/Rant- G1 VS iPhone

In short, yes as a smartphone and a resounding "No" as a gaming device.

In terms of functionality, pricing, and developer support the Android ranks right up there with the ever popular iphone. The platform checks off everything the end user expects out of a smartphone (touchscreen, app marketplace, gps, 3g, etc), and Android phones are priced lower than their iPhone counterparts.

But there is one crucial thing missing from the Android initiative, something that most reviews of the platform failed to spot. Something so important that its amazing that HTC (developers of the most popular Android device, the T-mobile G1) could even think of releasing the first Android phone with an oversight this large. They have permanently damaged any possibility of the Android ever becoming as popular as Apple's cashcow.

Now what could possibly be so important that it would create an artificial ceiling on the platforms popularity, but be small enough for HTC to miss?

The G1 only comes with 70mb of space for applications and games, this lack of a large internal storage solution limits what updates the platform can recieve, and how many apps can be downloaded before hitting the glass ceiling. Since the G1 was released its quickly become the most popular Android device, therefore all developers hands are tied to adhere to the phones storage issues (not to mention any other limitations a first generation device carries).

This might not seem like an issue, until you consider that developers on the Android marketplace are fighting for your storage and money; so instead of the consumer being able to download what they want they are limited to cherry picking only the most essential applications, things that the G1 didn't ship with on the operating system (Microsoft Office viewer/editor, turn by turn GPS navigation, etc...). And then skipping out on the "discovery" that iPhone users enjoy; hearing about great apps from friends and checking them out for themselves.

Of course you might think that Google would be all over this problem with a patch to the OS, but according the development team there are no plans to bring this much needed feature to future updates, due to "piracy concerns".

Now of course most Android users won't mind this, they'll use their phone and enjoy its features and in two years (once their contract expires) they'll move onto whatever is hot at the time (whether it be another Android device or not), they won't feel compelled like iPhone users do to stay on the respective platform since they won't be making purchases that don't transfer to another platform.

/Rant