Google Launches Nexus One: T-Mobile Plan Available Now, Verizon and Vodafone Coming Soon

[Puddinman]

Funny how there is nothing groundbreaking about the droid. yet if the next iteration of iphone comes in two flavors(qwerty & full touch) and includes

-removable battery
-customizable homescreen
-multitasking
-led notifications

people here would go "wow!" apple has revolutionized the cell phone yet again

You are still arguing about features and completely ignoring experience. A given set of features does not "revolutionize the cellphone." An experience does. When the iPhone came out there was not one feature that was "revolutionary" or even original (other than the multi-touch screen and gestures, of course). As a matter of fact, it lacked a lot of features that people thought were essential (3g, customizability, ringtones, cut and paste, a decent camera, etc.). Plenty of other phones played music, took pictures and browsed the web. What made the iPhone revolutionary was the way Apple tied it all together into a seamless and elegant user experience. That is what made people salivate over the iPhone and line up around the corner to get it.

While the Droid, NexusOne, et. al. are certainly good phones, they aren't iPhones. That's not necessarily bad. Some people just don't like the iPhone or ATT so Android fills the gap. Apple isn't too worried, i'm sure. They may not be number one in sales, but they are by far number one in profit. As long as they control the platform and continue to innovate, that will be true for a long time.

 

[KnightWRX]

Again, how do you know this? This is just speculation on your behalf. I am looking at this device and telling you, as a designer, it is more then rebranded hardware like the G1. I know this won't satisfy you, but here is a quote from Mario Queiroz, Google's VP of Product Management.

I'd have to find it, but in a recent interview before the Nexus One hoopla, I think it was Eric Schmidt who said they regretted having had so much input on the G1/Dream and not letting HTC do its thing with the design. A lot of the mistakes in the G1 were Google's choices for the phone.

Frankly, at this point, I don't really care. Believe what you will. When Google sells other phones directly like they said they would in their keynote, we'll see that there is no real google phone.

 

[meth]

You are still arguing about features and completely ignoring experience. A given set of features does not "revolutionize the cellphone." An experience does. When the iPhone came out there was not one feature that was "revolutionary" or even original (other than the multi-touch screen and gestures, of course). As a matter of fact, it lacked a lot of features that people thought were essential (3g, customizability, ringtones, cut and paste, a decent camera, etc.). Plenty of other phones played music, took pictures and browsed the web. What made the iPhone revolutionary was the way Apple tied it all together into a seamless and elegant user experience. That is what made people salivate over the iPhone and line up around the corner to get it.

While the Droid, NexusOne, et. al. are certainly good phones, they aren't iPhones. That's not necessarily bad. Some people just don't like the iPhone or ATT so Android fills the gap. Apple isn't too worried, i'm sure. They may not be number one in sales, but they are by far number one in profit. As long as they control the platform and continue to innovate, that will be true for a long time.

no i get what you are saying. apple certainly has sold the experience better than anyone else has the past few years. i don't sync my phone very often to my computer which is why i probably prefer the android experience but when i buy a phone i want it to function as a phone first. what the iphone is great at is being a multimedia device which happens to have a phone attached like an ipod + phone device.

but i remember when it first came out and i was in that long line to buy one, i took it home and realized how it was lacking as a phone. ok camera at the time, no copy paste, no mms, and when i wanted to send an sms to a few people to have a meeting as a group i couldn't sms to multiple numbers and had to send seperate sms. that was the experience i remember as an iphone owner and it was only ok. but dont get me wrong, the iphone as a device itself at the time was magnificent despite those shortcomings. but it did fail me as a phone which was my primary usage of it so i looked elsewhere.

tried winmo, xperia x1. big mistake! decent phone and could do a million things but was a nasty ui and experience. since i have moved onto android and find it very easy and fun to use. and as mentioned on this board "the ui is crap" what is it are people talking about? the ui? android homescreen is completely customizable. if you wanted just a blank screen with a nice photo in the back you could have that. if you love your iphone's ui, you could set it up like that as well. the beauty is you can make your homescreen look like whatever you want so i don't see validity in that argument. sometimes i wonder if half the people here have toyed around with an android phone before posting as i have owned both and just giving my opinion. though i prefer htc sense ui and keyboard which is why i will pass on the N1 for now and wait for the htc bravo which may land on att which is an N1 with htc sense and optical trackpad.

every user is different, and the features i look for in a phone can now be found on most devices out there, but android serves my purposes best at this point. 1 or 2 years from now it may be apple, it may be winmo7 it may be something else. the main thing is that there will always be something on the horizon.

 

[meth]

I'd have to find it, but in a recent interview before the Nexus One hoopla, I think it was Eric Schmidt who said they regretted having had so much input on the G1/Dream and not letting HTC do its thing with the design. A lot of the mistakes in the G1 were Google's choices for the phone.

Frankly, at this point, I don't really care. Believe what you will. When Google sells other phones directly like they said they would in their keynote, we'll see that there is no real google phone.

i know htc made the phone, but not sure if they had full control over the design. at least not the outer portion.

have you seen the htc hd2. 4" capacitive touch screen 11mm thin? that is one sexy beast of a phone. the only reason i don't have that now is because it runs winmo6.5 which is just nasty once you get past the htc overlay.

also look at the original hero, then look at the sprint hero. i believe sprint had them change the casing because they weren't a fan of the original design. the sprint hero and N1 have similar curves moreso than any htc original phone like the hd2 or original hero so i would say google played a part in that. hell if the N1 was a 3.7" version of the hd2 it would be in my hands already, but quite honestly the N1 is average at best looks wise imho. upcoming htc bravo looks better so i may wait for that.

 

[FelixDerKater]

Oh, I can't wait for my AT&T contract to expire.

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

The biggest advantages to the iPhone is the seamless syncing to iTunes and the App store. Those two things are what keeps the iPhone at the top of the pile. If you took away those things the iPhone would actually be a pretty poor product compared to the Nexus One and the Droid.

It is true. I realized the real benefit of this integration a long time ago and wondered why other companies have not. I guess Palm did by trying to hijack their way into using iTunes too, but no one has attempted to write their own similar program that ties things all together and that has left me scratching my head on more then one occasion. It seems rather obvious.

 

[Roessnakhan]

It is true. I realized the real benefit of this integration a long time ago and wondered why other companies have not. I guess Palm did by trying to hijack their way into using iTunes too, but no one has attempted to write their own similar program that ties things all together and that has left me scratching my head on more then one occasion. It seems rather obvious.

Doesn't RIM have a good desktop manager for its devices that sync just as much information as iTunes-to-iPhone?

 

[LagunaSol]

So, my tally is maybe one person (LagunaSol) was offended by the Hal-esque robot in the Droid ads. Check.

Who said I was offended by the robot? I sure didn't. I said the Android ads are targeting the wrong audience - the hardcore geeks. You think Sally Homemaker, Grandpa Bill and Phil the CPA want a robot phone that's like SCUD missile?

No, they don't.

 

[LagunaSol]

The biggest advantages to the iPhone is the seamless syncing to iTunes and the App store. Those two things are what keeps the iPhone at the top of the pile. If you took away those things the iPhone would actually be a pretty poor product compared to the Nexus One and the Droid.

Inferior spec-wise? Yes. "Poor?" Puh-lease.

You just don't get it. The consumer majority doesn't care about megapixels or screen resolution. They don't care about OLED screens and multitasking. They care about a superior user experience.

And that's not Android. Not yet.

You can keep talking up your hardware specs all you want, and Apple will keep selling iPhones like crazy. Who are the ones running the smoking hot business and who are the ones raging about it on Internet forums?

Case closed.

 

[speedbird]

And no moving parts to do it. No multitouch at this stage means incomplete touch technology.

LTD, my question to you is: Have you used an android phone before?, but before you respond, let me ask you this instead: Have you ever *really* used an android phone before?.. for more than 5 minutes, you know.. like in real life?, I am really getting tired of trying to read along the many excellent posters' comments when suddenly one of your trolling comments come along, I get it, you love apple, but guess what, so Do I, in fact, I've used apple for at least 15+ years now and I am very happy with that choice, now, as a developer, I chose the android platform for my "mobile" apps and I couldn't be happier.. The Nexus One *is* a real competitor to the iPhone (that is a **good** thing), the Nexus' Hardware is simply awesome whether you want to believe it or not, you really need to look at things with a clear head bro, you are just making a fool of yourself otherwise..

Based on your warped logic quoted above, the iPhone then has "incomplete photography technology" as it does not contain a flash (and flash technology was available when the 3Gs came along), does that sound like a LAME comment on me?, thanks, it *is* lame, same as your other comments sheesh..

 

[21ce]

It Has Multi Touch

The N1 is capable of multitouch! It just matters whether or not google wants to pay apple since they have a patent on the technology. It is NOT a hardware issue... it's a stubborn issue lol

 

[ChazUK]

The N1 is capable of multitouch! It just matters whether or not google wants to pay apple since they have a patent on the technology. It is NOT a hardware issue... it's a stubborn issue lol

It has nothing to do with patents. Applications can already use multitouch via the multitouch API's in Android. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUQ95q4otHM

 

[kdarling]

Who said I was offended by the robot? I sure didn't. I said the Android ads are targeting the wrong audience - the hardcore geeks. You think Sally Homemaker, Grandpa Bill and Phil the CPA want a robot phone that's like SCUD missile?

Who said they were targeting Susie Homemaker?

That is your big mistake. You're constantly trying to see the world through Apple product blinders, and force everything to fit that narrow view.

Not everyone is in need of an overly simplistic device. There are actually millions of people who can operate something more complicated, and want to. I know, it's shocking.

 

[distortedloop]

have you seen the htc hd2. 4" capacitive touch screen 11mm thin? that is one sexy beast of a phone. the only reason i don't have that now is because it runs winmo6.5 which is just nasty once you get past the htc overlay.

That HTC was the first phone to tempt me away from the the iPhone. You're right, it's very sexy, and even the WinMo looked pretty sharp in the little demos I saw, but in the end WinMo killed any real interest in it for me.

IThe consumer majority doesn't care about megapixels or screen resolution. They don't care about OLED screens and multitasking. They care about a superior user experience.

And that's not Android. Not yet.

You can keep talking up your hardware specs all you want, and Apple will keep selling iPhones like crazy. Who are the ones running the smoking hot business and who are the ones raging about it on Internet forums?

Case closed.

I agree 100% that the consumer majority doesn't care about all that hardware talk; it's the experience they care about. That IS what Apple seems to understand, and that all the others are only just now starting to get. I know a dozen people with iPhones. Only two of us are "geeks" and only two of us could tell you anything about the hardware specs - the rest just don't care. What they care about is how easy it works, and that it replaces their iPod and integrates so nicely with iTunes.

However, it's far from "case closed" - beyond the near future. When Google finally figures out the UI, makes it slick and easy like an iPhone, and figures out a way to break that iTunes-sync issue (in a seamless way - you need to be able to just dock the phone and it syncs) they'll have a real contender.

Once those issues catch up to iPhone, hardware specs WILL matter. One only needs to look at the difference in the "experience" between the original iPhone, iPhone 3G and an iPhone 3G. I have all three, and my 3G and 3G are both functioning with SIM cards. They have the exact apps and OS level. It is absolutely painful to use the 3G compared to the 3G. That's not just my opinion - a friend whose 3G was stolen replaced it with a 3G and can't believe the difference.

Apple will need to really innovate on the hardware and software again to keep the huge lead it's enjoyed.

...now, as a developer, I chose the android platform for my "mobile" apps and I couldn't be happier.. The Nexus One *is* a real competitor to the iPhone (that is a **good** thing), the Nexus' Hardware is simply awesome whether you want to believe it or not, you really need to look at things with a clear head bro, you are just making a fool of yourself otherwise..

Based on your logic, we should all switch to Alienware PCs because compared to any Apple product, the "hardware is simply awesome." Let us know when you run out and switch. ;-)

The fact that you're a Mac user shows it's not just about hardware - if it was you wouldn't be a Mac user. It's about good hardware with an awesome OS. From what I've seen and read, Android has been far from awesome so far. 2.1 may be different.

As far as app developing goes, you don't hear about people making a fortune in the Android app market...but there are people getting rich off the iTunes app store, if reports are to be believed, maybe they're just more vocal about it than Android developers...?

 

[distortedloop]

Who said they were targeting Susie Homemaker?

That is your big mistake. You're constantly trying to see the world through Apple product blinders, and force everything to fit that narrow view.

Not everyone is in need of an overly simplistic device. There are actually millions of people who can operate something more complicated, and want to. I know, it's shocking.

The places you see the ads will tell you who they're marketing to. If they're not marketing to Susie Homemaker, you won't see the TV ads on primetime general audience television shows. That's too expensive a place to advertise when you can hit the specific market you want on other programming.

Google, more than anyone, understands targeted advertising...wouldn't you agree? ;-)

The people with blinders on are the geeks who read 500+ messages in a stupid debate on some special-interest forum like this that can't see any merit in the beliefs or arguments of those who don't agree 100% with them, whether they're Apple fanbois, or GooBois, or Android fanbois.

 

[miketcool]

The places you see the ads will tell you who they're marketing to. If they're not marketing to Susie Homemaker, you won't see the TV ads on primetime general audience television shows. That's too expensive a place to advertise when you can hit the specific market you want on other programming.

Yeah, I was wondering why the DROID and iPhone app commercials never came on during Days of Our Lives or reruns of Murder She Wrote. I could have sworn hearing some seniors at the retirement home talking about the hype surrounding the new "i-dohickey gizmo" right before pill time.

 

[LagunaSol]

Who said they were targeting Susie Homemaker?

That is your big mistake. You're constantly trying to see the world through Apple product blinders, and force everything to fit that narrow view.

Not everyone is in need of an overly simplistic device. There are actually millions of people who can operate something more complicated, and want to. I know, it's shocking.

I'm saying they should be targeting Susie Homemaker, and Grandpa Bob, and your brother the non-techie. That's the future of the smartphone market - not a handful of nerds who think red robot eyes are awesome (of which I am one, BTW).

And those who pride themselves on being able to operate hopelessly convoluted devices and find the user experience inconsequential already own Windows Mobile devices.

If they're not marketing to Susie Homemaker, you won't see the TV ads on primetime general audience television shows.

Odd, I'm seeing the "super robot phone" ads on primetime TV, and I'm hearing the "Droid is a kick-arse 4x4 of a phone, YEEEEEAAARRGH!!!" ads on the radio.

Google, more than anyone, understands targeted advertising...wouldn't you agree? ;-)

I used to think so, before I started seeing the ads for Android devices.

However, it's far from "case closed" - beyond the near future. When Google finally figures out the UI, makes it slick and easy like an iPhone, and figures out a way to break that iTunes-sync issue (in a seamless way - you need to be able to just dock the phone and it syncs) they'll have a real contender.

I didn't mean it's "case closed" on iPhone owning the market - I meant that the broad market will never care that your super robot phone has amazing hardware specs. The Droid ads I hear on the radio - in Dennis Leary Tough Ford Truck voiceover - crows about the Droid's "massive processor." What does that even mean? And who cares?

And while I love Google as a company and love their search tools, they have never proven that they understand designing for the consumer experience. This is a company of geeks and engineers. Their software, for the most part, sucks from a design standpoint. They simply aren't software designers. Yet somehow they're going to compete with Apple in the customer experience department? Maybe. But I don't see it. Not anytime soon.

The only reason anyone (aside from the tiny minority hardcore geek segment) is even looking at Android devices right now is because the iPhone isn't available on their network.

And Apple needs to fix that problem, and now.

 

[kdarling]

I'm saying they should be targeting Susie Homemaker, and Grandpa Bob, and your brother the non-techie. That's the future of the smartphone market - not a handful of nerds who think red robot eyes are awesome (of which I am one, BTW).

Other makers do target casual users, but they do so right now with feature phones like the Samsung Jet (which has sold millions) which many of us in the US never hear about.

But let's face it, the iPhone is the best smartphone right now for people who didn't know they needed one.

(Well, and the Pre, which I like a lot. My son-in-law has a Pre, I just gave my daughter a Pixi - which she learned quickly and loves - and we're both playing with the new web-based Pre SDK, which lets anyone make an app.)

However, casual users are just one piece of the smartphone market.

There are, and have been for years, millions of business and other more advanced users. They need device love, too

 

[LagunaSol]

There are, and have been for years, millions of business and other more advanced users. They need device love, too

I liked your pre-edit comment better, about business and "more advanced" users being "more loyal." Apparently you realized that maybe this wasn't such a good point to try to make (nods in Windows Mobile's direction).

I just gave my daughter a Pixi - which she learned quickly and loves

I really thought I would like the Pixi, but that tiny keyboard is useless (unless one has fingernails) and the phone is sloooooow.

 

[AidenShaw]

"Google stole Nexus, says 'Blade Runner' family"

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10426802-71.html?tag=mncol

... the family of the author Philip K. Dick is reportedly considering
legal action at the name of the new Google phone.

Dick is the author of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" a novel in which
owners of animals are rather cool and androids struggle with the concept of
empathy. In this novel, which was sucked into Hollywood to serve as the stimulus
for the movie "Blade Runner," the androids are called Nexus-6.

 

[Liquorpuki]

There are, and have been for years, millions of business and other more advanced users. They need device love, too

Business is one area Android can go deep and the iPhone can't. But it doesn't even look like they're focusing on that. Even with the Droid ads and sci-fi references (and honestly being a nerd doesn't mean what it used to mean 20 years ago - in 2010 everyone is forced to have a little bit of nerd in them) to me it still looks like they're marketing it to casual users and fighting for the same market share as the iPhone.

And those who pride themselves on being able to operate hopelessly convoluted devices and find the user experience inconsequential already own Windows Mobile devices.

That's true. Though back during WinMo 5.0, it wasn't in anybody's reality that a user experience existed.

 

[LagunaSol]

Business is one area Android can go deep and the iPhone can't.

How is this, exactly?

Isn't it the iPhone that has Exchange support and not Android?

What is it the iPhone can't do to suit "business?" (Whatever "business" means?)

 

[AidenShaw]

Mercury News Nexus review

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_14136010

Nexus One first impression: A sleek Google phone, worthy vs. iPhone

By Frank Michael Russell

Call it the Google challenge: After a few hours with the new Nexus One,
would this longtime Apple fan be willing to trade in his iPhone? The
short answer: It's very, very tempting.

The Mountain View Internet giant loaned the Mercury News a Nexus One
running on T-Mobile's 3G network. The phone actually is made by
Taiwan-based HTC. At first glance, it's so sleek, stylish and sexy,
we were almost wondering: Where's the Apple logo?
...
Google pre-loaded some music on the test phone, and you can buy downloads
from Amazon.com's MP3 store. Music streamed at a fidelity comparable to
what I'm used to from the iPhone. And as I listened to Pandora while checking
Facebook, it suddenly occurred to me: I can't do this on my iPhone.
...
Oddly enough, this writer (recently sprung from a contract with
AT&T) is in the market for a smart new phone. I might very well buy
a new iPhone, but a few hours with the Nexus One has made that
a much harder decision.

 

[Liquorpuki]

How is this, exactly?

Isn't it the iPhone that has Exchange support and not Android?

What is it the iPhone can't do to suit "business?" (Whatever "business" means?)

Security and, my own personal opinion, lack of a keyboard. Business = enterprise = companies buying phones bulk for their employees. That market is why RIM hasn't disappeared off the face of the earth. Their Blackberries are solid for this purpose. Actually I thought it was pretty much a given that Apple isn't really trying to do much in the enterprise market.

I can't remember how many times I've been trying to type an email and had the phone autocorrect an acronym to something stupid like "KGB". It's inconvenient and without a keyboard, there's no workaround that's not an extra step.

 

[LagunaSol]

I can't remember how many times I've been trying to type an email and had the phone autocorrect an acronym to something stupid like "KGB". It's inconvenient and without a keyboard, there's no workaround that's not an extra step.

I think the whole no-physical-keyboard panic is turning out to be much ado about nothing. I can type as fast on the iPhone as on any phone with a physical keyboard that I have tried. Yes, the autocorrection at times can be hindering...

But judging by the horrifically-bungled messages I receive from my manager's Blackberry, that physical keyboard isn't doing much for accuracy anyway...