Happy 6th birthday, T-Mobile G1!

My time with Android doesn't date back that far. I got my first android in 2012. I hadn't even heard of Android and had vaguely heard of the iPhone in 2008. The term smartphone was unfamiliar to me at that time. I was just happy to have my little flip phone.

 

Still have mine, a very early one. Last time I charged it and powered it up it worked fine.

 

it's so odd how 6 years later it looks more like something right out of the mid-1990s. to this day the super fast upgrade cycle of Android and phone hardware makes even a one-year old device look ancient. sad since i prefer to keep something for a long time, but that's getting increasingly harder with six-month upgrade cycles.

Remember back when a 25" Console Color TV was not only a 'big screen' but also was something that people kept for 20 plus years? back when IBM PCs lived ten before software refused to run on them? i miss those days. nowadays we're tossing out tech every year or two for the 'next big thing'.

My first Android device was a Coby Kyros tablet running version 2.1. it was the most unstable, annoying infuriating device i ever owned. i am unsure why i even have it, but it's about three years old now and believe it or not, it still manages to hold the 4-5 hours of charge it did when new. still freezes up at the lockscreen as well.

 

The phone that introduced me to Android, and I've never left. Right up my alley and a phone only a software engineer could love.

That or serious nerds, most everyone else that bought one usually replaced it with something far more practical for them

 

I am sure that there is some cult following of people who still use the HTC Dream, just like the few who still hold onto their Motorola StarTAC. not everyone is crazy for the newest and greatest device. the Dream is still usable and at least offers the Android Market, still every bit as functional but more reliable at downloading and installing than Google Play will ever be.

I recently watched a PocketNow video about the HTC Dream, aka G1. the device even as old as it is now, remained pretty lag-free given its rather limited spec and less-than-great version of Android. i was amazed at the fact the apps still worked and the Android Market still seemed fully-functional.

 

One of my colleagues had a problem with his sammie and is back on his G1 and apparently, loving it. He is the uber-est of uber geeks, though

 

Six years ago I was using an iPhone, jailbroken of course. My introduction to Android was four years ago with a Samsung Galaxy S, and soon learned about rooting and ROMs with it.