Anand's Google Nexus One Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on April 3, 2010 3:40 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Mobile
Final Words
I've never felt such a lengthy review was so incomplete by the time I reached the end. There's not much more to be said about the Nexus One itself. The hardware is fast, the frame rate issues are annoying and do detract from the overall experience. The screen is beautiful, the form factor great to hold but not my favorite to type on. Battery life is a sore spot if you actually use your phone a lot. You get everything you need with the Nexus One out of the box, which you should given that if you want to use it on AT&T's network or buy it sans contract it'll cost you $529.
Where I do have more to say, but limited time to do it is on the software side. There's just so much to the Android platform and so many great apps out today. Far too many for me to include in a single review. Former AnandTech Editor and DailyTech Editor at Large, Kris Kubicki heard I was reviewing the Nexus One and told me to check out Google Sky Map. This Android app lets you point your phone at the night sky and it'll map out constellations for you. Speaking as someone who has never been able to find constellations on his own, that's just cool.
I understand that you can make the same argument for the iPhone and its app store; I guess the maturity of the Android Marketplace really surprised me. Apple may have the sheer number advantage, but I'd argue that the quality apps are just as prevalent on Android as they are on the iPhone (although 3D gaming does appear to be more of an iPhone strength at this point and going forward).
The buck doesn't stop there, Android as a platform is extremely powerful and has been on a very steep ramp. The roadmap going forward, from what I've heard, looks quite strong. And we see where it's going. The barcode scanning applications, image searching, voice recognition - Google wants Android to eventually power the sort of device that can do things we've only been able to see in movies.
The only faults I have with Android really boil down to its polish and fragmentation in the market. Not all Android devices currently support the same Android builds, which is something that Google apparently plans on addressing this year. There are also many manufacturers that offer their own skins on top of Android, which leads to interface fragmentation as well. With the iPhone, webOS and eventually Windows Phone 7, you get a consistent experience in anything that uses the OS. The same can't be said for Android.
The flexibility and power at your fingertips is addictive however. The integrated Google Voice support alone may be enough for some to run out and buy a Nexus One. Android's pros list actually reads a lot like a modern take on Windows Mobile with a touch of iPhone flair, rather than a direct iPhone competitor.
On the other side of the fence you have Apple with a very closed platform, with a very consistent UI and extreme attention to detail. All UI transitions are as smooth as possible, no application is too deep, it's just a very clean and focused device for when you're not around your desktop or notebook.
It's really all about functionality. Google offers more out of the box, making the Nexus One more like a computing device and less like just a smartphone. I suspect that many will prefer that, while others will still not be swayed if they value a cleaner, more focused interface. Just like there are Mac users and PC users, there are iPhone users and Android users. It's not that Android is an iPhone alternative, it's that Android is a completely different approach to what Apple offers.
On paper, Android and the Nexus One offer all of the value. You get more out of the box, you get features like Google Navigation, Google Voice and you get a platform that can do pretty much anything you'd want. Honestly, on paper, the iPhone is a tough sell. It's got slower hardware, less flexibility and you have to pay extra for what Google will give you for free. It's actually very similar to the Windows Mobile vs. iPhone debates from 3 years ago. What sold folks then was Apple's UI advantage, and Android is no slouch in that department.
Many of the same value/openness arguments are made against buying Mac computers over PCs. Ultimately what sways users is how much they appreciate Apple's way of doing things. Clearly not everyone does, but I suspect that there are enough who do to keep the iPhone strong despite Google's serious lead in functionality/bang for your buck.
These two platforms are very polarizing. I have friends who would clearly not work well with an iPhone and others who wouldn't enjoy the Nexus One. It really boils down to what you value most as there's no clear cut answer for everyone. Personally, there are things I love about the Nexus One, and things that I still prefer on the iPhone. If Google or Apple would just copy and improve upon the Pre it would be a much easier decision for me :)
Going forward, Google will have to reign in some of what makes Android so flexible today to avoid it turning into another Windows Mobile. And Apple will have to embrace some of what Google is doing to prevent iPhone from turning into what Apple's products were in the 1990s.
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Chloiber - Sunday, April 4, 2010 - link
Sorry for repeating myself, but I really look forward to a test of the HTC Sense UI with either the HTC Desire, Legend (slower though) or Evo. I read several reviews and in every single one they were really impressed by the onscreen keyboard.ol1bit - Sunday, April 4, 2010 - link
I love the android platform. Now my last smart phone was the first Palm ever, so I could be thrilled with anything.The kicker for me was buying my android at Amazon for $49 (3 weeks ago), and now it's only $19!
It's hard for me to grasp how much power is in my hands for $19. Sure I have to have a 2 year contract, but I'd have that anyway.
As far as difference between mine and Goggle's? there's some, but the core functionality is present in both, just like an HP and a Dell computer with their built in thingy's.
Cheers on a great review!
LongTimePCUser - Sunday, April 4, 2010 - link
Today on Amazon the Motorola Droid is $19.99.Amazing. I bought mine about 3 weeks ago at $49. I thik that it is great and a bargin at the price I paid.
They are practically giving it away now. That tells you how profitable their $30/month data plan is.
naalex - Sunday, April 4, 2010 - link
Wow, I've got to say: Super Job! Not only did you review the Nexus One, but you managed to simultaneously review Android, review the iPhone OS, compare the two's strengths and weaknesses, and describe ARM's role in the smartphones and microprocessor business (which I never understood). Long yes, but every page was well worth it.After reading all the hyperbolic tech news coming from Engadget, CNET, and PhoneArena, I was under the mistaken impression that Snapdragon was a clear smartphone platform champion, so I found it rather interesting that Snapdragon's integrated GPU was inferior to the PowerVR solution on the iPhone 3GS. If I'm not mistaken, this is the GPU that is used in the TI chip in the Droid, so does this mean that my Droid may be able to keep up with Nexus Ones/Snapdragons with 3D gaming apps, or will there be too much hardware and OS fragmentation for any app developer to create any optimized 3D gaming app for Android.
This is going to be my go-to resource to provide to people who ask, "What is that strange object pressed to your face that isn't an iPhone? Does it cure cancer like the iPhone?" Trying to explain to my clueless tech friends that there are other viable smartphone options out there is an uphill battle, but one that may go a little easier now.
ExodusC - Sunday, April 4, 2010 - link
Anand, I'll admit, this is the gist of what I expected from your article (I don't mean that in a bad way, mind you--). I own an iPhone 3G, and have for almost a year now. I like it, but I don't particularly love it. I imagine the 3GS would be a more fluid (and therefore more enjoyable) experience. For some reason, tech reviewers tend to not want to get rid of their iPhones for some reason. Even with a device like the Nexus One at their fingertips. I type this from a Motorola Droid right now, and I love it.I agree, I love the fluidity of the iPhone compared to Android devices (why must they be so powerful, but so choppy? That's my biggest complaint), but I love the feature set of Android even more.
I also really want to know, why do you feel Android's pull-down notification menu is awkward? The first time I picked up an Android device and used it (never knowing about the feature), I felt it was very intuitive and a wise design choice.
I completely agree with your general consenus that Android needs some polish, however.
I absolutely love your website, reviews, and attention to detail. Keep up the good work! I just thought I'd share my honest opinion with you. Hopefully you'll have time to respond.
ExodusC - Sunday, April 4, 2010 - link
Excuse my extra "for some reason" in that post. I was a bit distracted while typing up my reply...Anand Lal Shimpi - Thursday, April 8, 2010 - link
It's just an odd construct in my opinion. It's the only place in the entire OS that you pull something down to reveal more notifications. If anything I'd expect a tap to expand sort of deal, but the pulldown seems strange to me.I will say that after using it for a while, it has lost it's weirdness in my opinion :)
Take care,
Anand
DukeN - Monday, April 5, 2010 - link
Love the slide out keyboard - if only this was like the original G1 but with all the new horsepower.The G1 is the first phone that has tempted me away from a blackberry (well...almost) in 5 years.
EazyVG - Monday, April 5, 2010 - link
I have been a WinMo user for past 3-4 years, but I have to agree that Android, not WinMo7, is the replacement for Windows Mobile 6.5, and hence I will be jumping to Android phone (as of today I like the HTC Desire, but want QWERTY) from my current HTC Touch Pro 2.Pitne - Monday, April 5, 2010 - link
wow I cant believe how biased this article is towards apple. Almost every word you used when talking about the Nexus One had a negative connotation. Most of your 'negatives' towards the nexus one are completely false.The notification area for one--this implementation is 100% better than apple or palm and you think its a poor way of handling it? Wtf are you smoking.