We’re not going to travel too far back in time for this week’s installation of Throwback Thursday, but we think our selection is very appropriate. With this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in full gear, we’re seeing an unfathomable number of Android phones and tablets announced by dozens of electronics manufacturers. So here at BGR, we thought it would be appropriate to take a short moment to pay homage to the little handset that started it all. We’re talking about T-Mobile’s G1, also known as the HTC Dream.

Released on October 30, 2008 in the United States by GSM carrier T-Mobile, the G1 was the first smartphone to be marketed with Google’s new Android mobile operating system. The G1 — which retailed for $129.99 on-contract and $399.99 full retail — was a horizontal-sliding, full-QWERTY handset with a unique hinge. The G1 paired its keyboard with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro-SD card slot, and navigation trackball. The handsets Achilles heel was, undoubtedly, the humble 1150mAh battery — which proved to be inadequate for the device’s hardware. In April of 2009, T-Mobile officially announced that that it had sold 1 million G1s.

This week, as you see Android devices of all shapes and sizes announced, take some time to pour one out for the device that started it all… the G1.

BGR’s Throwback Thursday is a weekly series covering our (and your) favorite gadgets, games, and software of yesterday and yesteryear.

Last night we posted a friendly survey asking some easy questions about Android. It included the devices that it runs on and also what everyone loves and dislikes most about the platform. We had an awesome response to it in a pretty short time period (over 2,800 completed surveys since last night), so here are the results!

Over 40% of you own Motorola DROIDs (not hard to imagine), and a whopping 11% own Google Nexus One devices. Obviously, this isn’t going to be the norm outside of BGR and the tech world, but still pretty interesting. It also looks as if none of you care about the Motorola CLIQ or Samsung Moment.

We asked what everyone’s favorite part about Android itself was, and as you can see, people seem to be loving the awesome Google service integration on the platform. Customization, as would be predicted, is a pretty big thing as well as the ability to install any application you want, safe or unsafe.

Here’s where it gets really interesting even though this isn’t exactly ground breaking stuff… 33% of you said that the lack of high quality applications is what you hate most about Android, and 24% said the media sections were severely lacking (music player, video player, etc.) But, all hope isn’t lost as when we asked if you could travel back in time and either dump your Android phone for a different one, or even a non-Android handset, only 17% said they would.

Lastly, we asked what Android needs the most to continue competing in the smartphone market, and unsurprisingly, 32% of you said “better applications.” 22% of you said you’d like to see handsets start to get more streamlined and for Android to be a little less fragmented. The 13% that said they’d like Android to be faster or more responsive might have been coming from last-gen hardware like the Hero, myTouch, Eris, or G1 — but hey, Android is still a little slow for us on our Nexus One…

Thanks so much for taking the time to take the survey!

Another year, and even more devices, products, and services to look forward to. Things will be smaller, more advanced, faster, and some new markets might even be defined, but for now, check out the top 10 posts of 2009 (by traffic):

1. Motorola DROID hands on

2. BlackBerry vs. iPhone 3G: yeah, we definitely went there

3. Android 2.0 screenshot walkthrough

4. BlackBerry 9700 Review: Part 1

5. Nokia E71 Review

6. BlackBerry Curve 8900 hands on

7. Palm Pre Review: Part 1

8. T-Mobile’s Walmart roadmap: the wrap up

9. BlackBerry Tour hitting Verizon Wireless in July?

10. Motorola Calgary live photos: Verizon’s second Motorola Android device

Thanks to all our readers, connects, ninjas, and writers!

UPDATE: The above posts are listed by traffic, even if they weren’t published in 2009. Since most people expected just 2009-published articles, we’ve listed those after the break.>

1. Motorola DROID hands on

2. Android 2.0 screenshot walkthrough

3. BlackBerry 9700 Review: Part 1

4. Exclusive Apple iPhone 3.0 screenshots leak out

5.BlackBerry Tour Review: Part 2

6. Palm Pre Review: Part 1

7. T-Mobile’s Walmart roadmap: the wrap up

8. BlackBerry Tour hitting Verizon Wireless in July?

9. Motorola Calgary live photos: Verizon’s second Motorola Android device

10. A handful of FireFox tweaks that will double your browser speed

If you’re currently using every other Android device besides the Motorola DROID, you might have thought that Google was holding out on that navigation love. Luckily, and just in time for your holiday travels, Google Maps Navigation has just been made available for Android 1.6. Now your myTouch 3G, Motorola CLIQ  and T-Mobile G1 can better help you in getting around your in-laws’ town for turkey day with GPS voice navigation, automatic re-routing and Google’s new Layers feature for navigation. Unfortunately for Hero and Eris users, you’re left out in the dark until HTC and your respective carriers crank out that 1.6 Donut update for your phones. We’re crossing our fingers for you that it hits before Christmas.

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A mere two days after its release, Android 2.0 SDK has already been ripped from the womb and ported over to a T-Mobile G1. Currently in the most crude state possible, the cooked ROM runs as quickly as Babe Ruth did at his heaviest (and drunkest).The mere fact it’s able to run without melting the G1 and its 192MB of RAM, though, should give hope that the fine folks over at XDA-Developers will be able iron out enough wrinkles to make it usable as a daily driver. The only question is will G1/Dream and myTouch 3G/Magic users be treated to some delicious Eclairs like Hero users, or will they be stuck stuffing their faces with Donuts? We’re thinking the latter. Hit the jump for a video.

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Sure it looks a bit odd in the image above, but don’t be fooled — Layar’s preview of its updated AR interface is as cool as the other side of the pillow. What’s better than augmented reality? 3D augmented reality, of course. We told you about Layar’s AR browser for Android back in August and since then, it looks like the Layar team has really kicked things up a notch. This morning, Layar released three new videos that preview its new 3D augmented reality browser that is currently on display at the Picnic Conference in the Netherlands. As far as how Layar has implemented 3D objects in its browser, here’s a description straight from the horse’s mouth:

Layar 3D makes use of OpenGL, the accelerometer, the GPS and the compass of the phone. Developers can place 3D objects in their content layers based on coordinates. Objects can be optimized in size and orientation to create an immersive and realistic experience. The 3D capabilities support live downloading and rendering of 3D objects. Actions such as “open link” or “play music” can be assigned to 3D objects.

Layar plans to launch its 3D AR product in November as part of its version 3.0 update and to put it mildly, we can’t wait. Hit the jump for the preview videos.

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Augmented Reality is quickly becoming a hot ticket item in the mobile world and we’ve seen various nifty applications of the technology previewed recently. The key of course, is finding useful and valuable ways to apply AR concepts to mobile devices. Today, a preview of another infinitely useful AR app is making the rounds and we’re digging it big time. While the app name isn’t overly creative — Augmented Traffic Views — the application itself is fantastic. Built for the Android platform, Augmented Traffic Views combines a layer of AR above the device’s camera view with live traffic camera images and traffic data. Simply hold the Android handset up and the AR layer displays all available traffic camera points in the direction you’re looking. Tap one to see the most current available image taken by the cam. The app also packs some added features, such as an automated predictive tracking mode that will pop up traffic cam images ahead while you’re driving. Brilliant. Potentially dangerous, but brilliant. For the time being, Toronto is the only city covered by the app and there’s no word on when it might be available to the public. Hit the jump for the video and keep your fingers crossed that the developer decides to bring his work stateside to hit some major US metro areas as well.

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Ok, seriously… Layar kicks ass. Big time. Sure you look ridiculous swinging your phone around to see which new icons jump onto the screen, but it’s totally worth it. For those who haven’t yet heard of Layar, here’s how it works: Using the camera on your Android handset, Layar displays the world around you with an added layer of location-based content on top. So if you search Google or Yelp for a restaurant, the Layar browser will plot results in a 3D layer above the live video displayed on your screen from your camera. But it gets better. Layar is actually a platform more than anything else, so a number of third-party developers have jumped on board to provide their own layers (or Layars). Currently available content includes Flickr, Wikipedia, Yelp, Google local search, Qype, Britekite, Twitter and more. With Layar’s recent announcement, the augmented reality browser is now available globally on the Android OS — it even ships pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy in the Netherlands. What’s more, the company is already eying the iPhone 3GS and plans to have its browser ready for the handset some time next year. In the meantime, Android users need to hit the Android Market ASAP to snag Layar. Hit the jump for a pair of demo videos.

[Via RWW]

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What’s even more interesting is how Google-branded HTC devices differ in memory compared to straight HTC Android smartphones. Besides any licensing restrictions as far as the Google name is concerned, the reason why HTC’s Sense UI won’t be coming to Google devices is that the built in RAM is much lower than HTC phones. Anyone willing to bet that the HTC Dream will be upgradable beyond Android 1.5 and Google devices again get the short end of the stick?

Just a theory, though…

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It looks as if Google has some sweet, sweet treats headed to those who are going to be left out of the Sense UI game as the company has released the code for Donut to developers. Apparently designed to work on all existing devices (read G1 and Magic), Donut will include such lusted after features including but not limited to multi-touch support, universal search, text-to-speech, automated backups and a redesigned camera app. There are also a bunch of new widgets including a much welcome home screen toggle for things Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, screen brightness and more. CDMA radio support looks to be included within Donut under the call settings menu — something not at all surprising considering Sprint’s Dan Hesse has recently been talking about his company’s intentions with Android. One thing to note is that XDA’s cyanogen claims that Donut is not Android 2.0 but is more or less an incremental upgrade to the OS, like Cupcake was. We’re not too sure yet if this is indeed the case but cyanogen is certainly a reliable source. In the words of Ace Ventura, iiiinteresting. Hit the jump for some screenshots.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Apparently the only way to stop people from continuously sending this tip in is to run it, so here we go: Eric Schmidt was caught rocking a BlackBerry. Oooooooo. Sure Google’s CEO can have his pick from the current stock of Android-powered handsets and likely from amongst a handful of unannounced devices as well. It would appear as though Schmidt knows what everyone else in the free world knows, however — if you want to get stuff done, use a BlackBerry. We imagine Schmidt has a handful of Android devices he uses as well of course, but it’s always fun to point and laugh. So people… Point and laugh.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Though they have only been on sale in Canada for one month, Rogers Wireless has just lowered the 3-year contract price of both the HTC Dream and Magic by $50. This means anyone who wants to pick up either device will be able to do so for $99.99, a very good price for such capable and feature-rich smartphones. As for the reasoning behind the quick price drop, we’re hearing it’s twofold: 1) Rogers wants to make it easier for people to pick up smartphones along with the required (and highly profitable) data plans. 2) The carrier is apparently also having a hell of a time convincing Canadians to snag a smartphone that isn’t made by Apple or BlackBerry — the two most sought after and coveted smartphone brands in Canada. Apparently the “Revoution” was anything but.

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Over the past few month, we’ve seen several sites run cost comparisons on the latest and greatest smartphones from each of the top four carriers in the US. Good — presenting readers with cost analysis is always a good idea. We’re finding that just about all of these comparisons do so on the high end of the spectrum however, comparing the cost of owning each of these great smartphones along with the most expensive plans available from their respective carrier. Fair enough, we suppose. The simple fact of the matter is that not everyone is interested in an expensive unlimited plan though. For these people, comparing the maximum possible cost of several smartphones definitely makes for an exciting read, but we don’t know how useful it really is.

Unlimited plans continue to gain popularity as cost is driven down but the fact of the matter is that they’re just not for everyone. As such, rather than compare the highest possible cost of four popular smartphones maybe it makes a bit more sense to compare their relative entry-level costs — the base price, where most comparisons happen. Yeah, let’s give that a shot…

T-Mobile G1

Handset: $149.99
Monthly cost [UPDATED]: $29.99 voice plan (300 minutes, unlimited weekends), $24.99 T-Mobile G1 Unlimited Web (unlimited Web/email/data)

$54.98/month — $1,319.52 over 2 years + $149.99 for the phone

Total: $1,469.51 (excludes SMS/MMS, starting at $5/month)

Sprint, Palm Pre

Handset: $199.99 (after $100 rebate)
Activation fee: $36
Monthly cost [UPDATED]: $69.99 Everything Data Plan (450 minutes, unlimited nights/weekends, unlimited mobile to mobile, unlimited Web/email/data, unlimited SMS/MMS, unlimited GPS navigation)

$69.99/month — $1,679.76 over 2 years + $235.99 for the phone plus activation (after $100 mail-in rebate)

Total: $1,915.75 (after $100 mail-in rebate)

Verizon Wireless, BlackBerry Storm

Handset: $149.99
Activation fee: $35
Monthly cost: $39.99 voice plan (450 minutes, unlimited nights/weekends, unlimited mobile to mobile), $29.99 Email and Web for BlackBerry (BIS, Web)

$69.98/month — $1,679.52 over 2 years (excluding SMS/MMS) + $184.99 for the phone plus activation

Total: $1,864.51 (excludes SMS/MMS, starting at $5/month)

AT&T, Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB

Handset : $199
Activation fee: $36
Monthly cost: $39.99 Nation 450 w/Rollover (450 minutes, 5000 night/weekend minutes, unlimited mobile to mobile), $30 Data Plan for iPhone (unlimited Web/email/data)

$69.99/month — $1,679.76 over 2 years + $235 for the phone plus activation

Total: $1,914.76 (excludes SMS/MMS, starting at $5/month)

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So what have we learned here? Look at your potential purchases from your own unique perspective. Wireless plans are complicated and should not be handled on an even playing field; each carrier has similarly priced plan options that feature both high and low points. For example, the bare-bones entry plan for the G1 reduces the two-year cost of the handset dramatically compared to the three other handseys but it only affords the user 300 minutes each month and doesn’t include free nights as other plans do. It’s all about give and take. Most importantly perhaps, don’t go to an AT&T/Sprint/T-Mobile/Verizon Wireless shop and expect to get help that is in your best interest. Don’t take media or a blogger’s word for it wither. Determine what matters most to you — whether it’s more minutes, unlimited messaging, etc — and do your own research with those things in mind. An educated consumer is a happy consumer.

It was pretty much expected that T-Mobile USA’s Android phones would be passed over where HTC’s Sense UI is concerned, but we still got our hopes up just a little when HTC CEO Peter Chou said the UI would be hitting current handsets. According to some statements reportedly made by an HTC representative, Android devices that bear “with Google” branding such as T-Mobile’s G1/myTouch 3G and Vodafone’s Magic will indeed not receive Sense due to licensing issues with Google. But it gets worse. Some handsets that don’t have the “with Google” mark are reportedly not even guaranteed to be getting the update either as a result of licensing, logistics and cost issues. Of course, it’s not quite a nightmare scenario considering anyone who is capable of following a tutorial will be able to load a custom ROM onto an upgrade-ineligible device. But still, it would’ve been cool to not have to worry about custom ROMs.

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Sure, current Android handset owners, it’s understandable that you’re looking at HTC’s new Hero handset with a bit of jealousy. The new Sense UI alone is reason enough to be envious of course, as HTC has seemingly done for Android what it has done previously for Windows Mobile — added a UI layer that boosts sex appeal by about a million times. Don’t fret though… It looks like at least some of you will be getting some Sense UI love in the near future. HTC CEO Peter Chou is reportedly quoted as stating, “HTC sense will be available on some other existing devices.” That little snippet can be interpreted a variety of ways of course, but suffice it to say that the Dream/G1 or the Magic/myTouch 3G (or even both) are destined for updates that include the new Sense UI. As for what carrier versions will be privy to said update, your guess is as good as ours for the time being. Keep those fingers crossed, T-Mobile subscribers.

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