First impressions:
- iPhone is still miles away and it will impossible for Android to catch up, from a usability standpoint. Having control of the hardware and the software makes a huge difference. Also, having Apple's designers on board is a nice differentiator...
- The home page (or desktop) looks very flexible. Very cool that you can have virtual space to put all the icons where you want them (compared to the iPhone, where you are locked on a grid) and slide right and left. If they could just come up with nicer icons... I know, it does not take that much, but icons make a huge difference visually.
- Email is still not working and there is no calendar yet. I have not seen notes and tasks as well, sign of a more consumerish direction (or at least, priority).
- The idea of a checkbox to send a contact directly to voicemail, all the time, is novel. Apparently, Andy Rubin receives lots of calls from people he does not like ;-)
- The music interface looks not competitive with the one of the iPhone. Years of iPod experience become very visible...
- Android will be fully open. THAT is the differentiator from Apple (although it is shared with Windows Mobile, Symbian and others). I am not sure it will be enough. It all depends on how many Android phones will be sold worldwide.
- Yes, I do love PI.
