Google\'s new G1 phone is many things: sturdy, versatile, feature-packed. But few would call the device pretty--until you turn it on.
Lit up, the G1 is full of polished graphics, snappy icons and elegant transitions, plus an innovative "window shade" menu that slides out and recedes with the swipe of a finger.
Text: Google's new G1 phone is many things: sturdy, versatile, feature-packed. But few would call the device pretty--until you turn it on.
Lit up, the G1 is full of polished graphics, snappy icons and elegant transitions, plus an innovative "window shade" menu that slides out and recedes with the swipe of a finger.
The sleek look is the work of a Swedish technology and design company called The Astonishing Tribe (TAT). The firm partnered with Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ), phone manufacturer HTC and carrier T-Mobile to fine tune the look and feel of the G1's software. In the words of Chief Executive Charlotta Falvin, TAT's mission is to make the on-screen parts of cellphones look better.
TAT's involvement in the G1 project points to the importance of graphics and user-friendly navigation in the post-iPhone world. "A good user interface is paramount in building a great mobile phone," says Erick Tseng, the lead product manager on Google's Android team. "Along with hardware, security and stability, we identified it as an absolute must-have."
User experience is particular critical for Google, which is distributing Android's software for free in hopes of gaining more users for its Web services. "People interact more with phones that have superior user interfaces," notes Tseng. And more surfers on the mobile Web benefits carriers, as well as Google, he adds.
