Nexus One… To Buy or Not to Buy?
As I near the end of my mobile contract, I have been thinking a lot about which new smartphone to get next. Like many others, I have been curious to see whether or not Google’s Nexus One, the first of their self-proclaimed super phones, would be embraced by those lucky enough to get to take it for a test drive.
There is no question Apple’s iPhone has led the pack till now – and they aren’t going down without a fight. Apple and its loyalists have been quick to point out each of the Nexus One’s flaws, and was especially happy to report how much lower the Nexus One’s first week sales of “a disappointing 20,000” were compared with the iPhone 3GS’s 1.6 million.
The Nexus One has been challenged and criticized from every angle; including everything from the right to use the Nexus One name, to who is actually responsible for customer service support. Many customers are frustrated with the very limited, e-mail only, support they have received through Google and haven’t had much better luck with HTC or T-Mobile.
Reviews of the Nexus One are mixed depending on your source. TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington provided a very thorough review and seemed fairly impressed with the phone stating:
This is the best Android-powered phone to date. It’s also the fastest and most elegant smartphone on the market today, solidly beating the iPhone in most ways. In this rapidly evolving market there is sure to be something better just around the corner. But if you are looking to buy a high-end smartphone right now, this is the phone for you. The Nexus One is the Android signature device.
Arrington noted several state-of-the-art features including the exceptional integration of Google Voice, highlighting the Google Voice Keyboard and Voice Search capabilities; fast Snapdragon processor; Live Wallpaper; 5-megapixel camera with flash; and killer Google Navigation system. He wasn’t impressed by the short battery life or that the primary microphone was located on the lower left-hand side of the phone saying, “when I cradle the phone between my neck and shoulder without using my hand, my voice is often muted and can’t be heard. This is a design error that should be changed in future versions.”
I also found BillShrink’s chart on Mashable to be a very helpful comparison between the iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre, Motorola Droid and Nexus One.
To sum it up, I think I’ll hang out for a few more months and see what Apple comes up with this summer and how much Google lowers the price on the Nexus One. Just heard they knocked off $100 this morning… so we’ll see what they surprise us with next.
What’s your take on the smartphone war? I’d love to hear from anyone who has had a chance to play around with the Nexus One?
In: Mobile · Tagged with: Android, Google, Mobile, Nexus One
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