Category: Not Reviews

DC Universe Online: Week One

I now have a full week of DC Universe Online under my belt and my character is at level 18. I’m still enjoying the game, but most of the same doubts remain from my first weekend in DCUO. A few other aspects of the game have been bugging me as well. Let’s go through the list in my rolling (not a) review of DCUO.

Voice Acting — DCUO’s voice acting is irritatingly inconsistent. There are some marvelous performance from Kevin Conroy (Batman), Mark Hamill (The Joker), and Arleen Sorkin (Harley Quinn) — voice actors with fantastic track records. Then there are disappointing performances from Dwight Schultz (The Flash) and Tracy Bush (Booster Gold). Frankly…they suck. The Flash sounds like a nob and Booster sounds like an even bigger nob.

Sure, I understand that Booster Gold hasn’t always been the best hero in the DC Universe. He’s attempted (and failed at) numerous get-rich-quick schemes and sold out his image for things like toothpaste commercials. Still, he has saved lives and the world on numerous occasions. His voice work in DCUO just makes him sound like a complete tool. I really, truly hate it.

Rescue Me! — The game’s scripted missions have been the same after 18 levels. It’s a lot of find X, beat up Y, and defeat boss Z. I’m still enjoying it, but there’s a recurring theme in these missions that’s really starting to bug me — a hero always needs rescuing. I’ve had to bail out Raven, Batwoman, Robin, Nightwing, Supergirl, Wonder Girl, and several other heroes that I can’t remember. In the comics they’re extremely capable beings. In DCUO, they can’t walk for more than 50 feet without getting kidnapped.

As a comic book fan, it’s off-putting. I’m supposed to be a new hero that’s still learning the ropes. The people I’ve saved are established characters that have pulled of marvelous feats time and time again. A scrub like me is supposed to be bailing them out?!? This would have made sense later in the game (maybe level 20?). Perhaps the writers could have used several of DC’s damsels in distress for the early portions. For example, it would have made more sense to me if The Flash needed my help saving his wife Linda Park while he was being assaulted by Gorilla Grodd.

Diversity — I spent some time doing “Wanted” missions, tackling really powerful villains that are impossible to take down alone. Teaming up with others to down Solomon Grundy and Bizarro was a real kick. The first time I did it was a complete accident. I was randomly running around Metropolis (at super speed) and saw four heroes beating on Bizarro. Naturally, I stopped to help. He was almost defeated by the time I got there, so I got a ton of experience for a minute of fighting. In my experience, you can always count on randomly passing heroes to stop and chip in.

The group missions I’ve tackled were fun too. Teaming up as a group of four, our party received various orders from Martian Manhunter. It was basically defeat X and gather item Y over and over again, but it was fun completing the task with strangers at various levels.

This week I plan on doing more PvP missions. Hopefully my character is ready for the challenge.

Still Fun? — Yeah, I’m still enjoying the game, especially when I get to team up with my friends. I’m still marking out when different heroes and villains make appearances in my adventures. I love earning and finding new gear that makes my hero even more powerful. But, I’m still not sure I want to play for more than the 30-day trial. I have an aching suspicion that the repetitive mission structure will bore me and the novelty of the cameos will wear off. Let’s see how it goes after another week!

As always, if you have any questions about my experience with DCUO, please leave a comment. If you’d like to play with me — and it would be way more fun if you did — I’m “RPad TV” on the Crisis server.

Random Thoughts (Not a Review) on Black Panther

A few weeks ago I snagged a copy of Marvel Knights: Black Panther, a collaboration between Marvel Knights Animation and BET. I’m a fan of the character and the comics, so I was definitely curious about the DVD. However, I went into it apprehensively since it was released as a web show in 2010 with little fanfare. I was pleasantly surprised by the DVD; it’s unique, violent, well acted, and true to the comics. Here are some random thoughts on Marvel Knights: Black Panther.

Good: The art style is fantastic. Most of the scenes are only partially animated, which gives the series a motion-comic feel. A skeptic would say that this was done to save time and money, but the effect is used so well that I’m giving the creators the artistic benefit of the doubt. Additionally, the use of colors gives each location a unique feel. By switching up the color palettes, Wakanda, Egypt, Washington D.C., etc. have distinct looks. I love what the artists and animators did with the series — very cool stuff.

Good: The story is true to the comics, with only a handful of changes. This isn’t surprising since former BET president and Black Panther writer Reginald Hudlin developed the project. The most noticeable difference is switching out Rhino for the Juggernaut. Obviously Rhino makes much more sense as a villain in Africa, but I’m going to hazard a guess that there was a licensing issue. If you’ve read the Black Panther comics then you’ll be satisfied with this adaptation.

Bad: My only major complain about the series is its opening theme song. Composed by Stephen James Taylor, the song is based on the Bantu language and meant to be in the Wakandan language. It doesn’t work. At best, it’s a little silly. At worst, it’s gratingly annoying.

Good: The voice acting is top notch. Djimon Hounsou is fantastic as T’Challa/Black Panther. Hell, I can even see him playing the role in a live-action movie. Alfre Woodard and Kerry Washington are also excellent. Marvel fanboys will love Stan Lee’s brief role as General Wallace. The direction and acting are among the best in an animated series based on a comic book.

Good: Those of you that love gritty action and violence will dig this series. It doesn’t pull any punches. You’ll notice that after seeing the first decapitated head mounted on a spear.

Bottom Line: Black Panther isn’t the most popular character in Marvel Comics, but he’s one of the most important ones. Due to advancements in technology and large deposits of vibranium, Wakanda is one of the most important countries in Marvel’s version of Earth. I’m thrilled that the Black Panther series has been released on DVD. If you’re into the character or want to enjoy a unique animated series, I recommend buying it.

A Weekend of DC Universe Online

So I finally started DC Universe Online over the weekend. It’s been an interesting experience so far. I’m glad that the game comes with a 30-day trial because I’m still not sure if it’s enjoyable enough to play it for more than that. Certainly I had fun with the game, but it has odd quirks and frustrating aspects. Here are my initial impressions — not a review! — of DCUO.

Character Creation — For my first character, I chose a hero on the Crisis server. A few of my friends are playing as villains, but I can’t bring myself to play that way. My character is a bow-wielding gadget-using super-speedster hero that’s mentored by Batman. The choices were perfect, since they allowed me to pay tribute to three of my favorite comic-book characters — Nightwing, The Flash (Wally West), and Arsenal. From a stats and characteristics perspective, creating a character in DCUO is simple and straightfoward.

I didn’t do too much in the way of customizing my hero’s physical appearance because…well, I kind of suck at it. I was able to quickly put together a character that looked acceptable through the game’s various templates. I was envious of dozens of the characters I saw online. With the customization tools, players made accurate versions of Marvel characters (saw an awesome Thor), videogame characters (loved the Ezio Auditore I encountered), and more. If you’re into creating facsimiles of your favorite characters from other worlds, DCUO appears to have powerful tools that let you do so.

Going Solo — For my first few quests, I went on solo mission. Everything I’ve encountered so far (I’m at level nine) is simple. I was repeatedly tasked with going to location X, beating up a certain amount of minion Y, and gathering a certain amount of object Z. After several minutes of hunting and gathering, I fought a boss. The gameplay template is super simple so far and would probably be a tad dull if it weren’t for all the awesome cameos. Encountering different DC Universe heroes and villains totally makes the quests. I love conversing with and taking orders from Batman, Zatanna, Martian Manhunter, etc.

What I don’t know is if it will remain interesting after several more hours. Will the mission structures get more complex? Will the cameos lose their charm? That remains to be seen. I should have a better idea after playing more of the game this week.

Forming Alliances — Playing the game with a friend is much easier and way more fun. Unfortunately, it’s also rather aimless and unorganized — at least in my experience. I tried several times with several parties to get voice chat to work. For various reasons, it just wasn’t happening. This made group questing a bit difficult. Typing on a gamepad is never fun, so my friends and I resorted to using AIM. Having to switch betwen my Dual Shock and my Google Chrome Cr-48 was a little annoying and made for a disjointed experience.

I have a call in to Sony Online Entertainment to see what the voice chat issues are. There’s a chance that my friends and I were trying to do it wrong. Still, something like this should be easy to use. The game would be much better, easier, and more fun with voice chat.

The Verdict So Far — I like the game so far, but I’m not sure it will hold my attention. I’m hoping that the quests become more complex and diverse. I’m really hoping that there’s a solution for my voice-chat woes. As it stands now, I’m not certain that I’ll play the game beyond the 30-day trial.

As always, let me know if you have any questions about DCUO. If you’re interested in playing with me, I’m “RPad TV” on Crisis. Super Buddies unite!!!

TPB Review: Batman & Robin and Red Robin

Two weekends ago I devoured the comic-book trade-paperbacks: Batman & Robin volume 1: Batman Reborn, Red Robin: The Grail, and Red Robin: Collision. I read each one at least three times. Here are some random thoughts on these three books.

Batman & Robin: I absolutely love Frank Quitely’s art. It’s so distinct and full of character. His pencils are consistently great in this Batman & Robin run. Too bad I can’t same the same thing about Grant Morrison’s writing. I really don’t understand what happened to him. He used to be one of best and most consistent writers out there. For the last few years he’s had outstanding moments mixed with ones that leave you thinking, “What the f*ck was he thinking?!?”

Anyway, I was drawn to this book because I’m a big Nightwing fan and I wanted to see how Dick Grayson would do as Batman. I’m also fascinated by Damian Wayne, the new Robin. Damian is the son of Bryce Wayne and Talia al Ghul (Ra’s daughter). He was genetically bread for physical and mental perfection, but he’s also arrogant and harshly warped (being raised by the League of Assassins will do that to you). This version of Batman and Robin is fun because Batman is the light character and Robin is the dark one.

The first half of the book is kind of mess thanks to a really lame villain. The second half is infinitely better thanks to the return of the Red Hood (Jason Todd, the second Robin). It’s fun watching the Red Hood try to modernize vigilantism with a brutal sense of justice and using social media tools like Twitter. The second half of the book is really good, combining a sharp story, excellent action, and great art.

Red Robin: First off, it was hard to read these books without thinking of endless fries at Red Robin. Getting past that, this was the most pleasant comic-book surprise I’ve had in 2010. As I mentioned in this Coffee Talk, I love “tweener” characters — heroes that are no longer sidekicks, but aren’t the primary heroes just yet. These two books trace Tim Wayne’s (formerly Drake) path from being a sidekick as Robin to becoming his own man a Red Robin.

I absolutely loved Chris Yost’s writing in these books (you really need both trade paperbacks for the full effect). It blends action, mystery, a global chase, coming-of-age, romantic tension, and more. The story is well paced; it does a fantastic job of alternating the fight scenes with Tim’s cerebral stuff and fun banter between the various characters. The two books culminate in a plot by Ra’s al Ghul against Red Robin and it’s so completely awesome to see how Tim outsmarts one of Batman’s sharpest foes. [Minor Spoiler Alert!!!] I totally marked out when Ra’s called Tim “Detective” right before kicking him out a window. Ra’s usually reserves that title for Batman and using it on Tim shows how his respect for the former Boy Wonder has grown.

Like most Bat Books, the story begins and ends in Gotham. In between, Red Robin travels the world on an impossible quest. Of course he emerges triumphant, but it’s one hell of a ride to the end. While I can’t fully recommend Batman & Robin volume 1, I highly suggest picking up these two Red Robin books. I expected to enjoy them, but I was surprised that they were among my favorite reads of 2010. Excellent stuff.

Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam Disappoints

After the outstanding Batman: Under the Red Hood and the good Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, I was really looking forward to Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. One of the most intriguing and complex anti-heroes in the DC Universe, Black Adam is one of my favorite characters. Unfortunately, this animated feature didn’t convey what makes Black Adam so interesting.

But first, let’s cover some positive features of The Return of Black Adam. For the most part, I loved the art. It’s very clean, bright, and cheery, which fits in with the nature of Captain Marvel (yes, his name is Captain Marvel, not Shazam). The characterization of Billy Batson/Captain Marvel is well done. You really get a feel for his purity and innocence. The voice acting is great all around, which is par for the course with DC animated features. That’s pretty much it for the positives.

One problem I had with the art was the fight scenes. Superman, Captain Marvel, and Black Adam are three of the most powerful characters in DC Comics. Every time one of them throws a punch, windows should shatter and tidal waves should form in the ocean. The final fight scene between Neo and Agent Smith in The Matrix Revolutions is what a battle involving these three characters should be like. Instead, it was kind of like pro-wrestling with high-wire flying. The artists and animators did not illustrate the awesome power these three characters wield.

My minor gripe with Black Adam’s portrayal was his accent. He sounded Eastern European. In the comic books he hails from the fictional North African country of Kahndaq, which is supposed to be between Egypt and Israel. I’ve met people from Egypt and Israel. None of them sounded like Russian spies, which is that the Black Adam in this feature sounded like.

My major problem with Black Adam’s portrayal was its simplification. In the comics, he has been a villain and a hero. He has been in the Injustice Society and the Justice Society. He’s a beloved god-king in Kahndaq, but viewed as a severe threat to global stability by most other nations. He has a code of honor. He has suffered tragedies that have given him a harsh view of justice. He’s not really a bad guy or a good guy, but he’s done heroic and heinous things. In The Return of Black Adam, he’s just an evil dick. He was appointed Earth’s protector by the wizard Shazam and was corrupted by power — no complexity, no layers, and no depth. It’s so sad that Black Adam is nothing more than an evil dick in this movie.

I was disappointed immediately after watching Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. After an hour or so passed, I kept thinking about one of Billy Bob Thornton’s lines in Bad Santa: “They can’t all be winners, kid.” After so many excellent and very good DC animated features, I suppose it was time for a dud. I just wish it didn’t involve one of my favorite characters in the DC Universe.

T-Mobile G2 Review Center

After spending two weeks with the T-Mobile G2, I have a new favorite Android phone. It beats out the Motorola Droid X as my favorite Android phone of 2010 (by a really slim margin). I love the HSPA+ Internet speeds, form factor, zippy CPU/GPU, and vanilla-ish Android. I love that it will be getting WiFi calling and tethering in the near future. That said, it’s not perfect. I wish it had a bigger screen and noise-canceling microphones. Since I’m a Swype guy, the G2’s quality keyboard is wasted on me. I’d also trade the optical trackpad in favor of larger capacitive buttons. Those complaints aside, the T-Mobile G2 would be my first choice if I were buying an Android phone today.

If you want more details, be sure to check out all three parts of my review.

As always, please let me know if I didn’t cover any aspects of the phone you want more info on. I’ll try to answer your questions in the comments section.

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T-Mobile G2 Review: Photos and Videos

In part one and part two of my T-Mobile G2 (HTC) review, I went over most of the phone’s features. This installment focuses on the photo and video capabilities of this excellent Google Android phone. As far as pictures go, it’s very good. The five-megapixel camera produces crisp shots with great color reproduction if there’s ample light. It can do well indoors with decent light. Low-light settings can be problematic, as the camera’s flash often washes things out. This makes it a poor choice for taking photos while drunk (the Evo 4G is a much better choice for drunk photos).

I took a variety of test shots under various lighting conditions and blood-alcohol levels. Because I love you guys, I made a cute Chinese girl take me out to dinner and model for some photos. Check ’em out!

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The camera also takes some nice HD videos. Naturally, the files use an aggressive compression scheme, so the quality isn’t as good as what you’d get on a point-and-shoot camera, but I was pleased with the results. Again, ample light is the key. Here are a bunch of samples so that you can see for yourself.

I was mostly pleased with the G2’s photo and video performance. I wish it had a dual-LED flash for better indoor performance (and better drunk shots) and the stock software could use more features (no touch-to-focus?!?),  but other than that I was satisfied with the image quality and color reproduction. If you have any questions about the G2’s camera, please let me know and I’ll answer ’em in the comments section.

(Not a) Review of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

Thanks to RPadholic Tokz_21, I finally got around to watching Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Following up the excellent Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, the latest DC Comics animated movie dazzled me. As a fan of Jeph Loeb’s work on the Superman/Batman comics (not to mention a fan of hot blonde Kryptonian girls), I knew I’d enjoy this movie, but I was surprised that it exceeded my expectations. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse has it all — great story, beautiful art, and visceral action. Here are some random thoughts on the movie.

Here’s a spoiler-free summary before I really get into things. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is about a naked hot female Kryptonian girl that crash lands in Gotham Bay. After injuring some civilians and damaging public property, Batman decides that he doesn’t trust the girl. After meeting Superman, the girl claims to be his cousin — Kara Zor-El. Things get wacky from there and all kinds of different locations are visited before epic fights with epic villains ensue. Now let’s get to the spoiler-riddled part of the review!

I was absolutely floored by the movie’s art, which surprised me because I’m more into plot and dialog when it comes to comics. DC has usually done a great job with its animated movies, but Superman/Batman: Apocalypse takes it to another level. The artists and animators did a masterful job contrasting the movie’s various locations. Dark areas like Gotham and Apokolips played off light locations such as Metropolis, Paradise Island, and The Fortress of Solitude. The artists also got to draw traditional superhero costumes (Supes, Bats, Wonder Woman, etc.) and funkier Jack Kirby Fourth World characters like Big Barda, Granny Goodness, and Mad Harriet. The variety and quality of the art is outstanding.

As for the story, it’s mostly good. It’s based off of the excellent “The Supergirl From Krypton” storyline by Jeph Loeb. While it’s not as good as the fantastic Batman: Under the Red Hood, I enjoyed it a great deal. Part of it is because I enjoy how DC’s “big three” — Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman — play off of each other. Part of it is because I love Kirby’s Fourth World stuff. I was psyched to watch a movie with Darkseid, Big Barda, Granny Goodness, and The Female Furies. I marked out when Barda opened a closet and Mister Miracle’s costume was there. I loved the plot in the comics and liked the movie adaptation. That said, the storytelling has its flaws.

One reason the Superman/Batman comics work so well is its use of inner monologue. In the books, the thought bubbles are often more important than the spoken words. Reading what Superman and Batman actually think of each other is a different and highly entertaining. All of this is lost in the movie, which is understandable. The pacing would be dreadful if one-third of the movie consisted of characters thinking. However, a vital element of the comics was lost in translation.

The voice acting has a weak spot that can be jarring. Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly are excellent as Batman and Superman, respectively, but they’re always awesome. Andre Braugher, Susan Eisenberg, and Julianne Grossman put in strong performance as Darkseid, Wonder Woman, and Big Barda. The weak link is Summer Glau, who plays Kara/Supergirl…rather poorly. She’s the movie’s central figure. Everything revolves around her. When you have a bunch of strong voice actors playing off of a weak one, it drags the whole performance down.

There was one scene that I absolutely loved in the comics and completely worked in animated form. I marked out when Batman played Darkseid into surrendering. It’s such a cool moment — the human outsmarting the god. Andre Braugher’s concession speech is delivered perfectly.

At the end of the day, I really enjoyed Superman/Batman Apocalypse, but I don’t think that most people would enjoy as much as I did. The Fourth World characters were a big reason this movie was so much fun for me. Most people probably don’t give a damn about Stompa or Lashina and couldn’t point you to Armagetto or Necropolis on a map of Apokolips. Casual fans would prefer Superman/Batman: Public Enemies or Batman: Under the Red Hood. I’m hoping that some of you will give this movie a shot. The art is so good, the action is fantastic, and the story is enjoyable. Plus, Big Barda and Supergirl are total hotties.

T-Mobile G2 Review: Call Quality, Screen, and Internet Speeds

My review of the T-Mobile G2 by HTC continues! If you haven’t read the first part then you might want to check that out. This time around I’m going cover the phone’s call quality, screen, and Internet speeds. Remember, this is T-Mo’s first HSPA+ phone and the company is claiming that it offers “4G speeds”. Now let’s get to it!

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Call Quality
Making phone calls on the G2 is mostly an excellent experience. I made around three hours of calls in the last week and was very impressed with the phone’s clarity. Voices sounded fantastic through the earpiece. Speakerphone was another issue; voices (and music) sounded a little tinny and shrilly through the speaker.

Voice transmission was very clear. Talking in a “normal” environment, the people I spoke with said that I sounded great; a few commented that it didn’t sound like I was on a mobile phone. That said, the G2 doesn’t deal as well with heavy background noise as the Motorola Droid X, which has three noise-canceling mics. I conducted a few calls at the intersection of Wilshire and Vermont in Los Angeles, which has loads of bus and car traffic. The people I called could definitely hear the background noise, unlike calls made with the Droid X.

Out of all the Android phones I’ve used this year, I would put the G2 behind the Droid X in terms of call quality. It’s definitely better than the Evo 4G and Samsung Fascinate. While the Droid 2 has better noise cancellation, the earpiece on the G2 is noticeably clearer.

As always, your mileage may very depending on the T-Mobile coverage in your area.

Screen
The G2 sports a 3.7-inch Super-LCD screen. To paraphrase the immortal words of South Park’s Big Gay Al, “It’s super! Thanks for asking.” *snicker* Seriously though, it’s a very nice screen that’s bright and that has accurate color reproduction. Images and text are clearer than standard LCD screens, but colors aren’t nearly as vibrant as AMOLED and Super AMOLED screens.

It’s really a matter of preference. I think that general consumers would prefer the outstanding brightness and super-saturated (but over-pronounced) colors of Super AMOLED. Tech nerds and those with a discerning eye would likely prefer Super-LCD’s more accurate color reproduction and better outdoor usability.

As for the size, I wasn’t a fan at first, but I’ve gotten used to it. Initially I had accuracy problems using Swype and the phone’s virtual keyboard, but those went away after a few days. Overall, I think the G2’s screen is very nice, but I’d still prefer something in the 4-inch range. With that in mind, I was surprised that I was so satisfied with this screen. It’s really tough going back to this size after using the Evo 4G, Droid X, and Fascinate. While there were certainly times I wished the screen were bigger, I was mostly fine with the 3.7-incher on the G2.

Internet Speeds and HSPA+
A lot of tech nerds have their panties in a twist over T-Mobile saying that its HSPA+ network offers 4G speeds. Well, it does. I happen to live in a city where HSPA+ is available and was thoroughly impressed with the speeds. When I was able to get HSPA+, I averaged around 5.5Mbps down and 1.6Mbps up. While this is far from the theoretical max of 14.4Mbps that T-Mobile has listed, it’s as good or better than what many people are getting on Sprint’s WiMax network. HSPA+ signal is also better than WiMax at penetrating buildings.

Although Los Angeles is an HSPA+ city, I was not able to get HSPA+ signal everywhere I went. In those cases, I was getting around 1.3Mbps down and 1.4Mbps up on regular 3G. For example, I was not able to get HSPA+ in my building, but it was available in areas less than two miles from my apartment.

T-Mobile has been very aggressive with its HSPA+ deployment. If it’s available in your area then it’s a big selling point for the G2. As I mentioned with call quality, your mileage may vary depending on T-Mobile’s coverage in your area.

Next Up
To wrap things up, I’m going to cover the G2’s photos and video quality before giving your my final thoughts on the phone. Again, I’m surprised by how much I like this phone — so much so that I’m thinking it’s a keeper. If you have any questions, shoot ‘em off in the comments section and I’ll try to answer them.

T-Mobile G2 Review: Battery Life, Build Quality, and Performance

T-Mobile kicked off the Android frenzy in America with the HTC G1. Although that phone had its quirks, it was a glimpse of Android’s excellent future. For a while, T-Mobile was the premiere Android carrier in America, but Sprint and Verizon surpassed it with phones like the Droid, Droid Incredible, Evo 4G, and Droid X. The company is striking back with the HTC G2. This Google Android 2.2 phone features a rock-solid build and compatibility with T-Mo’s blazing HSPA+ network.

The first part of my review will cover this excellent phone’s build quality, battery life, software, and performance. If you’re the impatient sort, here’s a spoiler-free summary: I’m shocked that the T-Mobile G2 has become my favorite Google Android phone of 2010.

Build Quality
The G2 is built like a tank, with ample use of metal. It’s relatively small compared to recent Android releases, measuring 4.68” (L) x 2.38” (W) x .58” (H). The phone feels heavy, especially in contrast to super-light Samsung Galaxy S phones like the Verizon Fascinate. It’s definitely a matter of personal preference, but I think that most people would prefer the feel of the G2. Its heft and use of metal give it a luxurious feel. The G2 feels like a $500 piece of consumer electronics, while Galaxy S phones feel like display models.

One of the big hooks of the G2 is its slide-out keyboard. Instead of the customary spring-loaded slider, the phone has an unusual hinging mechanism. It works well. The keyboard slides out smoothly, without the harsh snap found on most sliders. The keyboard itself is very good, with nice spacing and three programmable buttons. That said, I preferred the feel of the Droid 2’s keys. I recommend trying it out in a store for yourself instead of listening to a guy that has sworn off physical keyboards in favor of Swype.

Software and Performance
The pre-release buzz on the G2 was that it would use the stock version of Android 2.2 (FroYo). It does not. The G2’s OS is very, very close to vanilla Android, but features like WiFi tethering have been removed and subtle usability tweaks have been added. Pretty much every Google Android app known to man has been pre-installed and you can’t delete any of them. The good news is that the OS runs smoothly and it will be easier for HTC/T-Mobile to bust out Android updates since it’s almost the stock version.

Android 2.2 is a nice step up from 2.1. The interface is smoother and features clever tweaks (I love how easy it is to switch between Gmail accounts in 2.2). The JIT compiler makes everything much, much faster. Although skins like HTC Sense and Samsung TouchWiz 3.0 add some nice usability features, most of them are not worth having to wait longer for Android updates.

As for performance, the G2 reminds me of WWE NXT season two’s Husky Harris — an army tank with a Ferrari engine. As you can see from the benchmarks I took, the phone flies. Some people were turned off by the phone’s “only” 800MHz processor — don’t believe the hype! It’s a newer version of Snapdragon that’s faster and more efficient. In real-world testing, it’s noticeably faster than the Samsung Fascinate running Android 2.1 (1GHz Hummingbird) and the HTC Nexus One running Android 2.2 (1GHz Snapdragon, first-gen) — apps launch faster, scrolling is smoother, etc.

Battery Life
This was the biggest and most pleasant surprise using the T-Mobile G2: the battery life rocks! The combination of a smaller screen (3.7 inches) and a more efficient processor really lets the phone last throughout the day. Using the G2 for the last week with my typical nerd usage (lots of browsing, tweeting, Foursquare check-ins, email, maps, etc.), I averaged 16.5 hours on the G2’s 1,300 mAh battery. There were even two days where I hit over 17 hours! Out of all the Android phones I’ve reviewed in 2010, the G2 has the best battery life by far.

Next Up….
That’s it for the first part of my T-Mobile G2 review. The next installment will cover the phone’s screen, HSPA+ speeds, voice quality, camera, and more. As always, if you have any questions about the phone, ask away!

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