Google 'Nexus One' Phone Set for Invitation-Only Launch on January 5th?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/12/23/google-nexus-one-phone-set-for-invitation-only-launch-on-january-5th/)

The hype is continuing to build around Google's highly-anticipated Android-based phone (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/12/12/official-google-phone-coming-in-january-2010-testing-now/), dubbed the "Nexus One". Engadget today reveals (http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/23/exclusive-nexus-one-full-specs-detailed-invite-only-retail-sal/) draft specs for the forthcoming device, as well as information that it is scheduled to launch on January 5th and will initially be available only by "invitation".Our tipster doesn't have information on how those invites are going to be determined, other than the fact that it's Google doing the inviting -- if we had to guess, current registered developers are a strong possibility -- but the good news, we suppose, is that T-Mobile will apparently sell the phone directly at some to-be-determined point in the future.The Nexus One reportedly offers a similar 3.7-inch, high-resolution OLED screen to that found in the Motorola Droid, as well as a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with flash and the Android 2.1 operating system. Onboard storage is pegged at 512 MB of flash and 512 MB of RAM, and the device supports microSD cards with a 4 GB card included.

Gizmodo was able to get a brief hands-on experience (http://gizmodo.com/5432678/google-nexus-one-hands-on) with the Nexus One, finding it "long and silky and natural" with a "damn good" screen, even better than that of the Droid. The Nexus One was also found to be snappier than the iPhone and Droid in loading Web pages. But rather than comparing the overall Nexus One to the iPhone 3GS, Gizmodo chooses to pit it against the Droid, noting that "it's still an Android phone".If Google's planning on releasing this phone as their official Google phone, it'll certify them as the premium Android phone brand out there right now. Even though it doesn't have a hardware keyboard, it basically beats the hell out of the Droid in every single task that we threw at it.


Article Link: Google 'Nexus One' Phone Set for Invitation-Only Launch on January 5th? (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/12/23/google-nexus-one-phone-set-for-invitation-only-launch-on-january-5th/)

[*LTD*]

And the Great Android Fragmentation continues . . .

[techfreak85]

I expect to see an invite thread popping up here around the same time it launches.

[normwood]

I expect to see an invite thread popping up here around the same time it launches.

You guys didn't get your invite yet? Odd! :D

[techfreak85]

You guys didn't get your invite yet? Odd! :D
They said it would ship out within a week or so.

[ShiftyPig]

512MB of flash storage?? Not enough LOL's in the world.....

[klittle32]

I'm not so impressed with the interface. The iPhone seems more simplified. One button to go home, tap the app you want to open, etc. I don't know. I held my friend's Droid for the first time yesterday and couldn't figure it out in a few seconds, unlike the iPhone, which seemed so simple/welcoming/safe to interact with the first time I saw it.

But maybe I'm just either impatient or dense.

[kshott]

Gotta love the Blade Runner ref. for an Android phone. That alone might convince me to consider it.

[akacaj]

Sux that the built in apps do not support multitouch. Other than that its a great phone. Just a sign of whats to come from Apple soon!

[Doctor Q]

The Nexus One reportedly offers ... a 5-megapixel autofocus camera...
I read somewhere (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/12/23/next-generation-iphone-set-to-carry-5-megapixel-camera/) that Apple is going to match that.

But even if Apple leapfrogs the Nexus One with its next release, Google will have until summer to steal mindshare and market share.

[yg17]

512MB of flash storage?? Not enough LOL's in the world.....

But it has a Micro SD slot, so you can add as much storage as you want.

[nkawtg72]

oh my god....someone buy that poor fella a tripod for crying out loud!!!!!!

[Teh Don Ditty]

But it has a Micro SD slot, so you can add as much storage as you want.

But Apple gives me 32GB for free!121k123123kl

WTFBBQ!!!!23290ikljafgasdfsad

[DipDog3]

You guys didn't get your invite yet? Odd! :D

No, where is my invite?

Can you PM me with one :rolleyes:

[AZREOSpecialist]

They named their phone after hair shampoo?

[JoeDMD]

Every other google product is free. I want my free phone!

[SteveLV702]

My birthday is Jan 5th I should get a invite as a birthday present :)

[RoboCop001]

They named their phone after hair shampoo?

Actually they named the phone after YOUR DOOM!!

You're all DOOMED! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMED!

[carmenodie]

Very shrewd marketing! Every time a new multimedia cell phone appears on the market the vendor always does the all to familiar iphone juxtaposition to gain tech creed without being about ****. It is always something being compared to the iphone. But what we really get is nothing but a bunch of rebranded cell phones(most likely HTC,LG or Samsung) and a certain build of Winmo or Android.

[inkswamp]

I'm not so impressed with the interface. The iPhone seems more simplified. One button to go home, tap the app you want to open, etc. I don't know. I held my friend's Droid for the first time yesterday and couldn't figure it out in a few seconds, unlike the iPhone, which seemed so simple/welcoming/safe to interact with the first time I saw it.

But maybe I'm just either impatient or dense.

You're neither. My number one complaint about cell phones prior to the iPhone was that the more complex they were or the more features they had, the more frustrating they were to use and the more frequently you had to refer to a manual. I loathed the series of buttons I had to remember to get to various things in previous phones. I literally had to remember series of button presses like "right - OK - 3 - down - enter" on previous phones.

You shouldn't need a damn manual to get to use a cell phone and the more complex it gets, the more work the manufacturer/developer should do to make it intuitive.

[SolRayz]

NexusOne was my dj name! Now its SolRayz, so no harm no foul. Sorry people...continue on with the topic at hand.:D

[miketcool]

Actually they named the phone after YOUR DOOM!!

You're all DOOMED! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMED!

"Uh, thank you?"

Good reference!

T-Mo just went all 3G everywhere I had been complaining about. Guess they needed to step it up for Android. I am really happy with the speeds. This may be the Android phone to make me give up a physical keyboard.

[Banjhiyi]

I assume that the Vodafone plans for the iPhone in the UK will make page 1 at some stage (bearing in mind more Android nonsense has made it)?

[9secondadidas]

My gen 1 iPhone is getting a little long in the tooth. If it's cheap enough I'll be snatching one up and see if it lives up to any of the hype.

[healeydave]

Is this running on early software?

The UI stying looks early, like the icons are not polished and nice looking.
I also noticed one of the apps crash and not do what the user was trying to do, particularly when he was trying to do pinch to zoom in, he kinda gave up in the end and just started scrolling instead.

[Teh Don Ditty]

^That's what stock android looks like. A lot of phones are coming pre-loaded with the Sense UI.

[alexhasfun28]

They're better off comparing it to the iPhone than the Droid.
The Droid lacks alot of qualities anyways.
& the thought that Motorola claimed Apple's iPhone to be a gadget, drama, pageant queen or whatever?.. Cause of its looks? like wtf man. Jealous or something.
maybe droid is that drama queen.
Droid should just focus at what they lack. Like pinch& zoom, saving or sending images from the browser, Voice & browsing, etc.. And this doesn't only come from iPhone, but other different phones.

And to supposibly say that the Droid is a "ROBOT"
Where did motorola come up with that idea?
iPhone is more like a robot. Even with it's good lucks, cause, OBVIOUSLY, that's what consumers are also looking for.
It can handle much more things, than what Droid can do. Even having a better experience with the applications.

I bet they claimed themeselves as a robot is cause of their network huh? Oh! they're soooo cool?
:apple:

[alexhasfun28]

Hhaha, i forgot about nexus one :D
haha, well they knew they couldn't compare it to the iPhone, casue they knew their phone would just be below standards (:
simple as that.
:apple:

[kernkraft]

And the Great Android Fragmentation continues . . .

Yeah, you already said that. In a recession!

[ULFoaf]

Kudos to anyone who could watch that demo video and remain vaguely interested.

[ULFoaf]

They're better off comparing it to the iPhone than the Droid.
The Droid lacks alot of qualities anyways.
& the thought that Motorola claimed Apple's iPhone to be a gadget, drama, pageant queen or whatever?.. Cause of its looks? like wtf man. Jealous or something.
maybe droid is that drama queen.
Droid should just focus at what they lack. Like pinch& zoom, saving or sending images from the browser, Voice & browsing, etc.. And this doesn't only come from iPhone, but other different phones.

And to supposibly say that the Droid is a "ROBOT"
Where did motorola come up with that idea?
iPhone is more like a robot. Even with it's good lucks, cause, OBVIOUSLY, that's what consumers are also looking for.
It can handle much more things, than what Droid can do. Even having a better experience with the applications.

I bet they claimed themeselves as a robot is cause of their network huh? Oh! they're soooo cool?
:apple:

Have you held a Droid? It is cheap Motorola crap, IMHO. The keyboard is unusable (the Samsungs around it were much, much better) and doesn't even pull out evenly. It was a store display that may have seen much abuse, but it felt like it was going to pull apart opening it. I didn't see it running.

[OneTrueFungible]

NexusOne was my dj name! Now its SolRayz, so no harm no foul. Sorry people...continue on with the topic at hand.:D

That's funny, NexusOne was my p0rn name!

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 1.6; en-us; Archos5 Build/Donut) AppleWebKit/528.5+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Mobile Safari/525.20.1)

Another nail falls into the Windows Mobile coffin.

[SandynJosh]

My gen 1 iPhone is getting a little long in the tooth. If it's cheap enough I'll be snatching one up and see if it lives up to any of the hype.

Since you're already happy with a 4Gb phone, you should be content to own another.


January should be an interesting month for announcements. Google announces it reinvented a 4Gb phone and Apple announces new level of experience in mobile living.

I have no idea what Apple will announce, but Steve Balmer has already prepared his response: "I like our (losing) strategy. I like it a lot."

[alexhasfun28]

Have you held a Droid? It is cheap Motorola crap, IMHO. The keyboard is unusable (the Samsungs around it were much, much better) and doesn't even pull out evenly. It was a store display that may have seen much abuse, but it felt like it was going to pull apart opening it. I didn't see it running.

Yes, i have held one. If not, i wouldn't of made my compliments about the Droid, at all. (well, kinda.) ;D

Anyways, yes the keyboard is really difficult to slide up. You have to use all your thumbs force just to have a physical keyboard out. And when it's stuck together, with the Droid, it is woble-y. if you have the time to woble it, do it.
My thoughts about the keyboard, useless. I had more fun playing with the virtual keyboard than the physical one.
The keyboarrd is really flat and all the letters are stuck together. It's real hard to use it, and i thought it was almost worthless.


P.S.- i'm not that of a big fan of slide out keyboards. They get real annoying.

& also, if you notice that the Droids screen is bigger than the iPhone's, why are the virtual keyboards letters much mmore cramped up and stuck together, and hard to use, while the iPhone's is nicely spaced and almost easy to use?
Have you ever thought that? Especially if you already played with the Droid yourself..

[MorphingDragon]

I assume that the Vodafone plans for the iPhone in the UK will make page 1 at some stage (bearing in mind more Android nonsense has made it)?

Welll look at it this way, Vodafone brought the HTC Magic to the UK and Oceania before the USA.

Oh and Vodafone sucks.

[Dokter_Mac]

From what I see there is also no Flash support. I could be wrong, it was very fast and I only watched this crappy movie once :eek: ...

About the speed of the browser, I think this has a lot to do with the cache. I'm sure those webpages where in cache! And what about those weird buggy screen issues in the browser when zoomed in at max.?

For me this OS/Phone is nothing compared to the polished iPhone OS/iPhone/iPod Touch.
Not even close! It also seems 'very' buggy' compared to the iPhone OS!

Yeah, maybe a better screen. I like my current screen. And Apple will release a simular screen in the near future (like 26 januari :rolleyes: ). So in the near future we will have some longer battery life thanks to the updated screen. That's the only good thing about this 'thing' I just watched :eek: ...

My 2 € cents.

[MarkCollette]

oh my god....someone buy that poor fella a tripod for crying out loud!!!!!!

I was getting motion sickness, watching the video.

[FightTheFuture]

And the Great Android Fragmentation continues . . . i heard you can hack your Droid to run 2.1 now. i have no idea what is going on with any android phone... which one should i buy? which one is the real one? why do we have to read engadget to make a shopping list?

[muskratboy]

i like that part where he's browsing the web page, and trying to zoom in on that article...

and it just sits there, ignoring him... then throws up a blank screen, reloads itself, then sits there ignoring him again for awhile... before sorta doing what he wanted in the first place, but all jerky and unhelpfully.

THAT is very much like my iphone 3g interface, i tell you. snappy indeed.

i want it FASTER. dammit. :D

[tomjleeds]

Wait, so...you'll only be able to buy one once invited?

Hah. I understand that they've had enormous success with invitations on the web, but selling a physical product is a whole different ball game, especially when it's: A) competing directly against perhaps the strongest brand in consumer electronics; and B) entering into an already heavily fragmented and over-supplied Android market.

Apple have been criticised heavily for locking down the iPhone so much - and I've been one of the (quieter) critics - but at least they don't specify whether or not you can spend your money on it.

[NeuralControl]

Wait, so...you'll only be able to buy one once invited?

Hah. I understand that they've had enormous success with invitations on the web, but selling a physical product is a whole different ball game, especially when it's: A) competing directly against perhaps the strongest brand in consumer electronics; and B) entering into an already heavily fragmented and over-supplied Android market.

Apple have been criticised heavily for locking down the iPhone so much - and I've been one of the (quieter) critics - but at least they don't specify whether or not you can spend your money on it.

Very true. Hardware and software invitations are significantly different, especially since you have to shell out money for the phone. I am very interested in seeing how this unfolds.

[conradwt]

I read somewhere (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/12/23/next-generation-iphone-set-to-carry-5-megapixel-camera/) that Apple is going to match that.

But even if Apple leapfrogs the Nexus One with its next release, Google will have until summer to steal mindshare and market share.

Apple really competes with itself and not other because it doesn't want to limit their vision to the achievements of other technology. For example, Apple spent 2+ years on bringing the iPhone to market instead of rushing to catch up with features and functionality of others phones. Thus, I'll expect that they will deliver something when it's ready and not a moment sooner.

It's amazing that so many companies are trying their best to copy the iPhone and each claims to be the iPhone Killer. The iPhone has been on the market for 2+ years and I yet to see another company show me that phone. Is it possible to build something better than the iPhone? Yes, it's possible because Apple did it over two years ago with the introduction of the iPhone.

Take the Nexus One, it has 512 MB storage and 512 MB RAM whereas my iPhone out of the box has 32 GB flash storage space. If the Nexus One included 32 GB flash storage SD card, it still wouldn't be sufficient for my needs. Why? When I leave home with my iPhone, I would like to know that I didn't leave, misplace, or got the wrong SD card. Thus, they could skip the SD card and just add more flash storage to the device. At this time, the 32 GB microSD card will cost you about $80 and every consumer that plans to purchase this will need it because all the music, video, and other data takes space.

If you're interested in the HTC spec, you can find them here:

http://www.krunker.com/category/phones/android-phones/android-smartphone-android-phones-phones/

[ArrowSmith]

In the end it's all about Apple's ecosystem(incl the 100K+ apps). Nothing Google can do can match that. So it's all that will happen is Google Nexus One will take market share from RIM/WM/Symbian.

[DakotaGuy]

So this is going to be Tmobile exclusive and outsell the Droid on Verizon? It is widely expected that Verizon will soon be making a play to purchase US Cellular since Alltel is now integrated however it seems only Motorola will be their main Android hardware partner going forward. With no iPhone in sight for Verizon and new rumored handsets for Verizon I think Moto will be fine.

What is even more interesting is that Motorola wants to spin off it's handset division. Google has been pretty eager to purchase companies. If Google makes a play to buy Moto then Apple's competition starts to take on a new look. One that looks a lot more like themselves. 2010 might be very interesting.

[ddelmonte]

I really like the way you can scroll up and down between the forty or so apps the the Android Market.

And for variety, you can see them in French...

A must buy...

[skinnylegs]

You're neither. My number one complaint about cell phones prior to the iPhone was that the more complex they were or the more features they had, the more frustrating they were to use and the more frequently you had to refer to a manual. I loathed the series of buttons I had to remember to get to various things in previous phones. I literally had to remember series of button presses like "right - OK - 3 - down - enter" on previous phones.

You shouldn't need a damn manual to get to use a cell phone and the more complex it gets, the more work the manufacturer/developer should do to make it intuitive.My first experience with the Rrhoid left me feeling rather frustrated as well because, as you mentioned, it is not very intuitive for first-time, non-geek users. I will say this, though; a buddy of mine who owns one gave me a 45 second tutorial and my second experience was completely different. The hardware still suxors but the OS itself is pretty nice. Certainly not as polished as iPhone OS but very useable with some nice features.

Mind you, there are not enough compelling reasons for me to switch from my 3GS but if I were a first-time purchaser, Android OS phones would be on my short list.

[Warbrain]

No at&t 3G...no thanks.

I'm quickly losing interest in this. But it's possibly going to cause what I've always suspected will happen with Android - too many experiences, no consistency...and boom, worthless OS.

[MacLawyer]

I have a feeling that, as usual, Apple is about to come up with the next big thing. Just when competitors like Google thing they are catching up.

[dragossh]

I do not understand what is not intuitive about having a home screen you can fill with widgets, having a button that shows your apps and having a menu button for showing the app menu.

Yes, it's different than iPhone's rows of icons and one button, but I personally do not see it as non-intuitive. Then again, I've used Android for the past few months.

Could somebody explain what is so wrong with Android's UI that you can not master it in 20 seconds?

[Ericatomars]

Android hit the floor with the G1, the Droid was the game changer... Android phones are pretty great. This phone will once again put Android on the map. I had my doubts about Android but I must admit I'm a huge fan and I love the whole open market thing. There are a lot better apps popping up everyday and continues to improve other features.

[AidenShaw]

I really like the way you can scroll up and down between the forty or so apps the the Android Market.

Not to muddy the waters with facts, but:

Google's Android apps may soon top 150,000

Google's Android mobile software may offer as many as 150,000 applications by the end of 2010, as the company chases Apple Inc. for downloads, according to a mobile-application research firm.

"A lot of developers have come onto the Android platform" because of efforts by Verizon Wireless, Motorola and Google to promote the system, Flurry CEO Simon Khalaf said Wednesday in an interview. Flurry, based in San Francisco, is a firm that studies applications and their use.

Android currently offers more than 12,000 programs.

http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_14058873?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

[Azadre]

Not to muddy the waters with facts, but:

Having been a G1 user from Day 1 until mid-May (went to iPhone 3G until October) and resumed my android use with myTouch. All in all, the iPhone apps still blow the android apps out of the water. I am waiting to see what 4G has to offer before paying yet another ETF.

[ArrowSmith]

Where the Nexus One will win is with dissatisfied Symbian/RIM/Wm users who are thinking of potentially getting an iPhone soon, but now will have a 2nd choice...

[mad102190]

I don't know if this is obvious or something, since nobody's asked it in this thread; but what carrier is this (rumored) to be on in the US?
I'm hoping AT&T since my out-of-warranty iPhone 3G's LCD cracked when i tried to replace the cracked glass (that was on top of the LCD).

FAIL, right? I know, lol. :p

So ya, is it still unclear who's getting this on their network?

[sellitman]

Every darn phone that comes out now is labeled the "iPhone Killer".

Yet none have impressed me enough to do anything but look at the You Tube Video of it.


My bets are with Apple but competition is good. Keep trying guys.

[Rodimus Prime]

I don't know if this is obvious or something, since nobody's asked it in this thread; but what carrier is this (rumored) to be on in the US?
I'm hoping AT&T since my out-of-warranty iPhone 3G's LCD cracked when i tried to replace the cracked glass (that was on top of the LCD).

FAIL, right? I know, lol. :p

So ya, is it still unclear who's getting this on their network?

My guess is T-mobile. I have a feeling when apple ends it exclusive with AT&T we will see several android phones appear on AT&T. Right now it seems AT&T is doing everything but offering android phones. I have noticed a drop in the iPhone adds from AT&T and the are starting to push their other phones like blackberry and some by samsung. This tells me that things are starting to break down and AT&T is rightful so not trust apple as much any more. Apple fried a lot of it trust with the telecoms after the stunt the o
pull in Europe with making back door deals with each one to force a better deal for itself. It works once and after that everyone assumes you are doing and treat you as such.

[MorphingDragon]

I don't know if this is obvious or something, since nobody's asked it in this thread; but what carrier is this (rumored) to be on in the US?
I'm hoping AT&T since my out-of-warranty iPhone 3G's LCD cracked when i tried to replace the cracked glass (that was on top of the LCD).

FAIL, right? I know, lol. :p

So ya, is it still unclear who's getting this on their network?

T-Mobile is Google's business partner.

[kdarling]

Every darn phone that comes out now is labeled the "iPhone Killer".

Which is strange since RIM outsells Apple. So you really want a "Blackberry killer".

Killing isn't probable anyway, but a thousand cuts are still painful to sales:

If there are a dozen alternative phones that people are buying a few million each of, that's tens of millions of sales that Apple didn't get either because of missing features or missing carriers.

I'm hoping AT&T since my out-of-warranty iPhone 3G's LCD cracked when i tried to replace the cracked glass (that was on top of the LCD).

It's interesting to note that the Droid uses Corning's new "Gorilla Glass"... (http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/smart-takes/the-science-behind-stronger-display-glass-on-your-phone-computer/2997/)making it far less susceptible to cracks or breaks.

[Gix1k]

Apple needs to release a new phone to set all this Android crap BACK!

[AidenShaw]

Apple needs to release a new phone to set all this Android crap BACK!

Too late. The cat's out of the bag.

[RaceJunkie]

But Apple gives me 32GB for free!121k123123kl

WTFBBQ!!!!23290ikljafgasdfsad

Nothing from Apple is free, you pay a premium for everything.:apple:

[Teh Don Ditty]

Nothing from Apple is free, you pay a premium for everything.:apple:

Not catching that blatant sarcasm there?

[Gix1k]

Too late. The cat's out of the bag.

What cat...who's bag?

[AidenShaw]

What cat...who's bag?

Android is out, and an Iphone 3G[s]² isn't going to hurt Android.

[Goona]

The next iphone killer!

[Goona]

Which is strange since RIM outsells Apple. So you really want a "Blackberry killer".

Killing isn't probable anyway, but a thousand cuts are still painful to sales:

If there are a dozen alternative phones that people are buying a few million each of, that's tens of millions of sales that Apple didn't get either because of missing features or missing carriers.



It's interesting to note that the Droid uses Corning's new "Gorilla Glass"... (http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/smart-takes/the-science-behind-stronger-display-glass-on-your-phone-computer/2997/)making it far less susceptible to cracks or breaks.

And all the millions of phones Apple is selling is sales being lost for RIM and Android because of missing features or missing carriers. What is your point? :rolleyes:

[Goona]

Android is out, and an Iphone 3G[s]² isn't going to hurt Android.

Yeah just like Android is hurting the iphone! iphone is on track to sell 10 million units this quarter, that is more than all Android devices have ever sold! :rolleyes:

[dragossh]

Yeah just like Android is hurting the iphone! iphone is on track to sell 10 million units this quarter, that is more than all Android devices have ever sold! :rolleyes:

You could make the same argument about Windows PC manufacturers and Apple. But hey, marketshare matters when you can trash the competition, and it doesn't when the competition has 10x Apple's marketshare :rolleyes: