Nexus One: Outstanding in Some Ways, but Missing Key Features
The coveted "Google phone" is finally here, but the HTC Nexus One ($180 with a two-year contract with T-Mobile, or $530 unlocked; prices as of January 12, 2010) isn't quite the superphone that Google intimated it would be. It lacks some valuable features--like multitouch and Outlook calendar syncing--that we've seen on competing models, and the Android keyboard can be difficult to use. That said, the Nexus One's speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor definitely sets it apart from the Android pack in performance.
Wed, January 13, 2010
PC World — The coveted "Google (GOOG) phone" is finally here, but the HTC Nexus One ($180 with a two-year contract with T-Mobile, or $530 unlocked; prices as of January 12, 2010) isn't quite the superphone that Google intimated it would be. It lacks some valuable features--like multitouch and Outlook calendar syncing--that we've seen on competing models, and the Android keyboard can be difficult to use. That said, the Nexus One's speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor definitely sets it apart from the Android pack in performance.
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One asterisk attached to the phone's performance involves its interaction with the T-Mobile network. The phone has run into some network issues, a distressing shortcoming on a phone with so many connected features. Nevertheless, it is a very good handset and marks real progress for the Android platform.
Design: Solid, but Not Groundbreaking
The Nexus One's hardware isn't especially innovative, and its design is unmistakably the work of HTC. In fact, it most strongly resembles a stretched-out HTC Hero. Still, the phone is attractive and well constructed. Its rounded corners, solid-glass display, and rubberized back make it a pleasure to hold. At 4.5 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.47 inch thick, the Nexus One has a slimmer profile than the Droid. It also weighs less: 4.8 ounces versus 6 ounces for the Droid. I didn't care for the drab two-tone gray color scheme, however.
Four touch-sensitive hardware buttons occupy the bottom of Nexus One's display: Back, Menu, Home, and Search. A trackball, like the one on the HTC Hero, lies below the buttons. Though I'm not a huge fan of the trackball on these phones--preferring instead to rely on the touchscreen--this trackball was fast and easy to use. The touch buttons are quite responsive, too, though you have to press firmly to activate them. An oblong power button sits atop the Nexus One beside the 3.5mm standard headphone jack. On the right spine is the volume rocker; and on the bottom of the phone, the micro-USB port. The camera lens and flash are located on the back of the phone, and the microSD and SIM card slots hide under the battery.
The Nexus One's 3.7-inch AMOLED display has drawn a lot of attention, and for good reason: The display is superb. Indeed, photos and videos of the phone don't do it justice. You need to view the display in person to see how text pops out and how photos dazzle, as well as how nicely the display showcases such new features of Android 2.1 as the scrolling menu and the 3D wallpaper. When you take the phone outdoors, though, you lose much of the display's visibility, especially in bright sunlight. This limitation will especially disappoint casual photographers who would like to snap lots of pictures with the phone's 5-megapixel camera--as outdoors it is quite difficult to see the images you shoot.
