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It comes out, what we had been waiting for, after all the hype Google announced its Android based G1 phone, bringing it as a competitor to iPhone. It may very well not be as bright and lively as the iPhone but it definitely comes as a powerful handheld and more importantly a major platform for third party developers. Designed by Google and Taiwan’s HTC building it to reality, the set will be  released out in the U.S markets next month tagged at $179.

The hardware isn’t as sleek as iPhone, but integration of a keyboard makes it easy for people like me to work around new gadgets. Although this doesn’t offer the real feel and ease of a keyboard, it definitely makes it easy to use the phone before one adopts to the touchscreen/keyboardless functionality. The phone has a bit of more weight and length added compared to iPhone but that’s not important for the design may improve a great deal pretty soon.

There is a bit of a drawback (as i would mention it) that makes it far too pro-Google. The system is deeply fixed to Google services, including calendar and mailing programs etc. G1 doesn’t really work around with Microsoft Exchange and it cant be paired with PC based contact/calendar programs. But that’s just a start and it may very well work out a way to overcome such shortcomings. However the plus point it has is the availability of copy/paste and MMS feature along with the street view for Google Maps that iPhone misses out.

In short, G1 appears bulky (perhaps Google focused at keeping it a giant in terms of size as well:p), having both crests and turfs when it comes to comparing with the iPhone and it is new! Many a folks would definitely consider its size to be a pretty big turn off but one must remember that iPhone’s weight/size cut is primarily due to the fact, it offers no keyboard only a touch functionality. What however remains to be seen is the power and advantage Android brings to the cell phones and of course the applications. Will Android and G1 combined mint as great  a success as iPhone did or will it remain second? I guess it’s quite early to even predict all this, with time it will be a bit easier to analyse its progress and come out with some predictions, scrutiny etc.