We've always been impressed by the trajectory of Android, and with each passing iteration it's got closer to being a bit less for the hackers and more for the mainstream (although its open source ethos has remained).

The Google Nexus S is designed to be the device that showcases the power of Android 2.3 and comes without the constraints of network upgrade delays – if Google updates something, the Nexus S community will be the first to know.

Don't be fooled by all the hype though, as the Nexus S is pretty much a hopped-up Galaxy S. Sure, it's got the fancy screen and NFC chip inside, but once the Samsung model gets beefed up to Android 2.3, there won't be a huge amount to choose between the two.

We liked

The Google Nexus S looks like it will be among the best Android phones on the market, and that's certainly a theory supported by the super-slick operation under the finger.

The NFC operation looks cool, and while it's mostly there for show at the moment, we can see it being a really useful feature. If the Nexus S helps fuel the popularity of the tech, then that's definitely a good thing.

The keyboard has definitely been upgraded, with the accuracy much higher, and the copy-and-paste tab improvements are welcome.

The Super AMOLED screen is back and in full effect once more – it's crisp, clear and offers some stunning contrast ratios.

We disliked

The lack of a comma on the keyboard might sound like a little issue, but to us, it's massive and could quickly get annoying.

The text wrapping on the internet browser was hard to get right too (although that could be simply due to the early software build, so we'll wait for judgement on that).

The price is ridiculously high for the average gadget lover – sure, it has come neat features but we reckon that slightly curved display added a few quid to the cost of manufacture, and had it been flat the world wouldn't have simultaneously wept.

Early verdict

We didn't have a chance to play with all the features on the Google Nexus S, so it's impossible to give any kind of indication on whether this will be a phone we would recommend or not.

Things like the noise cancelling microphone, the voice control, the music and video player, the 5MP camera (thankfully with a single LED flash) were all unavailable for test, and could be big benefits or hindrances to the Google Nexus S.

However, if you're into Android and looking for a new phone, there's very little to find fault with here. The UI is quick to understand and slick under the finger, and while it lacks the simplicity of the iPhone 4, it is very much its equal with features such as upgraded widgets on offer.

We'll be bringing you our full Google Nexus S review in the next week or two once we've tested it for a good few days – if we can get over the price tag (and that's something iPhone users manage to do without batting an eyelid) then we're very excited about the launch of the Nexus S.