With the T-Mobile G1 Android phone just days away from launch (22nd October in the US, 30th October in the UK), opinions are already been expressed among the blogosphere.

Overall reviews seem to be favourable, particularly given the G1 is the first of the first generation of Android phones, but there are two key weaknesses that might effectively limit the G1's appeal: lack of video features, and, ironically, over-reliance on Google.

So should you buy a T-Mobile G1? Read on after the jump...

T-Mobile G1 Overview

Enough has been said about the T-Mobile G1 for most people to have a decent idea of what features it comes with, so I won't bother with them here (go read my early T-Mobile G1 review if you need more info). What I'll do instead is focus on the potential problems of the g1 to see if there are any dealbreakers - features that are so poorly implemented, or which are nonexistent, that the G1 becomes completely unusable.

Smartphone dealbreakers

Having owned a Nokia E90 for nearly a year now, and having tested a variety of Windows Mobile devices, I've found there are several things that are dealbreakers when it comes to getting the most from a smartphone. These are the features of a device that are so important, that without them, the device itself is unusable.

In no particular order, these features are:

• Responsiveness - a slow smartphone is literally torture. Check out my review of the Toshiba Portege G910 if you don't believe me.
• Usable text entry - a decent keyboard, or some other form of text entry that actually works, is also essential. If you're going to be entering text in any meaningful manner, you don't want to wait for the handwriting recognition software to recognize your every character. Useless keyboards and poor touchscreens will have you throwing your smartphone against the wall quicker that you can type the word "aaaagh!"
• WiFi and HSDPA with Modem connectivity - if you're going to use the Web in any meaningful way, you need at least HSDPA for decent download speeds, and the ability to use your smartphone as a modem so your laptop can use it to connect to the Internet when outside of a WiFi hotspot.
• Unlimited monthly data plan - you can't be charged by the byte or even megabyte - you need an unlimited data plan to get the most from your smartphone.
• Large screen - you won't be able to use the Web at all on a small screen.
• Decent Web browser

So, with that in mind, how does the G1 fare?

Has the G1 deal been broken?

Fortunately, the G1 fares very well. Some reviewers don't like the keyboard all that much, but it appears to be just a case of getting used to where all the keys are, rather than the keyboard being unresponsive.

The G1 comes with WiFi, HSDPA and a 3.2" touchscreen, T-Mobile offers its "unlimited" Web n Walk data plan at a reasonable price, and the G1's Web browser is one the most sophisticated on the market, being based on the same WebKit code that powers the iPhone's browser and Google Chrome.

So far so good, then. The G1 is a smartphone that shouldn't slow you down, and should provide a decent browsing experience, certainly on a par with a Nokia E90.

Possible dealbreakers

For me, then, the G1 contains everything I need from a smartphone. However, there are a couple of other features that might be a dealbreaker for you:

Lack of video recording

The G1 can't record video, which is odd for a phone of any kind, let alone a smartphone! This isn't a dealbreaker for me - I don't use the video recorder of my phone often enough for it to be a problem - but it might be for you if video recording is essential.

Note that video playback isn't an issue, with the G1 seamlessly connecting with YouTube and letting you browse and watch any YouTube video with ease.

Too much focus on Google

You'd expect the G1 to focus on Google, but the problem is there might be too much emphasis on the company. I don't just mean the fact that virtually every Google app ever developed has found its way inside the G1. I mean that you can't even use the thing unless you have a Google account!

Signing up for a Google account isn't exactly difficult, but it's annoying if you've no wish to have one. I remember how annoyed I was when I first used MSN Messenger, and was told by Microsoft I had to have a Passport account, which in turn meant having a Hotmail account. Didn't need them, didn't want them!

Another problem is the poor features for syncing with your desktop data, such as Outlook or another calendar. Fortunately, there are a plethora of new applications that are emerging for the G1 and other Android devices that let you do just that, so although it's annoying having to download new apps to do what really should be an integral part of the phone (Nokia and Blackberry phones manage this trick just fine), it's still not a dealbreaker.

Wrike, for example, offer ContactsSync for free, which syncs your G1 with Microsoft Exchange Server.

Summary

In summary, then, the G1 will be of most use to people who already have a Google account, or who use Google's services other than its search engine extensively. As it happens, this includes me, as I find GMail and Google calendar absolutely indispensible, and I can't wait to get an Android phone to get these services on my phone in push format.

I currenty use GooSync to sync Gmail and Google Calendar with my E90's email and calendar, but this isn't push - I need to remember to sync the phone with Google's services, and I'm not actually very good at remembering! Having a seamless and transparent sync compelte with notifications whenever a new email or calendar entry is made would be invaluable, and is one of the G1's killer apps for me.

If you're not a heavy Google app user, then unless you desperatey need video recording, there are no dealbreakers with the G1, and with its open architecture, any application that hasn't made it onto the first generation G1 should be available as a download.

Only thing to do now is to wait and see what the T-Mobile G1 is like in real life - in just two days' time!