T-Mobile G1 ripped to shreds, uses same trackball as RIM's -- maybe they can be friends

by Paul Miller, posted Oct 31st 2008 at 10:01AM

In the grand tradition of TMI, the G1's gone through a teardown for your voyeuristic pleasure. Underneath that chubby matte shell there are all sorts of build-related details that you probably didn't need to know, like the fact that Panasonic built the main board, the compass was built by Asahi Kasei (exciting, we know) and the keyboard element is thin. Some might say too thin. Perhaps of most note is the trackball, which is basically identical to what RIM uses -- minus the fancy glowing effect. All riveting factoids, we assure you. One item of worry is that the engineers doing the teardown noted the particular thinness of the plastic bar connecting the sliding display to the phone, and raised the troubling possibility of breaking the display off from he handset. We certainly won't be stress testing that element, we can assure you.

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, T-Mobile

Tags: dissected, g1, t-mobile g1, T-mobileG1, teardown

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highly Ranked

Roger Alford @ Oct 31st 2008 10:25AM

Wait, so let me get this straight...

We have a story, about a phone being taken apart... And 2 pictures of said phone dismantled, both pictures show VERY LITTLE of the actual parts being talked about in said story above.
Furthermore clicking on the "read" link yields a few more pictures...of the back of a phone without its case, again, NOT showing us "keypad", "trackball" or "slide part" thats mentioned in said story above.

Why was this posted?

Show me some content thats relevant to the story, other wise, lets just talk about the back of a phone and show some pics and call it a day.

Low Ranked

cl347bv @ Oct 31st 2008 10:27AM

saying that the trackball is virtually the same as RIM's makes me want to never ever buy a G1

or at least wait until they launch something that lacks the trackball. id rather use the lame ass joystick tha that is on the decoy

Highest Ranked

EYEGOTAJOB4YASTEVE @ Oct 31st 2008 12:39PM

well if your not going to buy a G1 because of the track ball, then don't. go buy your iphone, and have a joyous time using it with gloves on, or when your fingers are sticky, or even trying to type on that thing, better yet have a good time gettingit to work and being stuck with a restrained os and a two year wallet busting contract; booyah!!!

Neutral

cl347bv @ Oct 31st 2008 12:50PM

im a windows mobile vvh0re, and thats pretty much all i buy, but im anxious for a VZW android device.

i just dont like trackballs in the least.

Neutral

ssssasss @ Oct 31st 2008 3:27PM

To each his own buddy. Some people like to pay more for better devices. even if the shit ain't "open".

Neutral

discount bob @ Oct 31st 2008 10:46PM

I don't get this post. The headline says the G1 uses the same trackball as RIM, then in the actual article it says it's "basically identical to what RIM uses". Basically identical? Based on what, both are round? Both are trackballs? Are they the same, or are they just similar?

Before I actually submit this, I read through the passage of the article in question. It reads,

"The structures of the trackball module and the Hall IC look almost the same as used in the BlackBerry Bold of Research In Motion Ltd (RIM)," the engineer said.

Point 1 - The article doesn't says the G1 trackball *looks* *almost* the same. This does not mean "is identical".

Point 2 - The engineer says it is physically comparable to the Blackberry Bold, not RIM in general.

Before someone asks why I'm getting my panties in a wad, I don't appreciate misleading information, and many might say the trackball experience sucks sometimes on a Blackberry Pearl. So far I've had a very pleasant experience with the G1 and find it much more smooth and responsive than the Pearl. To go and blurt out that the two parts are one and the same is sloppy and poor work.

Neutral