Google Launches Nexus One Phone
Google has announced the Nexus One, a new
HTC phone that showcases the latest version
of the Android mobile operating system -
Android 2.1. Google also announced today a
new smartphone marketplace where consumers
can buy phones and service plans, and get
setup and support information for Android
devices.
he Nexus One phone was designed by HTC, with
input from Google's engineers. In its
specifications, much of the speculation
before today was correct. These specs
include:
* Android 2.1 operating system
* 3.7-inch display
* 1GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm
(very fast)
* 480 x 800 OLED display (for brilliant
colors and deep contrast)
* 5-megapixel camera with LED flash
* Audio stereo Bluetooth
* Active noise cancellation using two
microphones
* Live-action wallpaper that responds to
your touch
* Google Maps navigation
* Improved Facebook integration
The Nexus One features a number of software
and user interface niceties, but these look
like natural, incremental improvements on
the Android OS. Nothing revolutionary here,
as some had expected by all the hype Google
had generated around this event.
Perhaps the coolest one is the phone's
voice-to-text capability. Not only can you
perform text searches, but you can now
populate any text field in the UI by
talking. This is huge, given the size and
input limitations of smartphones. It's far
easier to talk to your phone than it is to
type on the screen, especially when you're
trying to do something else, like driving
(of course, we don't recommend driving and
typing at the same time).
The Nexus One also features a cool new
Google Earth app for mobile. The hi-res
images of earth looked fantastic on the
Nexus One's screen. The app also responds to
voice commands, allowing a user to speak a
location, prompting the app to move to that
location on the map.
The phone also features new UI innovations
for browsing pictures and organizing apps on
the home page. And, as expected, the Nexus
One features interactive wallpaper that
moves by itself or in response to user
screen touches.
All of the software innovations seen on the
Nexus One are part of the Android 2.1
operating system, so they will all migrate
to other Android phones when those phones
have their software upgraded to 2.1 in the
coming months. Google would not be more
specific on when this would actually happen.
As noted, Google today moved from just being
a maker of operating systems and other
software to being a retailer of mobile
phones and service plans.
The Google phone marketplace now sells only
one phone, the Nexus One, and one service
plan, from T-Mobile, but Google says it will
add more devices and carriers in the coming
months. For instance, smartphone buyers will
be able to get a Nexus One that runs on the
Verizon network this spring, and Europe's
Vodaphone is on board for that time frame as
well.
Google says it wants to provide a place
where consumers can go to easily shop for
smartphones and service plans, and get
support on setting up and using new phones.
One interesting aspect to all this is the
reaction of other handset makers that have
adopted, and invested millions in, the
Android OS for their phones. With the
perception that the Nexus One is the “Google
phone,” the new phone could tempt smartphone
buyers away from other Android phones, like
the Motorola Droid, for instance. And for
good reason: the Nexus One is the only phone
on the market with Android 2.1. Why would I
buy a Droid now, when the Droid has a lesser
OS and a slower processor?
Google seems to have anticipated this
tension. Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha was present
on the stage today, and said his company
does not see the new Nexus One, or the new
Google marketplace, as a threat. "We just
see this as another way at getting to
consumers," he said. "I don't see it as a
threat; this is potentially an expansion to
the marketplace."
The new Android OS will eventually come to
other phones. HTC CEO Peter Chou says
Android 2.1 will soon come to its Droid Eris
phone. And the Android 2.1 OS will
eventually come to the Motorola Droid too,
but it's not clear if it will be weeks, or
months, before that update happens.
The Nexus One has the thickness of a No. 2
pencil.
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WARNING
ICE warns that the Nexus may not work on its 3G network, saying that the ICE 3G works on the 850MHz band, while the Nexus 3G works only on the 2100
AWS/900 band. The Nexus, however, will work on the GSM network.
http://www.google.com/phone/
The Nexus One is available in the U.S. for $529 when purchased directly from Google. The phone is unlocked and will work with any SIM card. Includes a Nexus One phone case, wall charger, and USB cable and free shipping in the continental US. Google also offers free inscription.
The Nexus One can also be purchased for $179 from T-Mobile with a two-year contract. Verizon and Vodafone expect to have it available Spring 2010.
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