 is still the best keyboard ever released for any Android phone.  Full 5 rows and a good, solid feel to each key press.  The G2 looks like it’s adopted the 4 row configuration found in the MyTouch 3G Slide.  Many people complained when they first saw this configuration, but from personal experience and the reaction from the community, I think it actually works better than everybody expected. With the larger body of the G2, the spacing looks better and this keyboard may actually work pretty well.

Are there any areas of concern or disappointment?

Every phone has its flaws.  I don’t think we’ve seen the perfect phone yet and I’m not sure we ever will.  Everyone has their own criteria for what makes a perfect phone so there will always be criticism and as such, the perfect phone will probably never exist.  That said, there are a couple of concerns from the leaked information we have.

No Front Facing Camera:

There is no sign of a front facing camera in any of the existing photos of the G2. Unless they have found a way to hide a front facing camera cleverly in the top bezel of the phone and it simply isn’t visible in the photos.

3.5mm Headphone Socket:

UPDATE: I guess I should have paid more attention to all the angles in the photos so far.  There isn’t a clear shot of the top of the phone which is very likely where the headset socket would be located.  We will just assume it is there.

From all the photos we’ve seen, I can’t see any sign of a 3.5 mm headphone socket.  I wait to be corrected, but I sure hope that there is a connector somewhere that I’m missing in the photos.

No HDMI connector:

Many of the newer high-end devices feature a HDMI connector allowing you to connect your device to a large screen TV or other HDMI compatible device.   Not a big issue as I doubt many people would even use the HDMI connector if one were available.  The content that is available on your Android phone is already available on your computer and many modern TVs with some form of media device like a PS3 or Blu Ray player.  Until the killer application comes along that makes use of the HDMI outputs from this class of device, I wouldn’t consider it too much of an issue.

Will the G2 have the same effect for T-Mobile the G1 did?

I don’t think anything can have the same effect as the G1.  The whole world was waiting for the release of the first Android phone.  Google had such a following before the first device was released that the chances of the G2 having the same effect is very slim.  I do think it will please the T-Mobile fans that finally T-Mobile has listened and produced a sequel to the G1 that is worthy of the name.  People will love or hate the keyboard and will complain if it’s released without a 3.5mm headset connector.  T-Mobile has produced what appears to be a Nexus One with a keyboard and that’s what everybody has been saying for a long time.  It’s late to the game for sure and should have been released 6 months ago at least.  T-Mobile is not the largest, financially rich network and I’m sure they have valid reasons for not doing this earlier so let’s hope the G2 is all it’s made out to be.

Personally I can’t wait for this device and hopefully we’ll get our hands on a review unit. Are you reading this T-Mobile?

What do you think from the photos and leaked information we have so far and will you be getting the G2 ?