Google Nexus One Review
HTC Google Nexus One runs Android 2.1 and includes all the Android apps that the Motorola Dorid has. It features 3.7 inch AMOLED display with 480 x 800 pixels, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, trackball that includes a multi-colored notification LED, GPS, Wi-Fi, light and proximity sensors, compass, accelerometer, enhanced news and weather widgets.
the only SUPER Phone & comparison to Verizon's Motorola Droid
I almost cried when I returned the motorola droid to Verizon due to connectivity problems but now I am glad I ended up with the HTC Nexus One! This Nexus One hasn't failed me yet; it has strong 3G connectivity with T-Mobile and strong Edge connectivity with AT&T. The phone is gorgeous (AMOLED display - Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) and amazingly fast (snapdragon processor) and fun (Android 2.1 interface enhancements)! UPDATE: Yesterday, while using Google Navigation on AT&T for 20 minutes, it lost gps signal 3 times. When I searched about it on the internet, I found that many people are complaining about intermittant signal cutting out on both AT&T and T-Mobile which they feel is specific to this Nexus One phone not the carrier. For example, the customer will have the Nexus One next to a G1 both on T-Mobile next to each other and the N1 will cut back to 2G while the G1 stays strong on 3G!
I love Google's turn by turn navigation which usually works for me by voice command such as "Navigate to Fry's Electronics" and it will give me choice on screen of which two locations in my city do I want directions to? I touch screen my selection and it starts telling me how to drive there. I have found Google's Navigation better than Garmin in that it gives a better gas-saving route and tells you the turns before you get to them rather than after you already passed them. the Motorola Droid has better microphone hardware than the HTC nexus one which means that the Droid did a better job with Voice-to-Text than the Nexus One. For example, I tried to dictate in email "This is a test of the Voice Command function on my new Nexus One" and the text that appeared said "This is Texas toast." So by the time you cut and paste, it would have been faster to just virtual keyboard it. I do prefer qwerty keyboards which Nexus One doesn't have so Verizon's Motorola Droid wins out there! I was hoping they had used the money saved on no landscape keyboard to put in BETTER microphones and really fix the Voice Command making typing obsolete, but no, they used cheaper mics in the HTC Nexus One than the Motorola Droid. However, Swype is coming out soon and that will vastly improve virtual keyboard experience. The phone has been dissected and the parts apparently come to $174 in change and the rest is Google's profit.
The other reviewer said low battery on Nexus One, to fix that, just download free ap Advanced Task Killer and shut down running software that you don't need running and it will last longer. Also, you can make it run edge instead of 3G which will save on battery. There are a lot of settings you can easily adjust to conserve your battery life. Battery life for the Nexus One is as follows: 10 hours of 2G talk time or 7 hours of 3G talk time; 12 days of 2G standby time or 10.4 hours of 3G standby time; 5 hours of Internet use on 3G or 6.5 hours on Wi-Fi; 7 hours of video playback and 20 hours of audio playback. According to FCC radiation tests, the Nexus One has a digital SAR of 0.867 watt per kilogram.
Also, the other reviewer said that low privacy due to syncing with his desktop, but you can turn off syncing in your settings if you don't want them to sync. The syncing is actually one of the features that I think appeals to most Android/google fans.
I love the Amazon ap and being able to scan UPC codes to do comparison shopping and read Amazon reviews!
The 3D AMOLED screen is breath-taking. The interactive wallpapers are fun.
I bought the Nexus One unlocked from Google for $529 plus tax. I have always been impressed with how innovative google is but the experience of buying a phone from them is horrid. I would not do it again. They are not providing any customer service other than to tell you to call TMobile about the service or HTC about hardware questions. Google will not provide a customer service telephone number even AFTER you have given them almost $600; there is no customer service on the packing slip or anywhere to be found. They have a help forum where supposedly you can get help from other CUSTOMERS but they themselves will not help you out. TMobile CSRs say they will have this phone available for sale in their store by the end of January and I would definitely recommend buying it from them instead of Google. Also if you buy it from Google, TMobile insurance against damage, loss, theft, etc is unavailable; the only insurance you can get on the Google phone when you buy from google is from square trade which has a deductible and is limited in what it will cover. AT&T hasn't yet made the necessary software adjustments to run this phone on their 3G network, but mine still runs great on AT&T edge and since the phone is so fast, I don't really notice any difference but I have not tried downstreaming a movie or any other mega data file. I do really like and use the UNLOCKED status of the phone and don't know if TMobile will be selling it unlocked as that is something new to be offered in USA. It is so great for traveling abroad; just pop in a prepaid SIM card from that country and you are ready to roll without roaming fees! I suppose if TMobile doesn't sell it unlocked you just need to go to the same little bit of extra trouble to unlock the phone so you don't end up having to turn over the farm to TMobile/AT&T for roaming fees!
I received my phone 01/08/10 and am thinking it is a definite keeper but I am still playing around with it and learning it. Nexus One is FUN! It is pretty! It is fast! It is so enjoyable I have almost forgotten the awful Google buying experience.
UPDATE jan 17 2010 - I brought my Nexus One to the AT&T Kiosk and the guys there both said WOW, I was happy with my iPhone 3GS when I woke up this morning but now I want one of these! I explained it was only on EDGE and not 3G but they said that the snapdragon processor made up for it that you notice the speed lag only in downstreaming video or megafiles. they volunteered that AT&T is "in no hurry" to get the Nexus One running on their 3G network since they can not sell the phone and all the retail profit is going to google; they are putting their efforts into their next new phone which I think they called the Elite.
Google now has a couple of employees on their help forum attempting customer service but failing. Google has made its fortune by advertising mostly and acting like any actual interaction with their customers will give them the cooties, so I guess it is too late to change. Offering the phone unlocked when brand new is really great and may be lost if only sold by the carrier. So Google if you are listening here is how you can go into the phone-selling business without getting the cooties - partner with Amazon and Wal-mart (retail and online). These retail giants have proven records of consistent great customer service. Let them sell your unlocked phones for you and collect a profit for providing customer service and you get to continue to rake in the big bucks without having any actual contact with your customers and not tarnish your reputation when people experience what it is like to interact with you rather than admire you from afar. The retail store with the best customer service record in cellphones though is Best Buy; let them sell your phone unlocked and customer satisfaction will soar!
the other reviewer said he didn't know why people would buy it here for more than what google charges but the answer is crystal clear - one google is not selling to many countries yet and secondly amazon will provide customer service and won't charge a re-stocking fee.
I am really enjoying my Nexus One and am thinking it is the KEEPER
Feb3, 2010 update
This phone really shows off YouTube! Their HD concerts and other clips are stellar to watch on this phone! Watching theater previews on the movies app (free) is a fun experience. The picture is HD and the sound quality is best with ear phones.
While there are fewer apps than iPhone, there are more free apps. How many apps does one need anyway? I try to keep my phone light so it is ripped and ready to fly fast!
There is a great silicone coating making the nexus one almost impossible to scratch! There is a great YouTube video where someone is intentionally trying to scratch the nexus one screen as well as the back with their car keys and can't! : )
I got a computer in my pocket and I am lovin' it!
UPDATE Feb9,2010 Now there is a Google Nexus one Customer Support number 888-48Nexus (888 486 3987) so might be worth a try to purchase from Google! Maybe they have seen the light!
Also software update released earlier this week includes MULTI-TOUCH that so many people seem to really like!
UPDATE Feb16,2010 Google Voice is fully integrated on this phone so using it for texting in or out is as easy as the regular messaging icon. But Google Voice has free text messaging so you can have your carrier block texting using their system and save the $10/month or whatever your carrier is currently charging you for texting.
UPDATE April24,2010 I purchased the car dock and am loving my N1 even more! You can use your phone with a Bluetooth headset while it's in the Car Dock; when you dock your phone for the first time, you'll be prompted with a dialog box to select the dock's audio settings. Just uncheck the "As speaker phone" option, and your phone will be able to pair with a Bluetooth headset. To change these settings later, go to Menu > Dock settings while Car Dock is running.
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