The Android-powered G1 is a great device. From a distance, its looks can throw one off, but get close and experience the functionality and usability packed into the device, and you are likely to get hooked.

I haven’t had this combination of fun and productivity from a mobile device in years! The Android OS is a hit, and developers are lapping it up.

Here’s a collection of pictures of the T-mobile G1 in action, with my commentaries appended. Enjoy!

Home screen in portrait mode. Place shortcuts to applications, widgets or folders on the home screen. That horizontal strip at the top with lots of icons is the notification/status bar. Believe it, those icons are animated. You can also pull down that bar to see more details about the notifications e.g. incoming SMS, new mail, completed downlod. The bar is visible and active system-wide (with a few exceptions), so you never miss a thing.

The G1 home screen in landscape mode with the keyboard slid out. That 5-row keyboard rocks. You can create application shortcuts on the keyboard to launch up to - wait for it - 36 different applications! You can use it to select, copy, cut, and paste text. It also has a Search button for launching Google search. Eat your hearts out!

The G1 has a 3-paged homescreen, and you move from one page to the other by sliding your finger horizontally across the home screen

There's an application tab that you tap or drag to reveal/hide the main menu with application icons.

Browsing applications in the Android Market. The Market is well organised and contains loads of freebies, and not just useless concept apps either: I have a widget that monitors Alireta's web server, a Whois search application, a GatorPeeps app, a Twitter app, a comprehensive Bible, dictionary, GoogleDocs app, a GPS-based location finder, and more - all FREE from the Android Market. In addition, you are notified of updates to any applications you have installed on your device. You tap on the update notification to proceed with updating the app right away. Nifty.

Music Player supports album art, playlists, fast-forward, etc

Video playback is sharp, vivid and crisp in full screen, landscape format only

The camera supports both still shots and video recording (firmware version 1.5 upwards only)

Comic books!! I grew up reading comic books, and I am glad to find that comic books are available for the Android OS. I have read about six (6) till date.

Even more exciting is the fact that a number of key manufacturers have announced that they will be releasing Android devices this year. On that list are: Samsung (Galaxy, BigFoot), HTC (Hero, Lancaster), LG, Motorola (Heron/IronMan, Calgary), and Acer (A1), among others.

Andy Rubin, Google’s Head of Mobile, is reported to have said that 18 to 20 Android phones will be launched this year alone. Indeed, if this happens, I must agree with the folks at Phandroid that 2009 be named the year of the Android.

But whether or not we see 18 to 20 phones this year, I have seen the future of mobility, and it is full of robots. Pun intended.

PS: It is now my firm belief that Android is on its way to giving Symbian a run for theeir money in terms of market share. What do you think? Am I simply infatuated?

I have been working behind the scenes on a concise guide to mobile internet in Nigeria. Nigeria is one of the fastest growing mobile voice and internet countries in the world. This free ebook provides concise but useful information about the available GSM-based mobile internet services in the country.

• 2nd Revision: Mar. 2010
• 1st Revision: Feb. 2010

A revised version is now available for download

I was on my way home after office hours two days ago when I ran into a billboard advertising Nokia’s mobile maps for Nigeria.

This is long overdue, in my opinion, given the fact that Nokia has a huge market here in Nigeria. I have always felt that Nokia downplayed the significance of the Nigerian market with their lack of support for the country in Nokia Maps.

However, the billboard claimed that Nokia Maps is “The First Mobile Navigation in Nigeria”. This is certainly untrue. I can rattle off my head at least two mobile navigation applications that made it to Nigeria before Noki Maps: Garmap for Mobile (which was launched a few weeks back), and Ceaser MobyMap.

This reminds me of Zain’s outrageous claim that with the launch of 3.5G on Zain Ghana, they “inaugurated the first 3.5G network on the continent outside South Africa“. Come on, guys!

The people at Nokia should have done a little research before making such a bold claim as this. Or are they just attempting to bully their way through with it?

Fact: Nokia Maps is NOT the first mobile navigaation in Nigeria. It is NOT even the second.

That false claim aside, we will be looking forward to trying out Nokia Maps in real life usage to see how it performs. Until then, if you have more information about Nokia Maps, you are welcome to share in the comments segment.

234next reports in a news item this morning that Kuwait-based telecom company Zain Group has announced its intentions to sell off its African mobile networks.

If this happens, we can expect another change of name, and another round of re-configuration for internet services (no!) on the 0802/0808 network.

0802/0808 started out in Nigeria as Econet Wireless, transitted to Vodacom for a brief stinct, then to Vmobile, on to Celtel, and now Zain. What’s next? The plot thickens, surely.

I am a fan of the iPhone, for the reason that it spurred a revolution in the mobile market. Apple took apart some of the excuses Nokia and company presented to users and developers each time we clamoured for certain features or changes.

But Apple is beginning to look like it has developed the same one-track mind that the others have. Yesterday, Apple unveiled the new iPhone 3Gs to the public.

I love the new additions, such as the 3 megapixel camera, the video recording, the more powerful processor, copy-cut-paste, internet tethering, and voice control.

But this 3rd coming of the iPhone – the 3Gs – still leaves me asking, What was Apple thinking?

Here are just two issues that I have with the iPhone 3Gs:

1. Why the same shell and casing as the older model? I mean, where’s the innovation in reproducing exactly the same casing? Was cost-saving the only criteria on Apple’s board in doing this?
2. The 3Gs still lacks proper multi-tasking. Doh!

Now, you understand that if I have just two issues with a phone, that phone is a good phone! The 3Gs is good. But Apple got two very vital things wrong.

On the one hand, Apple has offended fashion-conscious phone users, who would not be able to have people differentiate their spanking new 3Gs from the older models. Abomination.

On the other hand, Apple has offended geeky power users by leaving out multi-tasking. What smartphone does not multi-task these days?

A Palm Pre; anyone?

First in my line of G1 reviews was my very own list of 10 Gripes about the T-mobile G1.

Here is the list of 10 things I like about the G1.

1. The user interface. Touch, swipe, and tap, and with a responsiveness that’s rarely seen in touchscreen devices. The icons are attractive as well, and the UI is generally easy to use. I adapted to the G1′s UI in under 10 minutes. No manual. No previous training.
2. Handling of data. If you have multiple access points for GPRS/EDGE/3G/HSDPA setup, the G1 intelligently uses the one for the SIM currently in your phone. And its all done behind-the-scenes and quickly too. Amazing!
3. Web browsing. The browser on the G1 is fast and gets the job done. Cpanel, WHM, online banking, it has handled everything that I have thrown at it with gracefulness.
4. Android Market. I don’t know where to start with the Android market but just say, “It works”. It works very well. Plus, the G1 automatically notifies you when updates are available for any application that you have installed from the Market. Sweet.
5. Customisable Home screen. The G1 homescreen is glorious. You can set widgets for a number of tasks, contacts, shortcuts to applications, folders, and wallpapers.
6. Integration with Google services. The G1 syncs with your Gmail, including contacts and calendar entries. All you need is your Gmail login details, and the G1 does the rest. There’s also a Google search widget, as well as built-in Youtube and GoogleTalk apps.
7. The QWERTY keyboard rocks! Now, I am Mr. QWERTY keyboard on mobile. When I say that the G1 QWERTY rocks, I mean that in my experience, it is second only to that on the E90. And that is a close second.
8. Notifications. There’s a notification bar at the top of the screen regardless of what menu you are in. You can pull it down to view the details of your notifications and then tap to open that item e.g. new email, new SMS, successful download, etc.
9. USB charging. Plug in the USB cable and connect to your PC, and the G1 tops up its battery charge.
10. Multi-tasking. It is multi-tasking spiced up. You can run multiple applications, and if one gets shut down because you ran out of memory, when you launch it again, it is restored to the very state you left it last time. If a download is interrupted (for example, because the data connection is broken), when the phone re-connects, it also resumes the download. Just sit back and relax.

I still have more detailed reviews coming up.

I must say that I am enjoying using the G1. In spite of the limitations that HTC imposed on this first Android device, it is a phone that grows on you. It has grown on me. Now, if only another manufacturer can deliver a QWERTY Android-powered device with none of HTC’s limitations…

Up next: a picture gallery of various interfaces on the G1.

Without dilly-dallying, Palm seems to have pulled a miraculous come-back from years of ho-hum devices. The Palm Pre looks stunning and the operating system, Web OS, performs with a fluidity and Wow factor that rivals what the Mac OS X on the iPhone offers.

The Palm Pre running the stunning new Web OS

But don’t take my word for it. PreCentral has a detailed Palm Pre review, which includes a video that showcases Web OS on the new smartphone.

I have watched the video again and again, and it is obvious that Palm has worked its way up into the top 3 outstanding mobile OS list, namely Mac OS X, Android and Web OS. These three new entrants make Symbian, Windows Mobile and Blackberry operating systems look and feel “old school”.

Here is the video:

For the benefit of narrowband (and mobile) users, We have squeezed the video into an 11mb MP4 file that you can download to your phone for viewing at your convenience.

Don’t forget the massive, detailed Palm Pre review over at PreCentral. It is a must-read.

Oh, by the way, “Well done, Palm. And welcome back to the game!”

I have held off writing on these issues for a while now but I can’t
just take it anymore. I am thoroughly disappointed (not for the first
time) with MTN and it is a pity that there are no better options out
there. As such, I am stuck with them for now.

My problem with MTN’s voice servicce has more to do with billing than the quality of calls. A few weeks ago, I noticed that any airtime that was left on my line was being deducted sometime after 10pm on a daily basis. As I do not load much credit on the line, I overlooked it initially. But things came to a head when on a particular day I had loaded N750 and barely used N150, the N600 left on my line disappeared shortly after 10pm. I only discovered this when I wanted to make a call.

I was annoyed, to say the least. As I could not get through to Customer Care by voice, I got their (Customer Care) email address from their website and fired off an email. A few days later, I receiveed a reply that said there was nothing wrong with my line and that the credit had not been wrongly deducted.

At this same time, I noticed that while browsing pay-as-you-go my line was not being billed immediately.

For example, if I went online and downloaded 100kb at 11am, my airtime would remain the same, giving the false impression that I was browsing free. Much later in the day, I was eventually billed for the internet access. This prevented me from doing a proper reconciliation of data and voice costs.

Funny enough, a day after they sent me the mail, the whole billing issue stopped. But a week later, it started again. Since then, I have learnt to load the amount of airtime that I need/can use before 10pm. Anytime after that, there is the risk of my account balance reading N0.00.

The data issues are the same recurring ones and it is quite annoying
that they continue unabated. I am currently subscribed to the Night
plan (10pm – 5am) with a 3GB cap but I have barely used 1GB with
barely a week left before it expires. When the network is up, it is
superb most of the time but the sporadic nature of the downtimes are
quite annoying. Moreso it appears that it seems to happen when I have some urgent work to do or deadline to meet.

I believe the introduction of a dedicated data customer care number/email would help in bringing these issues to their notice and aid the quick resolution. I would understand downtimes of a couple of hours but when it runs into 8-10 hours as happened a couple of days ago, that’s unacceptable.

Sadly enough, I dont have a back up plan at the moment. Not that there are any appealing options anyway.

1. Etisalat EDGE is way too expensive
2. Zain 3G is non-existent
3. Glo is trouble laden, and
4. My experience with Starcomms is a story for another day

For now, I am not adventurous enough to spring for any other ISP at this point in time.

I am fed up – and that is putting it mildly.

Is anyone out there having the same problems?

The name, Mi-fone, may not ring a bell to many, but the company has been in operation for over a year now, and are now in the Nigerian market with a range of phones that look good, feel good, and at very interesting prices.

Mi is currently running a promo in which consumers can pick up a unit of their Mi-210f for just N8, 000, two units for N13, 500, or three units for N18, 000.

The Mi-210f has the following key features:

• Built-in FM radio
• MP3 music player
• Video player and recorder
• Built-in torchlight
• 64 Chord / MP3 ringtone

Visit the Mi website.

Months ago, Zain announced that its 3G service was live, and some of us were quite expectant.

However, the days, weeks, and months have flown by and Zain 3G is yet to be experienced by the majority of her subscribers who live and work in the very areas that Zain claims 3G coverage.

From Victoria Island to Yaba to Ogba, subscribers keep staring at their phone displays in the hope of seeing the 3G notification icon pop up, but all to no avail.

Dayo and I drove all the way to VI and back yesterday, and not once did we get a Zain 3G signal.

Not once have I seen the 3G icon on any of the 3G phones that I have installed a Zain SIM on. As a matter of fact, even EDGE coverage on the Zain network is scanty – not as bad as 3G, but certainly not available widespread either. At the eendd of the day, the average subscriber in Lagos is left with nothing but GPRS.

Exactly where does Zain have active 3G coverage? Have you used Zain 3G or do you know someone who has?

‘Yomi and ‘Dayo were at the West African International Telecommunications & Information Communication Technology Exhibition (W.Afri.Tel) yesterday and spent some time at the stands of various mobile networks and manufacturers.

There wasn’t much that was new happening on most fronts, but still there are a number of things worthy of a mention. Mobile-related exhibitors at the event include: Etisalat, GloMobile, MTN, Visafone, Multilinks Telkom, Anabel, and Mi-fone.

Detailed reports on the way.

Meanwhile, the exhibition is still on today through tomorrow, so if interested, Victoria Island is the direction you should be heading. More specifically, you’ll be driving into the premises of the Ocean View at 1415 Adetokunboh Ademola Street, adjacent the Bar Beach.

I thought I would start my Android/G1 series by highlighting the things I do not like about the G1. It is a good way to keep the balance, since I have sounded like the G1 (or Android) is the best thing that happened to mobile phones since….. who knows?

Anyway, here is my list of gripes about the Android-powered T-mobile G1:

1. Battery life. Battery life is frustrating! The G1 simply burns fuel like a race car. With semi-intensive use, a full charge barely lasts 7 hours. And that is with the 3G, Wifi, and GPS radios turned off. Go figure.
2. Keyboard backlight. It works well in the dark, but in daylight, the white backlight on the grey/silver keys simply means that you can”t see the characters on the keys without having to turn the device at an angle.
3. Multi-tasking and Application Management. The G1 has multi-tasking, but since there is no way to terminate applications by the user, it is up to the device to determine what applications running in the background to close. At times, it simply closes the very one you would love to have left running. There is at least one 3rd party app that provides this functionality though.
4. No Bluetooth file transfer. Yup; sorry guys but you cannot send or receive music, pictures or any file for that matter via Bluetooth. Bluetooth on the G1 exists only for audio. No way; this is not happening!
5. Inability to install applications on external memory. You can install apps only to built-in memory. Install heavy apps and run out of space ASAP.
6. One general Gallery. All your media files – pictures and videos are presented under one general gallery. Yes; there are sub-folders, but not in a very elegant way. again, 3rd party applications offer alternatives
7. No built-in file manager. Again, 3rd party apps to the rescue here!
8. No built-in MS Office viewer or editor. Once more, 3rd party apps fill this vacuum…

Err… that list contains 8 gripes; right? I tried. I hunted for two more to complete the list but came up with nothing else.

Up next: “Ten (or so) things I like about the G1!”

PS: Apologies to all those who submitted comments to this article. We were in the middle of a server upgrade and lost your comments. Please re-submit. Thanks.