More than two years after the G1, Google, HTC, and T-Mobile came together again with the G2. The new device gained a modern design and HSPA+ support while keeping the G1’s physical landscape QWERTY keyboard.
Hardware
The G2’s hardware was tough, premium, and gorgeous. The stainless steel and grey casing made the phone feel like a cousin of the Nexus One. An unlock switch for the battery door was convenient, and a dedicated camera key was a welcome addition. The G1’s trackball was upgraded to an optical trackpad that worked well.
The keyboard was the standout. Buttons were larger than the G1’s, with enough raise to give real tactile feedback. Three customizable Quick Keys along the bottom row could be mapped to apps or shortcuts. The other distinctive feature was the Z-Hinge: instead of a standard landscape slide, the top of the device lifted and moved in an arc to reveal the keyboard. It felt right opening and closing.
The 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and 720p video recording used stock Froyo camera software. Still shots were above average and the two-step camera key helped keep shots in focus. Video quality was less impressive, struggling with fast motion and poor audio. Battery life was excellent, routinely lasting from 7am to midnight with moderate use including Twitter, Facebook, email, 15 minutes of GPS navigation, a couple of calls, and 30 minutes of gaming on the 1300mAh battery.
The hardware had two minor flaws: no front-facing camera, and the widely reported loose Z-Hinge issue. The hinge did occasionally slip on test units, though it wasn’t a dealbreaker for most users.
Software
The G2 ran the Qualcomm MSM7230 Snapdragon clocked at 800MHz. Despite running below 1GHz, the MSM7230’s Snapdragon architecture out-performed earlier 1GHz Snapdragon chips. Gameloft HD games ran without lag. Web browsing was fast even outside HSPA+ coverage, with Flash-intensive sites loading well, though pinch-to-zoom on heavily Flash-loaded pages showed some lag.
The best software feature was the near-stock Android 2.2 experience. Added apps were limited to a few Google apps, the Quick Keys app, and T-Mobile apps including Wi-Fi Calling. Wi-Fi Calling worked well and was one of the standout features, offering clearer call quality than traditional calling. Wi-Fi Hotspot was also included but required an additional plan to use.
The only meaningful software downside was a handful of preinstalled Google apps like My Tracks and Finance that couldn’t be removed without rooting. With over 1GB of app storage and Froyo’s apps-to-SD support, it wasn’t a dealbreaker.
Wrap-Up
The G2 was a fantastic handset that continued the G1’s legacy with unique hardware elements like the Z-Hinge and new capabilities like HSPA+ and Wi-Fi Calling. With dual-core phones arriving in 2011, waiting for a faster T-Mobile device was a reasonable option. But the G2 remained the only high-end T-Mobile option with a physical keyboard, and the best device on the carrier at the time of this review. It offered the stock Android experience and could handle nearly anything thrown at it.
