Google has pimped the Nexus One as a superphone. While we have to agree that it's an exciting addition to the current range of Android handsets, does it really deserve being described as anything with that amount of exaggeration?
Physically, it's a good-looking device. Next to the current slew of Android phones though (especially those from HTC), it's not particularly a standout. Regardless, the slim and light profile, along with a comfortable feel in hand, makes it a well-designed handheld.
The star attraction of the Nexus One's external panel will have to be the 3.7-inch AMOLED screen (800 x 480 resolution). Not only is it large, it displays wonderful-looking images that really jump off the screen. The touch controls below the display and the trackball all work well to facilitate easy maneuvering. Nothing groundbreaking about the UI updates here, especially since there's still no multi-touch, but everything is well-executed.
As a phone, the quad-band handset manages above average call quality, with lots of volume and very clear voices both ways. Speakerphone calls sounded a bit tinnier, but should prove better than most loudspeaker units on the market. Battery life is rated at about seven hours of talk time, which should make it usable for a day or two of regular activity.
With a 1GHz processor running at the helm, the Nexus One is easily the fastest Android phone around. The speed difference is very noticeable, with apps loading fast and no semblance of lagging whatsoever. Combined with top-end 3G speeds, this is a hell of a good phone for both web browsing and accessing online content.
The image below is for size comparison with iPhone.
Naturally, it has all the usual Android staples, from a Contacts list that syncs with Gmail, Facebook and Exchange to a full messaging suite to all of the usual apps that come preloaded. Unfortunately, you're still restricted to installing apps on the 512MB internal storage, despite the support for 32GB microSD cards. One additional gripe is the lack of support for Outlook calendars, which makes it tough to embrace it as a business smartphone.
The voice command feature is easily among the highlights here, allowing you to perform a wide variety of voice-controlled functions, from sending an email to using the search feature to updating your Facebook account. It's very accurate and works really, really well.
Media playback remains a weakness, though, providing a largely average experience for both music and video. It's decent and it works - there's just nothing special about it. Thankfully, it's a different story for the 5.0 megapixel camera, which should be better than the optics module of any Android phone in the market. It boasts a much-improved interface, up to 30 minutes of 20 fps video (720 x 480 pixels) and above average image quality.
Google has been harping on the Nexus One's 3D capabilities. While we only see snippets of that here (such as in the image galleries), it could prove as one of the phone's strongest features down the line when games begin popping up for the platform.
Overall, the Google Nexus One is a great phone, especially when you're anticipating all the apps that can run on a 1GHz processor with 3D graphics. Sure, it's not a "superphone" as Google would like to claim (average media player, no native tethering and some Outlook features missing), but it could well be the best Android phone right now. At least, until something better shows up in about a month or two.
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