Google Unveils the Nexus One, Coming to Verizon in Spring 2010

[Namreg]

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=17291

The phone features a eye-catching 3.7" 480x880 AMOLED display (bigger than the iPhone's 3.5" screen and higher resolution than the iPhone's 320x480). The phone is also powered by the 1 GHz Snapdragon QSD 8250 processor from Qualcomm, as rumored. That makes it on paper faster than the the current generation iPhone 3G S, due to the latter's underclocking (which is powered by a Samsung S5PC100 ARM Cortex-A8 833 MHz CPU underclocked to 600 MHz).

Whereas the iPhone features a plain nondescript home button, the Nexus One's bottom interface device doubles both as a trackball and a button and a multi-color LED notification device. The phone also features a wealth of sensors to enrich the performance, including light and proximity sensors, compass, GPS and accelerometer (it draws the iPhone in this category).

The phone is 11.5 mm thin and a mere 130 grams (narrowly beating the iPhone 3G S in both categories). It features a 5 MP camera with LED flash, MPEG4 capabilities, and one-touch YouTube uploads. The phone features stereo Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headphone jack (four contact points for microphone and remote), and active noise cancellation. A second microphone in the back of the phone provides active noise cancellation during phone calls. To top off the sweet hardware package, you can get custom engraving on the metal bezel on the backplate.

i'm still getting a blackberry when my contract is up next year, but not bad, mr. google.

 

[mr google]

:hatsoff:

 

[titsrock]

Not a game changer at all. Everybody with an iPhone loads it up with apps. This seems weak for apps.

They are also really brutal with their cost structure for people already under TMobile to upgrade to this device.

The T-Mobile phone can be had for $179 for new customers (or $280 if you're a returning customer w/out a data package, or $380 for returning customers with a data package), while an unlocked N1 retails for $529.

Isn't the whole point to get PEOPLE carrying around this thing and using it? It seems to be a miscalculation to only give new customers such a sweetheart deal and bend over the existing TMobile customer base.

And what happened to all the talk about Google wanting to sell these things unlocked?

 

[SgtMarine]

I have the best phone in the world. I use it to fucking call people, that's what they are made for. Trust me half the people using all this shit ain't that fuckin important.

 

[Namreg]

Not a game changer at all. Everybody with an iPhone loads it up with apps. This seems weak for apps.

They are also really brutal with their cost structure for people already under TMobile to upgrade to this device.

Isn't the whole point to get PEOPLE carrying around this thing and using it? It seems to be a miscalculation to only give new customers such a sweetheart deal and bend over the existing TMobile customer base.

And what happened to all the talk about Google wanting to sell these things unlocked?

the apps thing isn't bad, as SD cards can be used to store them. i am disappointed by the price though.

 

[Namreg]

I have the best phone in the world. I use it to fucking call people, that's what they are made for. Trust me half the people using all this shit ain't that fuckin important.

i used to think that as well. however, google maps, internet access, and the ability to play music and videos have all come in handy for me in the past. why not get one device that can do it all instead of carrying 3 or 4?

 

[titsrock]

^
:yesyes:

I ALMOST think that phones like this MIGHT make people bail on their laptops....:dunno: People might go back to desktops, get giant HD screens for their desktops, use desktops for mega-gaming, etc...

Why lug around a laptop when these devices do 90% of the stuff anyway :dunno:

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

That's a pretty slick looking piece of machinery.

 

[Nordiques]

The iPhone may be a bit less quick than Nexus One (it is older) but I think the iPhone is still top choice because of its AppStore and it has large 32GB capacity for music lovers.

 

[STDiva]

I'll get one when my iPhone contract is up.

 

[SgtMarine]

i used to think that as well. however, google maps, internet access, and the ability to play music and videos have all come in handy for me in the past. why not get one device that can do it all instead of carrying 3 or 4?

SgtMarine thinks that is useless shit that people don't need, but whatever.

 

[SiCo]

^
:yesyes:

I ALMOST think that phones like this MIGHT make people bail on their laptops....:dunno: People might go back to desktops, get giant HD screens for their desktops, use desktops for mega-gaming, etc...

Why lug around a laptop when these devices do 90% of the stuff anyway :dunno:

For business perhaps? If I had to show a client work on a phone they'd laugh at me first and then cease further contact.

 

[titsrock]

For business perhaps? If I had to show a client work on a phone they'd laugh at me first and then cease further contact.

Who are you, Slappy Sales? :dunno: Haven't you seen "Up in the Air" yet? Everything's going *virtual* and I mean EVERYTHING.

 

[SiCo]

Who are you, Slappy Sales? :dunno: Haven't you seen "Up in the Air" yet? Everything's going *virtual* and I mean EVERYTHING.

Acme Sales Inc., actually.

Anyway, virtual my ass. People don't want to see a postage stamp when they expect a poster - you get my drift?

 

[jasonk282]

Acme Sales Inc., actually.

I think you sold me a defected Anvil. I had it for that damn Roadrunner to drop on him when he ate his bird seed. he cut the wire but it never dropped. Upon further inspection on the target area said anvil fell on my head. You will be hearing from my lawyer soon.

 

[shayd]

Not a game changer at all. Everybody with an iPhone loads it up with apps. This seems weak for apps.

They are also really brutal with their cost structure for people already under TMobile to upgrade to this device.

Isn't the whole point to get PEOPLE carrying around this thing and using it? It seems to be a miscalculation to only give new customers such a sweetheart deal and bend over the existing TMobile customer base.

And what happened to all the talk about Google wanting to sell these things unlocked?

The article did a really poor job explaining the tiering of prices. The phone is $180 without a prior contract with T-Mobile, essentially if you're a new customer or your contract is up. If you have a contract (no-data) with T-Mobile it would be $280 (that's all in the cancellation fees) and if you have a data plan on your current contract, it would cost you $100 more to cancel that. I had a very similar reaction to yours upon first glance, but all of the information elsewhere says the phone is only more expensive if you've got a contract. The pricing discrepancies are purely on the part of T-Mobile.

The iPhone may be a bit less quick than Nexus One (it is older) but I think the iPhone is still top choice because of its AppStore and it has large 32GB capacity for music lovers.

For my money, the AppStore is only better than the Apps for Android in that Apple launched it first, which gave people more time to develop for it. Android is just now getting to be about a full year old as a 1.0+ release, so to me, Android will end up being the better platform. The AppStore is so vastly overrated as it stands, because there are literally only about 10,000 original apps in the AppStore, but there are literally thousands of applications that do that same thing. Android to date has the most varied applications, and because it's open source, the applications can do more, without having to worry about being rejected by Apple.

Also, the iPhone storage as it stands probably won't last another 4 months before you can at least double it's storage on the Nexus.

To be honest, this phone is really only one feature short of being better than the iPhone, and that's multi-touch, but that'll be there in Android 2.1, so it's on its way. I think this is the better deal to start with, it just doesn't have the premium Apple glitz.

 

[Rey C.]

This should be interesting: The Smartphone Wars of the Early 21st Century. :ak47::fight:

Unlike MSFT, one thing that is almost certain about Apple is they'll respond with a more powerful weapon. As will RIMM. Then Google. Then AAPL again. Mix, rinse and repeat.

Within 5 years, there should be a smartphone that'll give me a virtual handjob while driving home from work and then fix me a sandwich when I arrive. At that point, I'll (probably) trade in my circa 2003 Motorola flip phone.

 

[JacknCoke]

Another phone with 1000 features I don't need. Maybe they should call the computers now.

Here's what I need on a phone:

Numbers 0-9 (with letters A-Z on them)
A send button
An end button
And a power button

A clear button is kind of handy too I suppose.

 

[titsrock]

The article did a really poor job explaining the tiering of prices. The phone is $180 without a prior contract with T-Mobile, essentially if you're a new customer or your contract is up. If you have a contract (no-data) with T-Mobile it would be $280 (that's all in the cancellation fees) and if you have a data plan on your current contract, it would cost you $100 more to cancel that. I had a very similar reaction to yours upon first glance, but all of the information elsewhere says the phone is only more expensive if you've got a contract. The pricing discrepancies are purely on the part of T-Mobile.

Since handset providers build the devices, do you think that there will come a time where handset providers openly (or privately) "go to war" among each other to prevent customer defections? Meaning, will TMobile's other handset providers threaten to sue TMobile for "favoring" the new Google device? Will they put pressure on TMoblile not to make it so attractive for new and existing customers to switch?

It seems to me that Apple and Google (even though they don't manufacture the device) are trying to gain control of the wireless providers' customers out from under the wireless provider much more so than Motorola, Palm or Nokia have ever done....:dunno:

 

[shayd]

Since handset providers build the devices, do you think that there will come a time where handset providers openly (or privately) "go to war" among each other to prevent customer defections? Meaning, will TMobile's other handset providers threaten to sue TMobile for "favoring" the new Google device? Will they put pressure on TMoblile not to make it so attractive for new and existing customers to switch?

It seems to me that Apple and Google (even though they don't manufacture the device) are trying to gain control of the wireless providers' customers out from under the wireless provider much more so than Motorola, Palm or Nokia have ever done....:dunno:

That's actually an interesting question. Right now, the standard of who gets the most face time by the major carriers is literally a matter of a. who is the most attractive name, and b. who has a more valuable relationship with the company.

The thing is, all of the major cell phone makers do manufacture their own phones, there actually aren't any phones I can think of that Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or Sprint manufacture. Cell phone carriers get access to phones through contracts, and that is the exact reason why AT&T got the iPhone first. Apple actually approached Verizon first, but with the control Apple wanted over warranty, price, and other aspects of the iPhone, Verizon, who is notoriously controlling of their phones and services, passed. AT&T didn't see a problem with it, especially since their cellular service at the time was fairly far behind Verizon in terms of smartphones, and acquiesced.

The real question to me is, what is Googles long term plan for cellular phones. I'm speculating a bit here, but there are a few things here that lead me to believe that this phone is really only a starter for Google to get their feet wet in the cell phone business. I think long term, Google will look to exclusively cell phones, and will probably eventually roll out a cell phone service. The recent progress in Google Voice and a number of other projects Google has recently announced lead me to believe they could realistically offer cell phone service for much cheaper than the other major companies and may even be able to offer it for free.