Update: read our Hands on: Nexus One review.
The Nexus One is set to launch any day now, and there's a sense of expectation that this might be the handset to lay the smackdown to the iPhone.
But will it be the slayer all the Apple-haters have been praying for... or is it just going to be another Android mobile phone that's a bit thinner than the others?
1. Larger than life
The first thing that most will note on the new Nexus One is the large screen - 3.7 inches of it to be exact. It's not as large as the behemothic 4.3-inch screen on the HTC HD2, which is both fantastically large and far too big at the same time, but the version on the Nexus One is large enough to allow easy video and web viewing, and the WVGA resolution means things look pin sharp.
2. All about the OLED
Apart from being a huge display, the Nexus One's screen is also an OLED, rather than LCD. Not only does this allow the device to be thinner but also have better colour reproduction too.
This means that blacks look blacker, reds look redder and whites are much cleaner and crisper - although this might be a shock to some people who are used to washed out colours on LCD, but some videos can look stunning on the OLED screen and Google is keen to take advantage of that.
3. Snappy fast
The Nexus One uses a Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, kicking along at 1GHz, making things zip along nicely.
This skill might not be that much use for some elements of the phone, but when it comes to the Gallery (loading a number of pics), lists (think email) or the web (just general browsing) it can eradicate that stupid wait we're forced to endure when trying to load up content.
4. Finding Flan
All the hype about Motorola's Milestone and Google's Android 2.0/Éclair is over already - it's all about the next generation: Android 2.1 or Flan to its friends.
But the problem is people were expecting the version of Android on the Nexus One to be the ultimate rendition - in honesty it's just an incremental upgrade from the 2.0 release, with two more home screens adding the available space on the main display being one of the highlights (unless you count animated wallpapers... which we don't).
5. Ditching tabs
But one thing that has been overhauled in the Nexus One is the menu system - gone is the pull-up tab to open the menu on the home screen; instead there's a multi-dotted system to jump to a new menu layout.
It's not hugely different to the system Android fans are used to now, but it does add that element of sheen to proceedings that the iPhone had nailed, and the kind of thing someone with no idea about touchscreen phones would find really cool when picking up the Nexus One for the first time.
Your comments (8) Click to add a new comment
d4lien
January 6th 2010
8. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that cuddly, lovely our friends Apple patented multi-touch... Could be wrong and don't quote me on it. Next up there will be no heavy petting people!
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nitrofan
January 6th 2010
7. @pete_l excellent post, and like gre66 I also suffer from poor eyesight so welcome the slightly less "tiny" screens some manufacturers are offering (That will confuse the operators reading this!)
Presumably the mobile device industry has deemed "Tiny" to be the new "Huge"? whilst we are on the subject of redefining the meaning of words to suit sales strategy's , lets not forget how the network operators managed to spin the phrase "Unlimited browsing"
I can assure you all it means something very different when a network operator uses it in their sales literature!
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kingmustard
January 6th 2010
6. #2 is a load of rubbish.
"The big issue with the screen, though, is actually the color balance. We found colors on the Nexus One, particularly in the reds and oranges, to be severely blown-out and oversaturated -- a common effect with AMOLED displays like the Nexus One's."
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/04/nexus-one-review/
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112kane112
January 5th 2010
5. Perhaps you neigh-sayers should go and buy a nintendo ds? A dual screened phone is unreasonable and un-necessary, the screens on phones are merely millimeters away from the edge of the phone now, rendering any kind of flip-out screen pointless. On top of all of this think of the size of the beast.
Pete, stop being sarcastic, clearly meanings here are subjective, for 4+ inches is indeed huge for a phone screen.
I can't wait for the nexus one personally, I really do hope the camera is better. As for the media, just download one from the app market, that's why I believe they didn't change it, as to keep third party competition ripe.
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ginga_nut
January 5th 2010
4. Its a phone people .. not a mobile dvd/movie player.
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scottgilbert
January 5th 2010
3. I agree with both 1 n 2
why not make it with a small screen on top, then fold open to reveal the amazing oled dual screen, which can have the bottom one change into touch screen keyboard while watching what you type on top screen.
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gre66
January 5th 2010
2. I have to agree with Pete,especially with my age failing eye site. Although new glasses do make it a bit easier.Why haven't any of the phone makers realized one amazing missed opportunity to fit a decent sized screen under the full length of he phone. Just like the slide qwerty key boards but have a large screen instead and just have a small screen on the front? It would be so cool.
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pete_l
January 5th 2010
1. Why isn't anyone able to write a review without floating off into absurd hyperbole? F'r instance take the comment about the "huge" 4.3 inch (more properly: 11cm) screen. Has someone redefined the word "huge" to mean what "tiny" used to?
A 60 inch TV screen is "huge". A 19 inch LCD display or 17 inch lappy screen in "OK" but anything in the single digits is just too small for sensible use. You can't get a decent amount of desktop real-estate on it, yet it's large enough to be clumsy to carry. You can't watch movies or look at photos (unless you like photos of postage stamps, then they're life-size). and the icons are too small to use on a touch screen without accidentally pressing 3 or 4 at the same time.
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