Google's Nexus One Phone Launches 568
The press conference at the Googleplex is over and Google's Nexus One phone has launched (official Google blog announcement). The NY Times confirms the bare details: manufactured by HTC; $529 unlocked, $179 with 2-year T-Mobile contract; coming to Verizon in the US, and Vodaphone in Europe, in "Spring 2010." The Times notes one desirable feature: "[Google] has also voice-enabled all text boxes in the device, so a user can speak into the device to, for instance, compose an e-mail, rather than type the text of the email." Walt Mossberg points out one limitation: "On the Nexus One, only 190 megabytes of its total 4.5 gigabytes of memory is allowed for storing apps. On the $199 iPhone, nearly all of the 16 gigabytes of memory can be used for apps." No answers yet to the obvious questions: can it tether on T-Mobile? Will it allow VoIP?
Verizon in Spring (Score:3, Interesting)
I wonder if comping to Verizon "Spring 2010" means that it supports both GSM and CDMA (and so the unlocked one would work now), or if we're talking seperate CDMA hardware in the Spring (less appealing).
I don't know what the hiccup is in offered dual-mode devices. The BlackBerry Storm actually manged to do that - it's a shame it sucked at everything else, but if they got that right then it can't be too hard :).
Only $529! (Score:4, Interesting)
Is anyone else sick of this contract subsidizing excuse? Yes, I realize you can't sell a phone like this for $25, but all these phones have an insane price if you buy them out of contract. I have a hard time believing these things cost anywhere near $500 to build. For example, the ipod touch starts at $200, which is obviously sold for a profit. Meanwhile, the iphone (a pretty damn similar device), is $500. Its not like you get a reduced monthly price if you bring your own phone.
Re:gaming? (Score:3, Interesting)
However there's nothing preventing other developers from using multi-touch in their apps. So if someone wants to add multi-touch to a game they're writing for Android app store there's nothing stopping them as far as i know.
Sorry, the Nexus One phone is not available... (Score:2, Interesting)
It would seem that many people outside of the US, including Canada and Germany, upon visiting www.google.com/phone have been receiving an error message [google.de] saying "Sorry, the Nexus One phone is not available in your country."
I guess it doesn't go on sale in those countries until some undisclosed date.
Re:So what's the difference? (Score:3, Interesting)
I thought Droid had at least the processor and camera? And I hear the pics the Droid takes with that camera are pretty uninspiring.
Honestly this looks like YAAP (yet another android phone).
Re:So what's the difference? (Score:1, Interesting)
The point is for you to use Google Voice and have only a voice plan as a backup.
This is about advertising for Google. (Score:5, Interesting)
Google wants a plethora of devices, the Google phone seems to be the first attempt to try and create an unlocked phone marketplace, which will help their cause. This new phone is a small attempt to start doing that. Maybe so the wireless carriers cannot easily block Google's advertising.
More evidence that this is about advertising is Apple's purchase of mobile advertising company Quattro Wireless.
Here's the thread from actual users. (Score:3, Interesting)
See here [androidforums.com] for lengthy back-and-forth with two guys who've had the phone in their hands since late last month.
If you read the whole thing, they've got benchmarks and such. It's really long though.
Google needs to work closer with carriers (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:UMTS crippled on purpose? will not work on ATT (Score:4, Interesting)
Oh, and it's worth pointing out (as AT&T insists in their commercials against Verizon) that 2G should be good enough for anybody, and the Nexus One will work on AT&T's 2G network that they think is so awesome.
Not good enough for anybody, just good enough for those used to other provider's "3G" speeds, which aren't much better than AT&T's 2G speeds. If you're already used to AT&T's 3G speeds, this will be a noticeable step down.
Ogg support - sweet (Score:4, Interesting)
I noticed on the tech specs [google.com] page that Nexus One supports Ogg Vorbis audio. Do other Android phones support Ogg Vorbis playback? I mean, it would seem like that would be a feature of the base Android platform, but IIRC, when the G1 launched, Ogg support wasn't included? I know - it's been over a year since the G1 launched, and a lot has changed in newer versions of Android. Still, have any of the other *currently released* Android phones come with Ogg decoder?
Re:So what's the difference? (Score:3, Interesting)
just use google voice along with their myfave plan. every call comes through on your myfave #, both inbound and outbound, thus = unlimited minutes.
Remember that tmobile lets you change plans anytime. You can sign on with a 2 year contract at a set plan, and change the plan right away.
Re:App space explained (Score:3, Interesting)
The required storage space for Google Earth is 2GB. I find myself wondering about this 190MB limitation. Are talking RAM or disk space here?
Re:VOIP (Score:4, Interesting)
Google just bought Gizmo5, though, which I assume means that they'll be rolling out VoIP access to Google Voice soon. GV (and Grand Central before it was acquired by Google) supports forwarding to Gizmo5 explicitly. Google Voice will likely be VoIP soon.
Re:So what's the difference? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Mossberg is an Apple fanboi, valid point though (Score:3, Interesting)
It will do multitouch just fine, just not with the included apps (which, incidentally, are not games). The hardware can do it, and the back end can do it...it's just that the default applications are purposefully crippled in the US.
For instance, the Dolphin web browser on my Motorola Droid does multitouch, although the included browser does not. Meanwhile, the European version of this phone, the Motorola Milestone, is almost exactly identical hardware and software, but the browser does multitouch out of the box.
When it comes to these modern handsets from Google, HTC and Motorola, limitations on multitouch are purely political and monetary in origin.
Re:App space explained (Score:3, Interesting)
Disk space - but the limitation only applies to executables and libraries - the 2GB of data that Google Earth comes with could go on the SD card.
Re:Only $529! (Score:1, Interesting)
then why is there cheap (such as $30) CDMA phones? I guess it's $29 for licensing and $1 for the whole phone?
Re:So what's the difference? (Score:4, Interesting)
The point is for you to use Google Voice and have only a voice plan as a backup.
That only worked on T-Mo if you had MyFaves. You would put your assigned Google Voice number and the outgoing number that GV calls when you dial through it into MyFaves. Then your calls would be free. Against your TOS, though, and I believe that T-Mobile has since gotten rid of the MyFaves option. Not sure about that. I still have MyFaves on my contract (it runs out in about 18 months) so until then I'll enjoy free calling. Although, oddly enough, while I only have the 300 minutes/month voice plan, I've never gone over since I started using my G1. Between Google Voice voice mail transcripts and IMAP email, I don't actually make or take that many calls anymore.
Re:So what's the difference? (Score:3, Interesting)
- And uglier.
3.7" 400x800 AMOLED display
- This is nice.
5MP, LED flash camera
video at 720x480
- These are pointless when the problem with mobile cameras has always been optics, not how many pixels it blows the image up to. I mean the Omnia HD can shoot 720p video but picture quality, which is what you actually want, is subpar. It's blurry and it skips frames. Only sample pics will tell if the camera in the Nexus is actually good, or just high resolution.
3.5mm headphone adapter (first HTC android phone to move away from mini-usb only design)
proximity sensor
light sensor
- Basically they're just catching up with what iphone users already have.
android 2.1
- Still worse than the iPhone OS, at least from looking at the engadget video that was on
I take it this device is a nice leap forward for HTC users, and that's to be lauded, but it's apparently supposed to be an iphone killer. I'm a huge gadget enthusiast and I'd really like there to be a real iphone killer, but with a product that seems to perform worse than the iphone, they just haven't got one.