Isn’t holiday shopping wonderful? I was in the mall, looking for Christmas gifts, when I found a present for myself — a new case for my G1 phone. The default case… more like a pouch …that was included with the G1 was disappointing to me. It doesn’t include a belt clip. From the first day I received my G1 Phone, I knew I needed a better means of protecting and carrying my phone. Last weekend, I succeed in that goal.
I threw out the pouch almost immediately after I purchased the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide case. While the packaging for this new case was clearly labeled for another phone, the case hugs my “Google” phone nice and snug. Instead of a magnetic closure, it has two button that snap. This is great because I don’t want to take any chances with the compass. I figured out a use for the device – GPS.
You can tell that’s a real G1 from the low battery level. 
Earlier this week, I was driving around in my car with my G1 phone. I turned on the maps and I enabled the GPS location function. Before the G1, I never used such a gadget in my car. I marveled at this display of technology. The G1 was a phone, a bar code scanner, a camera, a web browser, a portable gaming device… and now a GPS? I didn’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a GPS for my car. All I had to do was to keep my phone from getting messed up.
Once I got out of my car, I decided to check the compass. I turned around, able to view a full 360 degrees. Out in the open, both the GPS and the compass worked flawlessly. I realized that a decent navigational program should be able to take advantage of the G1’s compass and GPS. The default mapping software was solid, but the map didn’t turn with my turns. I realized that the compass could be used by the phone for orientation. I won’t need to put “GPS” on my Christmas wish list. Instead, an empty space on my dashboard is reserved for my G1.
I was proud of my phone… it’s so powerful… so cool. This new case helped me to feel more comfortable with my phone. But unfortunately, my new case has the same problem as the magnetic HTC case. It blocks the USB jack. Although, I have been considering making a space of my own. I’ve been pondering the results from the use of various implements — a pair of scissors, a lighter, a hole puncher, a cordless drill. No, I think that I’ll leave my case alone for now. I’m very happy with it.