HTC Nexus One by Google

 HTC Nexus One by Google

The good : 

The Nexus One has a gorgeous display, a lightning-fast processor, and a loaded feature set. The enhanced voice capabilities worked flawlessly, and the phone delivers solid performance.

The bad : 

Like other Android phones, the Nexus One forces you to store apps on the internal memory. The media player remains average, and it's missing some wanted features like hands-free Bluetooth dialing. Currently, Outlook Calendar syncing is not available.

The bottom line: It doesn't have all the features we'd like, but the Nexus One greatly enhances the Google Android family with a fast processor, good call quality, and improved voice control features. What's more, we love that all versions of the phone will be unlocked.

In the days following this review, T-Mobile has acknowledged user complaints over 3G connectivity issues. We continue to test our phone and will update the review as needed. On February 2, 2010, Google issued an update to the Nexus One that added multitouch capability. We have changed this review to reflect the new feature.

Call us geeks, but we can't hear the word "Nexus" without thinking of the utopian dimension in Star Trek where all wishes were fulfilled. And in the run-up to the announcement of its Nexus One phone, Google seemed to be going for the same idea. Indeed, when the phone was finally unveiled on January 5, a Google executive billed it as not only a "superphone" that exemplifies what Google Android can do, but also as "the meeting place of Web and phone."

Lofty promises to be sure, but as is usually true in the tech world, things aren't always what they seem. Don't let the standard candy bar design fool you: the Nexus One brings welcome new offerings to the Android table. The Snapdragon processor is undeniably zippy, the AMOLED display is gorgeous, and we welcome both the enhanced voice dialing capabilities and the noise cancellation feature. What's more, the Android 2.1 interface enhancements show that Android continues to improve as it evolves. It's not quite a revolution and it's not the greatest Android phone around--that's a difficult call to make in such a diverse and crowded field--but it adds to an already rich family.

Of course, the Nexus One wasn't without its problems: the music player continues to underwhelm, app storage remains limited to the internal memory, the handset lacks hands-free Bluetooth dialing. And for the time being, the handset does not support Outlook Calendar syncing. But even with those gripes, the Nexus One delivers a satisfying user experience. The operating system can already go to head-to-head with the iPhone, and the Nexus One only gives Android more ammunition.

It's essential to note that the Nexus One is sold exclusively by Google. Believe us when we say it's fairly remarkable that Google is trying to change the typical control-freak ways of the U.S. carriers. Yet, we don't know what to think of the model just yet. On the upside, both versions of the phone--$529 without service and $179 with a two-year T-Mobile contract--will be unlocked. We also like that you get free overnight shipping. On the downside, however, you don't get in-person support when you have problems and you can't handle the phone before buying. Time will tell just how this arrangement works. For you CDMA fans, Verizon Wireless is set to get its own version of the phone in early 2010.

Design :

Though sleek and attractive, the Nexus One's candy bar, touch-screen-only design doesn't break new design ground. With its trackball and prominent display, it looks a bit like both the HTC Hero and the HTC Droid Eris. At 4.56 inches by 2.36 inches by 0.47 inch, it's about the same size as the Droid Eris, the Hero, and the iPhone, but it weighs just 4.58 ounces The two-toned gray color scheme is standard smartphone, but the handset has a comfortable and very solid feel in the hand.

Not surprisingly, the Nexus One's star attraction is its 3.7-inch AMOLED display. Bursting with 16.7 million colors and an 800x480-pixel resolution, the display really is a wonder. Everything from standard text to busy photos and graphics jumped right off the display in full glory. The Android 2.1 operating system adds to the fun with 3D graphics (more on that later) and live wallpapers, which are animated backgrounds that react to your touch and your music. They're a nifty and attractive touch, but we realize they may be a bit much for some people and we're not sure if they affect battery life. Standard wallpapers are available if you're not game. 

Specification :

Processor	Qualcomm® QSD8250™, 1 GHz
Operating System	Android™ 2.1 (Éclair)
Memory	ROM: 512 MB RAM: 512 MB
Dimensions (L x W x T)	119 x 59.8 x 11.5 mm ( 4.69 x 2.35 x 0.45 inches)
Weight	130 grams ( 4.59 ounces) with battery
Display	3.7-inch display with 480x800 WVGA resolution
Network	HSDPA/WCDMA: 900/AWS/2100 MHz Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)
Device Control	Trackball with Enter button
GPS	Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity	Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g Micro-USB port 3.5 mm audio jack
Camera	5.0 megapixel color camera with auto focus, 2X digital zoom, LED flash, and geo tagging
Audio supported formats	.aac, .amr, .awb, .wav, .mp3, .mid
Video supported formats	.mp4, .3gp, .3g2, .m4v
Battery	Rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer battery Capacity: 1400 mAh Talk time: Up to 10 hours for 2G networks Up to 7 hours for 3G networks Standby time: Up to 290 hours for 2G networks Up to 250 hours for 3G networks (The above are subject to network and phone usage.)
Expansion Slot	microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
AC Adapter	Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz DC output: 5V and 1A
Special Features	Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor G-sensor Digital Compass