Nexus One - The Google Phone - Finally Announced

[david.dakota]

Well the reviews I have read are saying the iPhone is still the better phone.

 

I find the iPhone rather dull to use personally. It lacks sparkle in my opinion.

 

I'm hoping the widgets in some Android phones (like the HTC Hero) make it over to the Nexus, but so far it seems all icons from whay i can tell.

[McPhee]

Does this do anything better than the iPhone?

 

I can think of a few off the top of my head;

Widget support

Multitasking

Better screen (bigger, more vibrant and higher resolution)

Faster

Android Market is open (i.e. no silly censorship by Apple)

Great support for Google services

Better call quality (dual mics for noise cancelling and a better earpiece)

Full flash support in browser (or maybe it's coming soon, none too sure)

 

Someone with some actual hands-on experience of Android might be able to think of more.

 

The iPhone on the other hand is a more polished experience and it's multimedia support is far better.

 

I find the iPhone rather dull to use personally. It lacks sparkle in my opinion.

 

I'm hoping the widgets in some Android phones (like the HTC Hero) make it over to the Nexus, but so far it seems all icons from whay i can tell.

 

I'd agree there. It's beginning to feel a bit stale after nearly 3 years on the market with only very slight changes in appearance.

 

As for Widgets, they are still there. If it's HTC's Sense UI you're referring to though then no, that won't be making an appearance. There will be a very similar handset from HTC, the Bravo, due some time in the next few months and that phone will feature Sense UI.

Edited January 8, 2010 by McPhee

[flameboy]

I think the iphone OS lacks that razzle dazzle that alot of these newer android and maemo devices do. Plus there are tons of key features missing still. However the power of the integration with the app store is a massive plus and its power as a killer feature cannot be denied.

[AeroScap]

You know most of the iPhone disadvantages are actually already solved by jailbreaking the thing and dont get started on security issues. If you can jailbreak, you can spend 10 mins learning figuring out and changing the ssh passwords which then protects you against the " dangers of jailbreaking"

 

Personally on my iphone, I can multitask and have widgets. Plus with the gazillion apps the censorship point is moot because there is bound to be one that slipped through the net or is right for you PLUS whatever you dont get in app store you get through cydia i.e. bette sms client, full itunes app song preview, picture contacts, facebook syncing (though now comes with 3.1 of the app), themes etc.

 

I think most if not all phones are in the apps store's shadow now, and there is no way about that.

[flameboy]

You know most of the iPhone disadvantages are actually already solved by jailbreaking the thing and dont get started on security issues. If you can jailbreak, you can spend 10 mins learning figuring out and changing the ssh passwords which then protects you against the " dangers of jailbreaking"

 

Personally on my iphone, I can multitask and have widgets. Plus with the gazillion apps the censorship point is moot because there is bound to be one that slipped through the net or is right for you PLUS whatever you dont get in app store you get through cydia i.e. bette sms client, full itunes app song preview, picture contacts, facebook syncing (though now comes with 3.1 of the app), themes etc.

 

I think most if not all phones are in the apps store's shadow now, and there is no way about that.

 

That is part of the problem...all the other manufacturers have to compete against a service that has taken years to reach its current heights. People expect the likes of the android app store, blackberry store and the ovi store even windows mobile marketplace to be able to do this straight of the bat but they aren't going to. It's one of those things where developers won't get serious without the user numbers being there and that won't come until customers see these other stores as variable alternatives. Even the DSiware store and PSP Minis havn't been able to compete when they have the backing of major game publishers....

 

I've set my heart on getting an n900 but it is sad that a load of the indie games that are great on the app store won't get ported over despite I'd imagine the relative ease....

[Cube]

Apart from the odd game, what is there that isn't available on other phones, either via apps or their browser?

 

The only thing I hear is numbers, but who cares if there are a few thousand farting apps?

[Caris]

Lots, there really is a app for anything.

 

Also if you have a similar app on a Google device and a iPhone chances are the iPhone app will be better.

[dazzybee]

I can think of a few off the top of my head;

Widget support

Multitasking

Better screen (bigger, more vibrant and higher resolution)

Faster

Android Market is open (i.e. no silly censorship by Apple)

Great support for Google services

Better call quality (dual mics for noise cancelling and a better earpiece)

Full flash support in browser (or maybe it's coming soon, none too sure)

 

- What is widget support?

- Multitasking? Explain the use? As in, there are tabs so you can have safari up and do something else then go back to it etc.? If so, this is good, when you're in a game and someone texts or something, or you want to chek something, you have to go out of the game

- Better Screen? But is it? I've heard it's brighter, but the iphone is more than bright enough.

- Android Market is open; but nowhere near as good

- I don't use google services

 

Hmmm, some sound 'okay' but absolutely nothing to even make me think about moving away.

Someone with some actual hands-on experience of Android might be able to think of more.

 

I'd agree there. It's beginning to feel a bit stale after nearly 3 years on the market with only very slight changes in appearance.

 

I really don't agree with you and Dakota, I think the iphone looks great and is a great set up; I don't want it flashy and all over the place, simple and clean.

 

I think the iPhone is incredible. The more time you spend with it, the better it gets; I was unconvinced at first, but now I really think it's unbelievable.

[McPhee]

The App Store is definitely the iPhones big seller these days, it's a mammoth! It'll take Android a while to catch up, though development is accelerating now with the success of the Droid in the States and the release of Android 2.1. It's a lot easier to develop for than the iPhone which is a HUGE bonus, most programmers are used to Java, very few had ever seen/taken any notice of Object-C (which is a mess and a pain in the rear end to use) until the App Store took off

 

Not that there's anything particularly useful missing from Android Market. There aren't many games, though now that Google have finally got OpenGL ES 2.0 support in to Android that should change.

 

I find myself torn to be honest. Android is only getting better and the Nexus is definitely a nicer bit of kit than the 3GS. Once the kinks are worked out I'm sure it'll prove to be the better handset. However, the 3GS is better now and who knows when Google will bring media support up to the required standard or when good games will hit the platform. I can see Android and the iPhone 4 being pretty level by Christmas in terms of features, polish and usability but is that too long?

 

- What is widget support?

- Multitasking? Explain the use? As in, there are tabs so you can have safari up and do something else then go back to it etc.? If so, this is good, when you're in a game and someone texts or something, or you want to chek something, you have to go out of the game

- Better Screen? But is it? I've heard it's brighter, but the iphone is more than bright enough.

 

Widget support is basically having mini programs pinned to your desktop. A clock, the weather, the name of the currently playing music track + pause and skip, RSS feeds. There's quite a lot of scope for it in Android, though even more in Maemo. It's an at-a-glance view of the important stuff without needing to load up any extra programs.

 

Multitasking, pretty much as you said. Think of it like being on a PC, you can just minimize programs so that they're out of your way or so that they can carry on what they are doing while you get on with what you need to do.

 

As for the screen;

 

 

Make up your own mind from that. To me the iPhone looks noticeably more blurred, it's just nowhere near as crisp. It also seems to have a weird blue hue to the screen (which I have noticed before on handsets that I've used).

Edited January 9, 2010 by McPhee

[Caris]

The thing which will probably happen, like it does most of the time is...

 

Android will catch up over the coming months, possibly even be a better phone by the summer. Then Apple will bring out the next iPhone which will demolish it, I've seen it happen with Apple products for years.

[McPhee]

The thing which will probably happen, like it does most of the time is...

 

Android will catch up over the coming months, possibly even be a better phone by the summer. Then Apple will bring out the next iPhone which will demolish it, I've seen it happen with Apple products for years.

 

No you haven't, it's never happened before.

 

Apple haven't had any real competition in the smartphone market yet. People who have bought the iPhone in previous years have bought it for the superior user experience. People who haven't bought it have written it off due to it's lacking features. Each update shrinks the gap and broadens the iPhones appeal, but it's been nothing radical so far. The bit that "blew the competition away" was the quality of the product as a whole in the first place, the initial launch.

 

With the iPod Apple never lead. They had the iTunes ecosystem, which was their great innovation there. After the brand established itself all they did was update the range every year to follow the latest trends (until the iPod Touch, which I admit has blown away the competition).

 

With OS X Apple have lead for years and it's taken Microsoft a long time and a lot of work to catch up. They've never needed to blow Windows away with a great new update, they've just needed to keep themselves at arms length (which this year they failed to do).

 

I don't think I've ever seen Apple "blow the competition away" after an initial product launch. They'll just do another incremental product upgrade, add a few missing features and then rely on the quality of the end-user experience to keep them ahead of the competition. It should be enough to keep them ahead for a while, but the competition are definitely catching up.

Edited January 9, 2010 by McPhee

[Caris]

It has, I cba to argue as I have better better things to do but it has, many times.

[AeroScap]

what are the chances that the reviewer will NOT sell his iphone and just slowly revert back to it, whilst occasionally bringing out the nexus to show off to friends that they arent sheep.

 

At the moment people keep on beating a dead horse especially when the person providing the bat is google and the horse has been dead for a while and everyone knows that it isnt going to reanimate and bite them in the ass.

[david.dakota]

I really don't agree with you and Dakota, I think the iphone looks great and is a great set up; I don't want it flashy and all over the place, simple and clean.

 

I think the iPhone is incredible. The more time you spend with it, the better it gets; I was unconvinced at first, but now I really think it's unbelievable.

 

 

Its not that I think the iPhone is a turd. Lindsey has one, I like it; its functional, fast and the integration with iTunes is superb (but i'd wager thats its main selling point). Just its just not gizmo enough for me; Android phones - with widget support - like the Hero or Droid/Milestone give you info on tap, no loading of apps, no icon presses- thats far and away ahead of the iPhone's (rather dull) interface. Don't think that widgets are "all over the place" either, they're tremendously functional, still clean and simple®; widgets don't do things you don't want them to do, the info you want is just there - automatically downloaded and on show on your home screen.

 

iPhone still feels like an iPod Touch with a phone bolted on, its does nothing spectacularly (other than its iTunes integration). Phones like the Motorola Droid/Milestone and Nexus One seem more like the internet in the palm of your hand - true communication devices.

 

Honestly, if your looking for a smart phone have a look Android phones, don't just plump for the iPhone. There's plenty more (arguably better) phones on ther market.

 

We can probably agree on one thing though: Windows Phones (I currently have the Toshiba TG01) are turd. Complete turd with a fallen acorn nestled on top.

[McPhee]

We can probably agree on one thing though: Windows Phones (I currently have the Toshiba TG01) are turd. Complete turd with a fallen acorn nestled on top.

 

Yup, I can agree on that.

 

Then again I'll probably wind up buying a WinMo 7 handset towards the end of the year. Office Mobile was awesome as was the Live integration, email and myphone service. Pop that all in to a better OS and I'll be in the queue.

[dazzybee]

What widgets can you have then?

 

I really think the iphone is superb but I'm not a phone expert. Although itunes is good, for me it's the app store that is absolutely incredible.

 

Also, I run two businesses, all of which use mac computers, and everything is in sync with each other; all our phones and computers - diaries, address books; we can even check (and read) our idisk (space to put files) which is great when we're out and about.

 

So the Nexus has a little bit better screen, a little bit better battery and camera, a little extra functionality; but this is offset by the BIG things of itunes, app store and synching with all computers.

[Cube]

People who have bought the iPhone in previous years have bought it for the superior user experience.

 

Possibly the biggest advantage (in the consumer market) is that it's "cool" to have an iPhone.

 

I must admit that my hate of the iPhone has grown because my boss keeps passing me his so I can find out how to do stuff on it for him, so I get lumped with all the problems. Setting up iTunes (he had no account and didn't want it installed on a work PC) was a massive chore, especially as it took me ages to type on the thing and then it timed out so I had to start again.

 

BIG things of itunes, app store and synching with all computers.

 

Huh? Isn't iTunes compatible with any storage device? I'm sure that most people would like to have a backup on their PC...

 

And that quick-to-set-up syncing is just for if you have just Apple poducts, right? With a little bit of time it can be done so any recent phone can sync with any OS.

[david.dakota]

The widgets i recall are weather and news, Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, stocks, clocks, calendar and to do lists... Of course, not all things have widgets and apps can be loaded from icons on a home screen or menu.

 

I'm sure having iPhone within a mac environment is really beneficial and makes perfect sense, but i know a few people who have just brought into iPhone because, well, its an iPhone.

 

As I say,its not that I don't like iPhone, its just i think - for most people - there are better phones with a better user experience on the market now

[That Guy]

I will say I think they could do something to perhaps freshen up the iPhone UI, but I still think it's excellent.

Are widgets really that useful though? Don't you have to 'flick' to things still? How is it that much different from me just tapping 'Clock' to see the time/alarm etc.?

I would maybe like to see a couple of things added to the unlock screen, maybe Weather and Calendar, but once I've unlocked the phone I don't really see the point.

 

I'm also not sure about multitasking. There are moments where I've wanted to swap to something like Messages App, or Email, for instance while running a game and you get a text, it's very annoying to exit the app to quickly reply.

At the same time though I don't want my phone to slow down to a crawl, and my battery to drain.

 

I would like to see a compromise on that where I could tap something in the corner to bring up the Apple Apps that run in the background like Email or iPod and could quickly bring them up without leaving my current app. I would also like for 3rd party apps to be given better integration with Apple stuff. For instance, my to do app Things should be able to sync with MobileMe, and there should be the option to run such an app in the background.

I don't need to run something like BeejiveIM in the background due to the excellent Push Notifications, but Apps like Things or some of the Radio Apps for instance could do with the option.

[Cube]

How is it that much different from me just tapping 'Clock' to see the time/alarm etc.?

 

Take a Twitter widget for example, it could probably show a couple of things, such as the number of unread tweets or the most recent tweet. It gives you information before you press it.

 

At the same time though I don't want my phone to slow down to a crawl, and my battery to drain.

 

If you keep an eye on what you have open then it shouldn't be a problem. If my 5800 can do it with 5 or 6 apps open plus all the background stuff then the iPhone should easily handle it.

[AeroScap]

Take a Twitter widget for example, it could probably show a couple of things, such as the number of unread tweets or the most recent tweet. It gives you information before you press it.

 

I personally have something called infoscreen, Twitter, Facebook, Mail, Missed calls, calender appointments and sms previews on the homescreen before I launch anything.

 

If you keep an eye on what you have open then it shouldn't be a problem. If my 5800 can do it with 5 or 6 apps open plus all the background stuff then the iPhone should easily handle it.

 

and It dos very well, " Backgrounder" for the iphone and I keep skype and tweetie 2 on background so I dont need to refresh and anyone can call me direct to skype aswell!

 

I think Apple's closed policy was actually a great move! It happens with most devices! Say PSP the harder Sony clamp down, the more people jump on the bandwagon and rally together to crack it, same with the 360 when MS said it was unhackable (lol) and now the same with apple only they burst the device almost completely wide open!

[dazzybee]

I can't find backgrounder or infoscreen on the app store!?!

[Eddage]

I can't find backgrounder or infoscreen on the app store!?!

 

You need to have jailbroken your phone, they're not standard apps.

[Cube]

I love how "hacking" needs to be called something different because the core Apple users are too far up the smug spectrum to use such a "lowly" word.

[McPhee]

In Android it's called 'Rooting' and there's a name for Symbian hacking too (I just can't remember it right now). Are WinMo users the only ones who aren't smug?