HTC G1 vs G2

Discussion:

HTC G1 vs G2

Bruce Boyes

2009-05-28 23:53:05 UTC

So Google gave away hundreds of the newer HTC G2. Will there be a
developer version available soon, as the G1 is now?

Is the G2 preferable for someone just starting with Android development?

Thanks

Bruce

------- WWW.SYSTRONIX.COM ----------
Real embedded Java and much more
+1-801-534-1017 Salt Lake City, USA

Disconnect

2009-06-01 20:45:47 UTC

Permalink

Really? I heard they gave away the Ion, a rebranded magic. G2 is a
tmobile trademark, not htc, and last I checked they hadn't used it
yet.

Post by Bruce Boyes
So Google gave away hundreds of the newer HTC G2. Will there be a
developer version available soon, as the G1 is now?
Is the G2 preferable for someone just starting with Android development?
Thanks
Bruce
------- WWW.SYSTRONIX.COM ----------
Real embedded Java and much more
+1-801-534-1017 Salt Lake City, USA

Mike Wolfson

2009-06-01 21:39:36 UTC

Permalink

To clear things up, the phone given away at Google IO was the HTC
Magic (also named the "Ion"; and when someone referred to it as the
"G2" at the fireside chat, the Android guys shivered, and clearly
didn't like that moniker for it).

That phone is fully unlocked, and rooted. So, it is a true dev phone
(I am not sure if we can call it ADP2). I would expect that they
will make this phone available to the masses soon (but it will be
expensive).

The Magic phones given away are showing up on Ebay, if you really want
to buy one (but I won't condone this).

As far as what type of phone you use for development, it is pretty
much up to you. The hardware is not that important to Android
development (as long as the hardware meets the minimum requirements,
which both the HTC phones do). Pick what phone you would like
(biggest difference is one has a keyboard, and the other doesn't).

It is also not necessary to have a Dev phone to develop. Getting a
"locked" phone from a carrier (which comes at a subsidized price) will
be adequate for most people trying to create apps that will run on the
phone.

Disconnect

2009-06-02 00:31:29 UTC

Permalink

Ctate (@google) on IRC yesterday spent over an hour distancing them
from the "magic" name as well - same hw platform, different software,
different radio hardware/firmware. (No, I don't necessarily agree that
its that different, but if we're gonna let them wince at 'g2' they can
wince at 'magic' too ;) ..)

And as an aside, I'm told that loading ion radio images onto a
vodafone magic will not get you usa 3g :( although (speaking as
someone who used to be on the edges of embedded radio work) chances
are good that a proper radio firmware image might provide
not-quite-perfect access to those freqs. (Or even perfect access,
depending.)

Post by Mike Wolfson
To clear things up, the phone given away at Google IO was the HTC
Magic (also named the "Ion"; and when someone referred to it as the
"G2" at the fireside chat, the Android guys shivered, and clearly
didn't like that moniker for it).
That phone is fully unlocked, and rooted. So, it is a true dev phone
(I am not sure if we can call it ADP2). I would expect that they
will make this phone available to the masses soon (but it will be
expensive).
The Magic phones given away are showing up on Ebay, if you really want
to buy one (but I won't condone this).
As far as what type of phone you use for development, it is pretty
much up to you. The hardware is not that important to Android
development (as long as the hardware meets the minimum requirements,
which both the HTC phones do). Pick what phone you would like
(biggest difference is one has a keyboard, and the other doesn't).
It is also not necessary to have a Dev phone to develop. Getting a
"locked" phone from a carrier (which comes at a subsidized price) will
be adequate for most people trying to create apps that will run on the
phone.