Representing the next stage in smartphone development, the unlocked Google Nexus One phone from HTC offers supercharged power with one of the fastest processors currently available in a smartphone, a 3.7-inch AMOLED touch display, and access to all your contacts and most important data from a variety of Google tools via the Android 2.1 operating system. With integrated Google technology, the Nexus One brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by Voice, YouTube and Picasa.
The Google Nexus One integrates with all of your favorite Google applications--from e-mail and calendar to Google Voice and YouTube.
The 5-megapixel camera on the back also captures DVD-quality widescreen video (see a schematic of all ports and controls).
In addition to 3G connectivity, the Nexus One offers Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and business networks as well as hotspots while on the go and Bluetooth connectivity for both hands-free devices and stereo music streaming. Other features include assisted GPS (AGPS) with Google Maps Navigation providing turn-by-turn voice guidance, memory expansion via microSD memory cards (a 4 GB card is included with the device), threaded messaging for seamless on-the-go conversations, and up to 7 hours of 3G talk time.
Unlocked Phone The Nexus One is unlocked and will recognize SIM cards from any mobile service provider using the GSM standard. The Nexus One's antenna supports four GSM radio frequencies (850/900/1800/1900) and three 3G/UMTS Bands (2100/AWS/900). These cover most major GSM mobile providers worldwide, including T-Mobile in the United States, but not the 850 MHz 3G band used by AT&T. The Nexus One will, however, deliver 2G/EDGE speeds on these networks, and of course supports Wi-Fi as well.
Nexus One Software Innovation The Nexus One runs on Android 2.1, a version of the platform's Eclair software, which offers advanced applications and features including:
Google Maps Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
E-mail: multiple Gmail accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook.
Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
Android Market: access to more than 18,000 applications.
It also includes the following applications on the home screen:
Gmail: Your Inbox displays conversations with the newest messages at the top. To read a message in a threaded conversation, touch its subject. (Learn more)
YouTube: Use the YouTube application to view, search for, upload, and share videos. Like the version you use on your PC, YouTube on the Nexus One presents the videos grouped into categories, such as Most viewed, Most discussed, Most recent, and Top rated. (Learn more)
Messaging: You can use Messaging to exchange text (SMS) and multimedia messages (MMS) with your friends' mobile phones. Touch New message to start a new text or multimedia message, or touch an existing message thread to open it. (Learn more)
Music: Use the Music application to listen to and organize audio files you have transferred onto your microSD card from your computer. (Learn more)
Maps: With Google Maps on your phone, you can find your current location, view real-time traffic conditions, and get detailed directions by foot, public transportation, or car. You'll also be able to navigate using spoken, turn-by-turn driving instructions as well as switch between viewing a street map or a satellite image. (Learn more)
Car Home: Access Google Maps, Navigation, Voice Search, Contacts, and Search with the touch of a button. Car Home opens with five large buttons that you can touch to access applications that are most useful when you're driving. (Learn more)
Android Market: With the Android Market, you can browse and search for free and paid applications. Once you find an application you want, you can install it on your phone. (Learn more)
Key Features
Fast 3G connectivity via UMTS Band 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900)
Quad-band GSM connectivity for global voice roaming
Enter text without typing. Use a voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields: speak a text message, instant message, tweet, Facebook update, or complete an e-mail.
Tell your phone what you want it to do. Search Google, call contacts, or get driving directions by just speaking into your phone.
Take personalization to the next level. Dynamic, interactive, live wallpapers react to the touch of a finger. And more widgets and five home screen panels allow for further device customization.
Read your voice-mail messages. Get transcribed voice-mail with Google Voice integration, without changing your number.
Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone (Android Webkit HTML5-based browser).
5-megapixel camera includes LED flash, auto focus, 2x digital zoom, white balance and color effects. View pictures and Picasa Web Albums in the new 3D Gallery. Record high-resolution MPEG4 video, and then upload to YouTube with one click.
Capture DVD-quality video at 720x480 pixels at 20 frames per second or higher, depending on lighting conditions
Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile--enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB; a 4 GB card included. (Onboard memory: 512 MB Flash, 512 MB RAM)
Trackball navigation with tri-color notification LED, alerts when new e-mails, chats, and text messages arrive
Dynamic noise suppression with second microphone
3.5mm stereo headphone jack
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1 GHz
Vital Statistics The Google Nexus One weighs 4.59 ounces and measures 4.69 x 2.35 x 0.45 inches. Its 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7 hours of 3G talk time (10 hours on 2G networks), and up to 250 hours (10+ days) of 3G standby time (290 hours on 2G networks). It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as 2100/AWS/900 3G networks.
What's in the Box Google Nexus One handset, rechargeable battery, charger, pouch, wired headset, USB cable, quick start guide
Product Details
1400 mAH battery Charges at 480mA from USB, at 980mA from supplied charger
Talk time Up to 10 hours on 2G Up to 7 hours on 3G Standby time Up to 290 hours on 2G Up to 250 hours on 3G Internet use Up to 5 hours
3G Up to 6.5 hours on Wi-Fi Video playback Up to 7 hours Audio playback Up to 20 hours ProcessorQualcomm QSD 8250 1 GHz
Video Reviews
No video reviews found for this product.
Customer Reviews
This is my first smartphone and I think it's great
Review Date: January 11, 2010
Reviewer: Geoff Finger, Huntington Beach, CA
I've had the Google Nexus One for about three or four days now. I got the unlocked version direct from Google for $530, so I can't imagine why anyone would pay the $630 or more other sellers are asking for. Switching my number over to T-Mobile was easy, although it took about a day for the transfer to be finalized, which I'm blaming on Sprint due to my experience with their customer service in the past. And since I have the unlocked phone I was able to get the Even More Plus plan with 500 minutes, unlimited texting and "unlimited" data for $59.99 a month, so I'll be saving a _lot_ of money in the long run compared to the iPhone on AT&T or the Droid on Verizon. So far the phone seems very fast and I've already downloaded several apps. Some people have been making a big deal about the fact that the app space is limited to the internal 512 MB flash drive, unlike the iPhone which can save app data to the main drive. I've installed 9 apps so far, the largest is 3.59MB and the smallest is 664KB, with the total coming to 12MB. According to the memory manager I've still got 153 MB of storage left (apparently the OS takes up about 350MB) so I'm not worried about running out of space before Google comes out with the fix for saving apps to the SD card that they've said they're working on. One important "feature" of the N1 which people may view as a pro or con, depending on your views on privacy, is the integration with all of Google's online applications. When you start the phone up it asks you log into your Google account (I'm not sure what happens if you try to skip that step.) It will then synch the phone with your "My Contacts" list in GMail and will automatically log you into most Google services. This morning while doing a search on my phone during lunch I was a little surprised to see similar searches I'd done this morning on my desktop showing up in the suggestions box. I've also been getting notifications on my phone for all the events I have saved on my Google Calendar. Transferring data to the phone from your computer is simple. It comes with a USB to micro-USB connector, and the hardest part of getting it connected is realizing that after you've plugged it in you need to open the notifications window on the phone and tell it to mount the SD card (this is presumably some kind of security feature in case you lose the phone.) After that you can copy files across just like any other drive. I've already moved about half a gig of music over to the phone. The battery life seems adequate so far. I need to charge the phone every day, but that's probably because I've been spending a considerable amount of time browsing the web with it. Once the novelty wears off (and the work week starts again =) I expect my usage will drop off a bit. I'm still thinking I may want to get a car charger for it though. Speaking of which, web browsing seems to work great, though I do miss tabbed browsing a little. YouTube videos work great, though other sites with the latest version of Flash don't. Adobe is currently working on Flash 10.1 for the Nexus though. It's already in beta and there are demos of it working on YouTube, so hopefully it will be out soon.
The Nexus One: Don't Believe the Hype
Review Date: February 5, 2010
Reviewer: Daniel S. Kim, Anaheim, CA USA
I know, I know. I gave this product 5 stars yet my review title seems to be quite a bit contradictory, but theres plenty of reasons why. First and foremost, I have dreamed of this product ever since I got into the PDA game in 1999 with my Palm IIIc. Since then, I've used a veritable warehouse of different units, anything ranging from the aforementioned Palm IIIc to pretty much any Android handset out there that offers service in a GSM flavor to this point. I purchased the Nexus One on day one, and received it over night, so I am by far one of the earliest adopters in the market. As you can imagine, my expectations are quite high for an all-in-one PDA, and even though my title may be emitting a bad taste in my mouth, I can assure you thats not the case.
With PDA's/Smartphones bridging the gap between our Laptop's/PC's, the functionality all needs to be there to really be a full on mobile replacement. With the insurmountable amount of internet discussion that this device received prior to its official announcement and release, one couldn't help but get their hopes up. Did the Nexus One hit its mark? Yes, I believe it did, and with style and poise to be frank. But, is it that all-one-device that has the power to leave your laptop at home for the road warrior? Nay, I wouldn't go as far to say that. The device itself and Android put together are a powerful duo of open-source-goodness, but it still has a ways to go, which I'm sure Google will stand behind and push forward.
DISPLAY 9/10
Overall, the 3.7 inch AMOLED display is a sight to behold in and of itself. The colors are brilliant, blacks couldn't be more rich and dark, and video is even crisper than my dedicated laptop, the ASUS UL30Vt-X1 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) which is currently for sale on Amazon as well. Watching HD video on YouTube is no doubt an impresser, and website viewing and navigation couldn't be more pleasing, especially with the new multi-touch update that Google pushed out to its user base, which provides that functionality inside of Google Maps, the browser, and the gallery.
The capacitive touch screen works just as great as expected, except for a few minor issues which do not hold any ground in this review and score of the display. For one, being a male of average height, I don't exactly have that big of hands. Therein lies the problem with one handed use, as the device is a wee bit too wide for my hands, which occasionally causes my palm to touch the screen when I try to reach too far. As you can imagine, this causes a problem sometimes, but you really just have to arch your thumb when using it which takes some time to get used to.
The 1 gigahertz Snapdragon is definitely awe inspiring in its performance, and typing on the screen is definitely better than its other Android predecessors. Whether Google will admit it or not, typing on the screen would be greatly enhanced by adding multitouch capabilities to the keyboard and allowing for adjustment in that regard. Some people like myself type literally at a speed of 70 words per minute on a QWERTY phone keypad, and this would definitely be appreciated.
The only downfall of the gorgeous display is the fact that there is a bit of tinted red hue if you look closely. It is ever more apparent when taking video of the device itself, as it greatly pronounces this fault in the screen. For the most part it doesn't affect the user experience of the device, which is why I only slighted the score by 1 point. The other thing to watch out for is the fact that AMOLED's perform horribly in direct sunlight compared to their LCD counterparts, but this is something that is somewhat widely known and it shouldn't be knocked for that.
PERFORMANCE 10/10
With the amount of RAM included in the device and the newly praised Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, this is where the Nexus One definitely puts it shine on. Applications open swiftly like the device has extra sensory perception, and you couldn't be more satisfied with the overall speed increase compared to any other Android device, or any other Smartphone on the market for that matter. 3D games perform admirably, and there isn't much else to say other than yes, it will knock your socks off.
Web browsing compared to my other Android devices is a joke, and don't believe what some reviewers are saying about the Web-Kit based browser compared to others of similar nature, namely the iPhone 3GS. With my constant side to side comparison with friends that use the iPhone, 90 percent of the time my Nexus One is making them cry tears of pain, not admiration.
The trackball is well, a trackball. It does its job, what little it may have, and one of the only things I would definitely change about the device is the addition of a trackpad instead.
BATTERY LIFE AND HEAT 7/10
I didn't buy the Nexus One expecting it to perform very well in this regard, but it definitely gets the job done for a day's worth of moderate work. AMOLED's and OLED's in general are definitely the display of the next generation of tech devices, but people fail to realize their shortfalls. Namely, most people will tell you that they're power savers compared to their LCD counterparts, which is only partially true. Where AMOLED's really shine in battery conservation is when text is displayed WHITE on BLACK, as in a black background and white text such as the format used in most of Android's operating system menus. The obvious reason that Google designed it this way is because of not only better readability, but the fact that this is where battery improvement comes from compared to LCD laden devices.
In comparison, I'd have to say that the battery only slightly does better than the T-Mobile G1. A typical heavy user should expect to carry a charger around with this bad boy.
Heat while using the phone or even while 3D gaming could be considered as negligible, and only when the device is plugged into an AC outlet does the temperature start to reach uncomfortable proportions. With everyday use of the device, there isn't a time where I felt like this caused an usability flaws.
CAMERA AND GPS 8/10
The camera is definitely a HUGE step up from other Android devices on the market today as well. The 5.0 megapixel camera is definitely not something to write home about, but the shutter speeds, new functionality in Android 2.0, and overall ease of use is definitely something that is noteworthy. Pictures come out crisp as ever with the proper lighting, and the LED flash definitely helps in situations where there isn't enough light to shed. Since the flash definitely isn't Xenon based, you can only expect to get proper use out of it around the 1 - 6 foot range, unless pitch dark. Periphery with the flash as expected definitely leaves something to be desired in darker surroundings, as the flash doesn't flood the scene enough and leaves a somewhat noticeable dark area around the edges of pictures. Any kind of motion in the picture that you're taking still takes some effort, but is at somewhat of a tolerable level now.
The 720p video is definitely impressive as well, much better than I had originally expected. Again, with proper lighting I am getting an average of 24 frames per second, which is definitely something I would present to friends and wouldn't be embarrassed about. High motion is also another issue here even in noon-clear-sky daylight, but its to be expected, remember; phone first, camera second.
GPS locks are definitely much faster than other Android iterations, and I have found plenty of use for Google Navigation inside of Maps as anyone can imagine. The large display and loud but tinny speakerphone get the job done even going 80 mph down a highway. The only thing it needs now to complement it is the car accessory dock, which unfortunately isn't as punctual as its desktop dock counterpart.
SOUND QUALITY AND RECEPTION 9/10
The phone is definitely loud and clear with good to great earphone quality, and fairly underwhelming speakerphone quality. As a long time HTC proponent, I have come to expect much from said company in this regard, but I've had better ones from them. When talking even going down a highway, people tend to not believe me when I tell them that I am. The noise cancelling second microphone performs like a champ, and I don't believe I've had a phone that could even come close to Nexus One in this aspect.
Reception is great, which is also another thing to expect from most HTC phones. I have been one of the people that have been having trouble with keeping a 3G signal in a well covered area with T-Mobile, but problems are to be expected in a new generation of technology device, and I would push for patience in this area. Only downfall here seems to be inside of buildings, where other HTC Android phones seem to get the best of the Nexus One in most situations.
In conclusion, the device definitely is the cutting edge in mobile phone products, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone thats even slightly interested. The main downfalls come from poor software implementation up to this point, and the somewhat shoddy service from T-Mobile, as well as Google's failures as a retail company. We may all consider them to be the geniuses of the internet and advertisement industry currently, but they definitely need some work in the customer service game. Users that don't have a somewhat advanced knowledge of electronic warranties and replacements, as well as technical skills to trouble shoot your own problems with the device may want to steer away for a little while until the kinks are worked out. If you're daring enough though, the Nexus One is waiting to satisfy your every expectation. Almost.
What else do you need?
Review Date: April 22, 2010
Reviewer: Hexuan Wang, MA,USA
I definitely love this phone.I used to be a hardcore Nokia fan, and I owned an iTouch for two years. If people complain about iPhone because of at&t 3G connections and the rate plan, then in my case I don't have those problems. No matter what, even if Nexus 1 is NOT a phone (imagine it's an Android version of iTouch), it's still way more better.
Months ago, my Nokia E71 began to shatter apart. I searched online for an unlocked phone, and I first considered iPhone. But the price is a joke for factory-unlocked ones. Yes I know. I can jail break them, but after the huge disappointment from E71's shattering,unsteady UI,I feel very uneasy about this idea.
I cross iPhone off my list.
Nokia, definitely NO. After using Nokia for a whole decade, for the first time, I felt betrayed. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. E71 would reboot automatically, anytime, in any situation. It would reboot in the middle of a phone call, or when I press any button, when I searched for contacts......I constantly had to take out the battery, or even reset the phone every several weeks. One day it completely stopped working.
I'm not interested in Windows Mobile either. I used a WM phone several years ago, and it was not a good experience.
As for Palm, I don't have many good options with unlocked ones. I need a GSM phone to use it in Asia or Europe, which means that I can't purchase from Sprint or Verizon and unlock them later.
Blackberry? I'm definitely not a professional.I don't want to purchase the BB data plan, if wifi is available everywhere on campus.I'd use just BB as a PHONE, making calls and sending SMS, for $500. Definitely not worth it.
Then I looked into Android.I thought it was cool, because I used Google products a lot. I heard really nice comments from people who purchase Motorola Droid,but Droid is on Verizon (I need GSM phones). There's an unlocked version, but I think it's over-priced. It looks too serious to me, and the processor is not the fastest. Besides, even if Google releases the newest Android, you have to wait for Motorola to update its own UI, which may take weeks, or even months.
So I choose Nexus 1. Now I feel really really happy for my right decision.
Sometimes you'd never feel you are losing something, unless you're offered another option. That's exactly how I feel right now.
I used my iTouch happily for two years. Since I'm a college student and free Wifi is offered everywhere on campus, I use my iTouch not only as a music player. I download music and movies, I play games, I surf online for news and everything else, I check my emails every thirty minutes, I check temperature and Google maps all the time, I log in facebook and twitter constantly, I use Skype to make international calls, and I shop and sell. I thought it was almost perfect, even if apps would shut down automatically when running, and battery drained away fast. However, my feelings changed.
When I first tried to log into a website two years ago, I was surprised that Flash is not supported. But it seemed okay then, because iTouch exceeded my expectation already. I thought, maybe Apple needed some time to make it better. One year later, when I purchased 3.0 version OS, and found out still no Flash, I began to feel irritated. But again I didn't totally lose my hope. My respect for Apple remained based on my good experience with all its products...I like my iPod mini,video,two classics,nano,shuttle(1 gen, 2 gen, 3 gen, 4 gen)and iTouch. Early this year, Steve Jobs announced that OS 4.0 is on the way, and people began to wonder, is it possible that SJ finally agrees to work with Adobe?
Are you kidding me?
Days ago, Apple not only announced that Flash is still not available for OS4.0, but also forbids all its app developers from writing app programs using Flash. Developers can only use languages approved by Apple. Isn't that ridiculous?! Apple may have some unhappiness with Adobe, but we customers suffer and we pay. I don't like big brother making unreasonable decisions for me and ignore my protest. Not at all.
Here goes cool things about N1.
Android is an open-source platform, meaning little limitation on developers from google's part. This may attract attack from some people, like those who worry about virus and malevolent apps. But you can avoid them by reading comments before downloading apps, and stay alert(you can use safari to access porn as well Steve Jobs!!!). Iphone users may claim that their phones don't have to worry about those problems at all because Apple takes care of them beforehand. Well, that literally means iphone users are also deprived of freedom plus the rights to make decisions about what is right and what is wrong. Nothing to feel proud of. Then iphone users may sniff at this "freedom"---What's the use of it? We already have everything.
Oh you are so wrong.
1.Let's say you want to read some news. But if you are a person like me who want to hear different views on the same matter and generally feel interested in US, world, politics, economics, business, entertainment and sports, you might end up with ten apps: new york times, cnn, washington post, time, business week, yahoo news, wall street journal, bing, usa today, to name a few. You may also pay extra money to get better coverage. But with N1, there's an auto-refresh NEWS gadget on the screen. When you touch the headline, you will enter an app where all kinds of topics from various sources appear. I was thrilled when I found this out.
Together with this gadget, you will get info on live weather. You don't need to download weather apps. It's already there. Drag it anywhere you want.
2.Wallpaper is lovely.I'm using the live grass wallpaper. When I realized that the background sky darkened at night and became bright blue again during daytime, all I could manage was a big "wow".If you want to save battery, you can use pictures taken by the camera or saved on your phone. You can pick up whatever you want, and change whenever you feel bored.
3.Language!When I bought E71, I was so angry to find out that Chinese was not supported on a smartphone, because "it's US version.We are sorry about not being able to provide further assistance". Web pages therefore would not display Chinese characters, nor would Korean, Japanese, Arabic, blabalblablabla. Is such a phone still "smart" and worth more than $300? Nokia simply refuses to provide further assistance because it's a US version! I guess it would be a perfect world for Nokia and other BIG manufacturers, if people on this planet speak only English, read only English,need only English, and cherish only English.
I like iphone in terms of the language support. I don't need extra apps (nor would Apple allow you to, I guess :))to show and input those languages mentioned above. BUT,at least in the case of Chinese, Apple sucks. It's the worst input method I've ever used.Slow,outdated,unresponsive.
For N1, you have no problem with displaying contents in multiple languages. Even though N1 doesn't support, for instance, simplified Chinese IME right out of the box, you can just go to Android Market, and download Google pinyin or Sogou, which are awesome IMEs being used on PCs and Macs. You can sinc those apps from time to time when new phrases come out.
4.Voice support: if you get tired of using touch screen to write SMS, or you don't have spare hands while driving/walking/shopping, you can "speak" your messages. You can also speak your directions and drive home.I haven't tried the latter yet since I don't have a car, but speaking SMS works great, as long as you speak clearly and use little abbreviation.
5.Camera is 5MP,quality is good. I didn't have an iPhone (itouch has no camera), so I have no idea about how iphone works. But I don't expect amazing photos from a phone camera right from the start. I think this camera is fair enough for facebook and random pics.
6.Calendar on desktop! When I downgraded my laptop from windows vista to xp, the only things that I missed about vista are sticky note, desktop clock and calendar. Now, I have the freedom to customize my cell phone "desktops". I add a gadget on one screen with updated daily schedule,a gadget with to-do-list,and another gadget with random notes of reminder. I toss away my thick planner, finally. For iphone, I find those to-do-list apps are really awkward to use. They are way too complicated. All I want is a simple piece of note, so that I can write what I plan to do each day. ALSO I WANT MY NOTE RIGHT THERE WHEN I USE MY PHONE INSTEAD OF FLIPPING THOROUGH DOZENS OF APPS AND THEN OPEN THE RIGHT ONE.
7.I don't like the fact that I can't easily export my music from my ipods after purchasing them from iTunes. With N1, I can transfer music to and from a SD card, which is expandable to 36GB. (Right now, Google has problem with Android 2.1 recognizing 32GB microSDHC, but they are working on it already)4GB card is included in the original phone, you can buy extra ones if you need more space, in contrast to iphone, what you buy is what you get and if you want bigger space you have to buy a new phone.
8.Battery. Yes, if you use N1 heavily, for sure you would especially when you just got the phone and found it amazing, but aha you can have multiple batteries and exchange the drained one with a charged one! However, with iPhone......Hopefully you see what I mean. (My iTouch is getting worse and worse in terms of battery life.I'll let it retire after I transfer all my music to the microSDHC tonight.)
9.Apps are definitely enough. If you play games heavily, why not get a game console? I find pandora, online bankings, Jewels, amazon, color note, google translator, webster dictionary,fring(for yahoo and msn messenger),paypal,and multiple Chinese apps(!!!). I spent less than ten minutes to find those apps, download and install them. They work pretty good, FOR FREE. After two years of apple's app store, I'm pretty sure about what I need, and I'm able to find all of them in Android's market.
10.calling and texting: calling is also a highlight of N1, because it has two microphones. One at the back of the phone that takes in all the background noise, and the regular one you'd expect on a phone. If you use N1, you get the nice feature--noise cancellation.This meets my physics geek nature right there (I'm a physics major).It's like the multiple filters I use in research and it feels so neat, at least to me. Of course, you get really good call quality, especially in noisy environments. The sound from the phone is crisp and loud. I have no problem of hearing the other end in crowded mall.
11.carrier: I know many people don't quite like iphones partly because of the 3G coverage of AT&T. I like my iTouch and I thought iphone should be that good as well, but my iphone-hater friend told me that's because "itouch is not a phone,and iphone is an at&t phone". She got stuck with at&t for two years and finally got herself out of that contract. She is waiting for N1 on Verizon (she's not excited about the HTC incredible, which I will explain later).
12.Google family when you purchase N1,you get more than a phone. You have access to a much better version of Gmail on a phone (almost all the functions, but you do have to adjust settings using computers, for example, multiple email accounts), Youtube, Googe doc, Picasa, Google talk(which is brilliant), Google voice (you don't even need skype anymore to make international phone calls), Google maps, Google Goggle,etc. You may have access to some of those apps on iPhones, but they are definitely much better on a Google phone, simplify for they are Google's! This excellent combination of google apps makes the experience of using N1 much much better. (If you don't use google's products a lot, it wouldn't make much difference...)
13.UI update or N1.
I chose GOOGLE nexus one over other htc high-end android phones that have the same hardware performance, simply because of the software.I don't think a 1gb processor,512MB RAM, 512MB ROM,AMOLED 480 x 854 pixels capacitive touchscreen would be outdated in two years(but that's my guess).Now, this hardware spec hits the top notch, and in several years most likely it is still the mainstream. (The phone is snappy)
When I decided to buy N1, HTC's desire is already out there, with the everything the same plus an extra Sense (HTS's UI), which adds great things to Android. But if a new Android update is released, you have to wait for HTC to update its Sense, which becomes a major problem for some manufactures currently. Droid,N1 and several freshly released Android phones are running 2.1 version, while those models released just a couple of months ago are still running 1.5,1.6, or 2.0.However, 2.1 is a huge improvement over previous ones, for it adds multi-touch. Motorola just updated its own UI. Millions of Droid users had the 2.1 version, weeks after 2.1 was officially released. BUT, with N1,I don't need to worry about this at all. Because it's only Android, and Google is directly behind it. When Google has some new treat, N1 has it immediately, and you have it.
Those are cool things about N1 I find after using it for just one day. I will keep it updated.
04/25/10
Update 1:
After using the phone for several days and thinking over differences between itouch and N1,I'd like add several things more.
Things I'd like to say first are:
1.No phone is perfect.I'd say it's quite common for people who don't like iphone to say good things about 'iphone-killers', and for people who dislike android to praise iphones. Every reviewer is biased, to different extent.
2.If you want every specific function one phone has on another one, that's impossible. Why not simply get that phone?
3.Be patient. Patience is one of the most essential quality humans should possess. You don't like something.Okay, that's quite normal. You toss the phone away and curse the stupid Google/HTC.That's not good/productive.Why not tell them explicitly? Customer feedback is always useful.I emailed some launching errors for an app yesterday and got feedback from the product team this morning. Problem solved.
And some new thoughts on nexus one:
1.A lot more useful apps than I expected. For example, I found an app enabling you to take pictures using different modes. Paranoid, fish-eye,etc. A lot more fun! Also this is a good news bcoz I almost bought a pink lomo last week...Number of apps is still small compared to what apple puts in its store.Nonetheless,I believe things will get better. As far as the necessary apps, it's plenty enough, you might just got puzzled about which one to choose. But as for games, not too many options. I don't know what kind of effects Apple's decision to put up more fight with Adobe would have on developments of apps, but no matter what, I guess it's not an encouraging sign to developers, at least not so psychologically.
2.Touch screen requests more patience and 'skill'. I admit at this point, itouch is more decent. It's not like N1 not being responsive, it's more like N1 not being...predictive. Sometimes things will get messed up if I use my left fingers to choose items, especially if I lie down on my back. But right finger is alright, no issue right now.
BUT!!!!!!Even if it messes up sometimes, it's still better than iphone: you can't even lie down with an iphone!Iphone doesn't give you the option to turn down landscape mode, while N1 does. So I never need to worry about what kind of angle I have to keep on bed if I want to use my device.
Also the addition of trackball at N1 is quite useful, after several days' of use. In some situations, trackball makes more sense, for example, if you want to scroll down pages in Android market. If you use your fingers, you might open some apps by accident, which is also quite common for apple's products. But for N1, you can just use the trackball, and it's quite convenient.
The problem with touchscreen can be annoying when you try to type on bed with both fingers. But it'd be weird anyway, because it's already impossible to hold the phone. I'd suggest use your left hand to hold the phone and use right hand to type. Or just get up and support yourself.
Good things about having problems with UI: your concern will be easier to solve with Android/Google. It's open source and you are using an unlocked phone with the original Android. Rumor says that Google will release Android 2.2 in May and Nexus is for sure the first phone to get the new features.
3. Battery life: if you use your phone a lot, like I do in the first several days,you should get a spare battery from Google. It's $25.
This phone is pretty fantastic.
Review Date: March 20, 2010
Reviewer: B. Stafford, Texas
I have to agree with the other reviewers who are rating this phone with five stars. I've been a software developer for over 30 years and have owned many cell phones; my last one was a Blackberry 8800. I also have lots of friends with iPhones and this phone beats them all. I agree the speaker has a tinny sound but I rarely use that. Everything else about this phone is just fantastic. IT's FAST running apps and with internet downloads. The other day while driving home in my car I had the phone plugged in to the AUX in on my car stereo listening to mp3's. I received a call and the music automatically stopped and I only heard the ringer. I answered the call, completed the conversation and when I hung up the music automatically started again right where it left off. The music app I was using is the free one that came installed on the phone.
The one thing I do think the iPhone does better is the layout of the on-screen keyboard. The keys on the iPhone are spaced out a little further apart making them easier to hit and less chance of making a mistake. But the autospell feature on the Nexus One is much better than the iPhone. One of my iPhone friends misspelled Mississippi (spelled Missisipi) the exact same way on their iPhone and my Nexus One. The autospell feature on the iPhone couldn't make a guess but the Nexus One presented Mississippi as a choice. Also in order to change the battery on an iPhone you have to mail it back to Apple for a replacement but with the Nexus One you can change it yourself.
The other point I LOVE about the Nexus One that I bought from Google for $529.00 plus shipping is that it's unlocked. All I did was install my SIM card and I'm using my Nexus One on my old contract that is the $10.00 a month charge for an extra phone. I didn't have to sign up for a 2 year contract and I don't have to shell out an extra $30.00 a month for a data plan which I think is outrageous. GO GOOGLE!
I have been raving so much about my new phone that my wife is ready to buy one and she has just gotten a new LG View.
If you're thinking about a smart phone, this is the one to buy.
The Best Phone I've Ever Used
Review Date: April 4, 2010
Reviewer: Tyler Atkins, Spokanistan, WA
I'm coming to this phone as a long time iPhone user, getting a used 2G from a friend of mine before upgrading to a 3G when my contract was up. Unfortunately, I upgraded and renewed my contract 3 months before Apple announced the 3GS, so I'll admit that I'm a little chapped at Apple for not making that announcement sooner so I could have waited the 3 months for a better device. I was getting tired of how slow and sluggish my iPhone was starting to feel, and when a work bonus came in I decided to splurge a bit and buy the best phone I could find, no matter the price.
After looking at lots of web videos and reviews, I decided upon the Nexus One from Google. All the reviews have been positive, and although everybody admits quirks they were nothing that I wasn't used to with my iPhone. When I saw the first few videos of people doing their unboxings and playing around with the interface for the first time, I knew I was in love. Also, I'm on AT&T and still under contract, and they had just released a version of this phone that works on the AT&T 3G bands, so it was a no brainer at that point. I got one unlocked from Google's website for 529.00 plus tax and noted how the free shipping method was FedEx overnight. Props, Google, for offering to overnight my new super expensive phone to me at no extra charge. Classy move, and almost necessary because as soon as I clicked "submit" on the Google Checkout screen I was already going crazy waiting for it to arrive.
After having it for over a week now, I can say that I definitely made the right choice. I used the stock firmware for a while and really enjoyed how snappy everything was (especially coming off an iPhone 3G) but after a while I decided to "root" it and see what power was laying dormant inside this thing. Hello CyanogenMod. CyanogenMod is like putting your phone on amphetamines. In all reality, it's only a fraction of a second faster doing most things, but since it was so fast to begin with it feels like nothing else.
Nothing on this phone takes more than half a second to do now. Ever. Okay, maybe loading Google Earth or Google Sky takes a second or four, but those are some pretty computation heavy apps and even they launch pretty quickly. But with the way the phone multitasks and keeps processes running in the background, switching between running tasks is pretty much instantaneous and opening up new tasks takes about half a second. With Cyanogen 5.0.5.3 running HiMem you unlock all the power of your RAM, and if you turn the Window Animations and Transition Animations to "fast", you'll giggle to yourself as you navigate through your phone at lightning speed. At least, I still do... :)
The stock keyboard has some issues, but even without rooting it you can download the Swype beta, install it simply by checking a box in the settings (novel concept, huh Apple?) and downloading a free .apk installer. I recommend FileGo from personal experience. Swype is a great keyboard that takes a little getting used to, but once you do you can really fly on it. After using the iPhone for so long I was used to using two thumbs to type on a touchscreen keyboard, but Swype actually works better if you hold the phone in one hand and use one finger on your dominant hand to trace your word out. Look up videos on Swype if you want to see it in action. It's really pretty amazing and it's the only touchscreen keyboard I'll ever use again, even if it isn't perfect and throws out some pretty wild guesses at what I was trying to say.
The camera is excellent and takes good quality photos for a phone. Nothing that will make you regret purchasing a better standalone camera, but for people like me who only like to carry around a single device with them it's more than adequate.
Battery life is actually pretty good. I have been using it a lot lately and have been charging it up every night, but only because I don't want to start off the following day with only 25 or 30% charge.
I live in an area with pretty strong AT&T coverage, and with the better Snapdragon processor on this phone it actually feels like my 3G speed is faster. Using the SpeedTest app, my iPhone 3G would get around 1.5mbps pretty consistently. This gets >3.2mpbs pretty consistently using the android version of the same app, going to the same test server. The one thing I've noticed though is that my signal doesn't "appear" to be as strong as my iPhone, but I haven't noticed any problems. Where my iPhone used to get full bars I will sometimes only get 2/4 or 3/4, but I have never dropped a single call on my Nexus nor have I noticed any degradation in signal quality. Maybe this phone is just more picky about what it considers a "great" signal.
If you have the money, I have to recommend this phone. If I hadn't gotten a bonus at work I wouldn't have ever dreamed of spending this much money on a cell phone, but man am I glad I did. I may not have the fastest car, the loudest stereo or the biggest TV, but I have the fastest and most amazing phone I've ever seen. I'm proud to show it off to people I know, and all of them look at their iPhones with a new sense of disappointment after they see the Nexus One in action. If you're looking for a new Android device and you're on T-mobile, there is no contest and you need to get this phone immediately. For 179.00 there isn't a better device on the planet.
Just don't buy it from any of the jokers trying to sell it here. Why pay a markup and additional shipping when you can get it straight from Google for less money and get FREE overnight shipping?
Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
No video reviews found for this product.
This is my first smartphone and I think it's great
