Google Nexus One: First look
It usually falls to January's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to kick-start the technology press after the Christmas break, but this year Google pre-empted the show's hype machine with its own announcement.
Google Nexus One: watch video review
On 5 January, the search giant became a hardware supplier, launching its first Google-branded mobile phone.
Manufactured by HTC, Google has dubbed its Nexus One a 'superphone' – a cheeky label that implies it's the next step up from smartphones such as the iPhone or Blackberry.
As you'll see, the Google Nexus One specifications are impressive. Google suggests that its 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 512MB of RAM provides similar processing power to a four-year-old laptop – astounding for a device that slips easily into a pocket.
This power allows 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).
It 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 also has four hardware buttons at the bottom to take you back to the homescreen and navigate to on-screen menus – something most touchscreen phones are moving away from – plus an alternative trackball controller if you want finer control.
One of the most interesting elements is that you can control it with your voice. Typing on a touchscreen isn't always ideal, so speaking your search terms into your phone is a great benefit. This becomes even more useful when you use it 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 to the phone that can't be done by its rivals. The integration with Google's service is exemplary if you've already bought into them, but with apps and widgets available for most devices, this isn't enough to see the iPhone off just yet.
Because Google is selling the phone 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 mean time, if you really can't wait, you can buy an unlocked phone from the US for $529 (around 327) - Google assured us that it would work fine with the UK's 3G networks.
While this 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, and its open-source nature allows any mobile manufacturer to 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.
The Nexus One should probably be seen as an exemplar of what's currently possible with Andriod 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.
Google Nexus One specifications:
1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
512MB of memory
3.7in AMOLED 480x800 WVGA display
117 x 60 x 11.5mm
130g
5-megapixel camera with flash and geotagging
4GB SD memory (supports cards up to 32GB)
Dynamic noise supression
3.5mm headphone jack with voice and remote control options
