Google Nexus One (www.google.com/phone)
Can the Nexus One topple the Apple IPhone? Andy Shaw gets his hands on Google's first mobile phone
and delivers his verdict.
On 5 January 2010, Google became a hardware supplier, launching its first branded mobile phone.
Manufactured by HTC, Nexus One has been dubbed a 'superphone' by Google - a cheeky label that Implies it's the next step up from smartphones such as the iPhone or BlackBerry.
As you'll see, the specifications of the Google Nexus One are impressive. Google claims that its 1GHz
Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 512MB of memory provide similar processing power to a four-year
-old laptop - astounding for a device that slips easily into a pocket.
This power enables the Nexus One to run Android 2.1, the latest version of Google's mobile-friendly
operating system. All the Google services you'd expect are integrated into the phone, including Google
Maps (which can use the built-in GPS to offer satellite navigation), Google Mail, Contacts(Including integration with Facebook) and Android Market (18,000 third-party apps).
The handset also looks a treat. The unit is sleek and pocketable and has a sharp, bright and colourful
screen with Icons positioned on animated wallpapers. It has four physical buttons at the bottom that let
you get back to the homescreen and navigate to on-screen menus plus an alternative trackball controller if you want finer control.
VOICE CONTROL
One of Nexus One's most interesting features is that you can control It with your voice. Typing on a touchscreen Isn't always Ideal, so speaking commands Into your phone is a great benefit. This becomes even more useful when you use the phone for maps and directions - the built-in GPS tied into Google Maps is excellent and it's a lot easier to say "directions to Paddington" than type it when you're already on the move.
Beyond this, there's little the phone does that can't be done by its rivals. The integration with Google's services is exemplary if you've already bought into them, but with apps and widgets available for most smartphones, this isn't enough to see the IPhone off just yet.
Because Google is selling Nexus One direct, you can either get a discounted phone tied into a contract or buy an unlocked phone that should work with your existing SIM, whether it's pay-as-you-go or on a contract. UK customers can expect to see an operator deal and an official UK launch (with a price in pounds) in the spring. However, in the meantime, if you really can't wait, you can buy an unlocked phone from the US for $529 (around ฃ332) - Google assured us that It would work fine with the UK's 3G networks.
IPHONE KILLER?
While Nexus One isn't the revolution that some were hoping for, it will certainly have made the mobile phone industry sit up and take notice. This phone has opened up a version of Android that is at least as good as the iPhone's operating system, and its open-source nature lets any mobile manufacturer use it at minimal cost. Through Google's online phone store, manufacturers have a route to consumers that doesn't force them to cut deals with operators, which means greater flexibility for them and the consumer.
Nexus One should probably be seen as an exemplar of what's currently possible with Android on a high-powered phone. This may not be the model that kills the iPhone, but its catch-up and branch-out features will spur Apple's design teams, and those of other phone manufacturers, to make their next models better, cheaper and more internet-friendly.
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