Ex-Googler Slams The G1

If you were a bit underwhelmed by the first Android-powered handset that was unveiled yesterday, you're not alone. Ulf Washbusch, a former product marketing manager for the search giant's mobile division, recently shared his thoughts on the design, and it's not positive.In a blog post, Washbusch said he had seen earlier versions of the handsets years ago and was surprised at how little had changed.

The reason many people see the G1 as ugly and old-fashioned is simply ... because it IS! It's a design unchanged for a while (it's now available in Zune-brown along with white and black) and the silly 'with Google' description on the back. Don't ask me what 'with Google' means. I didn't understand it back then and still don't understand it today.

In an update, he wants to clarify that he's not criticizing the software or the hardware features. He's only talking about the aesthetics of the device compared with other HTC handsets like the Touch HD.

I haven't held the G1 yet, so I can't be sure how ugly or pretty it looks in real life. But reports on the ground from the G1 press conference suggest the Android handset looks and feels better than pictures convey. I think it will be like the fat iPod Nano, which looked downright ugly in press shots, but was incredibly sleek in your hand. Informationweek writer Eric Zeman got some time with it, and described it as "a large-ish device. It is bigger than most BlackBerry devices, and many Windows Mobile devices. I would not be interested in carrying such a device unless it converges a lot of other things -- MP3 player, camera, etc. -- into one."

Forget the hardware and the software, what do you think about the G1's looks?