The Nexus One is the first Google handset manufactured by the Taiwan based mobile manufacturing company HTC Corporation. The phone was codenamed as HTC Passion. This HTC creation became available for purchase on January 5, 2010. Initially, the phone was only available on Google’s official website. The phone’s subsidized version that came with a two-year contract from T-Mobile was priced at $179 and its unsubsidized SIM unlocked version from AT&T was priced at $529. However, in May 2010 it was announced that the Nexus One website would be closed and the phone will be made available in retail stores. Retails stores started to sell this Google device from July 2010.
During Nexus One’s launch in January 2010, Google declared that they would be launching a Verizon model by the end of 2010, but in April 2010 Google announced that they would not have any such collaboration with Verizon. There was also an announcement made about a Sprint model of the phone, which was later discarded. Nexus One’s most prominent feature is its ability of transcribing voice to text. The segments below will tell you more about the handset’s specifications, hardware and appearance.
Nexus One Specs
The Nexus One comes equipped with 512 MB RAM, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and a microSD slot that will allow you to expand the phone’s memory by as much as 32 GB. The handset boasts a 3.7inch AMOLED touchscreen that displays images at 800 x 480 pixels. Nexus One’s camera specifications may not be the best on earth, but is surely not mediocre. The phone has a 5MP camera that comes accompanied by an LED flash. Two other notable attributes of this HTC product are its trackball and dual microphones (required for implementing voice cancellation technology).
Any Nexus One review would describe the above mentioned features to be impressive. However, according to experts, all these features have their own quirks. As a result, often phrases like ‘not perfect’ and ‘just good’ are used for describing the Nexus One.
The manufacturers have positioned the phone’s 5MP auto focus camera in a way so that it protrudes out to spoil the otherwise smooth appearance of the device’s back. The protrusion is so prominent that it might scratch the surface on which you place the phone, let it be your laptop or a glass table.
You will surely find the AMOLED touchscreen exciting and gorgeous. This feature is absent in the majority of Nexus One’s competitors. However, there’s a hitch. In spite of looking exceedingly attractive, the screen does not come with multitouch support.
The Nexus One boasts good battery life. Its standby time and talk time are 250 hours and seven hours respectively. Moreover, you will also enjoy 20 hours of audio playback and seven hours of video playback on this handset. Your battery usage can be viewed on the phone’s screen.
Nexus One: The Phone’s Design
Both users and experts describe the Nexus One as the best looking HTC phone marketed to date. The phone’s body has parts made up of metal as well as a rubbery plastic. Its sides and front panel are surrounded by the metallic bezel that eventually curves around the phone’s back. The manufacturers have used the rubbery plastic material on the device’s battery cover and its bottom to give it a solid, but soft feel. Nexus One’s body is a lot lighter and thinner compared to its competitors, which makes it look less masculine.
The phone’s front panel has 5 more buttons other than the basic volume and power buttons. They include four haptic touch buttons and a trackball. You might be excited to hear about the trackball, but the fact is that Nexus One’s trackball is almost useless. It is only meant for offering you color based notifications for new text messages, mails or missed calls without turning on your phone’s screen. That’s it. You will not be benefited much if you are looking to use the trackball for navigation. However, the trackball becomes a necessity during text selection as you will not be able to hold down your finger for moving the cursor. The four haptic touch buttons (search, menu, back and homescreen) on the other hand make navigation easier for the user.
Software Features
Originally, the phone had Android 2.1 Éclair as its operating system. Later, an upgraded version with Android 2.2 Froyo as its operating system was released. This new version came with several additional features, for instance a modified Home Screen, Wi-Fi tethering, an improved MS Exchange support and more. You will also have an option of upgrading your Nexus One to Android 2.3.6.
The most fascinating software feature of the phone is its Voice Keyboard. Mobile users around the world were enthralled when they were introduced to Google’s Voice Search Application in 2009. All text fields in the Nexus One are voice enabled. Press the handset’s microphone button and speak to it, your speech will be instantly converted into text.
Another striking feature of the Nexus One is Live Wallpaper. Choose from options like Water (whenever you will touch it, it will ripple), Magic Smoke (it contains a magical union of clouds, water, plasma and smoke) or Grass (grass blades will wave gently with a night or day sky as their backdrop).
Nexus One Accessories
Some Nexus One accessories you should have to increase the phone’s durability and usability include the following:
A compatible screen protector: Make sure that the screen protector is capable of resisting high level abrasions. The screen should not add bulk to your phone and must not leave any residue on the phone’s screen when removed.
A car charger: You should have this Nexus One accessory to ensure that you can charge the phone even when traveling.
A handsfree headset: Every Nexus One user should have a handsfree headset. This will allow them to listen to their favorite music or continue their conversations while doing other important tasks, like driving.