“Calling it their ‘superphone,’ Google unveiled the Nexus One on Tuesday, marking the online search giant’s first leap into the smartphone market,” Doug Gross reports for CNN.
MacDailyNews Take: And just like that, Motorola and the other has-beens have been PlayedForSure™. Now, to the left we have yet another rectangular device with one face comprised mainly of a touchscreen upon with icons of a certain size are arranged in a grid. Where, oh, where have we seen this before? This particular iPhone wannabe, like all other Android phones, also has some superfluous buttons thrown in along the bottom of the screen because HTC’s and/or Google’s “designers” either couldn’t figure out how to do things as efficiently as Apple or were prohibited from doing so by Apple’s patent portfolio. Oh, we almost forgot: Nice wallpaper.
Gross continues, “The phone, which goes head to head with Apple’s darling of the market, the iPhone, is sold only through a Web store operated by Google and, unlike the iPhone and most other current smartphones, is available either with or without mobile service.”
“T-Mobile is the initial service provider. Verizon in the United States and Vodafone in Europe will be coming on board later, and more operators are expected,” Gross reports. “Already available Tuesday, the phone costs $180 with a contract or $530 unlocked… It is be a global-system device with a 3.7-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, an accelerometer and a compass… Nexus One runs the latest version of the Android operating system, Android 2.1.”
Full article here.
Nancy Gohring explains for Computerworld, “While the Nexus One is being sold unlocked, it is essentially a T-Mobile phone, at least initially. Customers can buy the Nexus One at a discounted price with a contract on T-Mobile’s network. If a consumer buys the phone unlocked for $530, the customer can use the phone on AT&T’s network, but without access to the high-speed 3G network. The phone can’t be used on Verizon Wireless’ or Sprint’s network currently.”
“The Nexus One also won’t support tethering, a much sought after feature. Rubin said the lack of tethering isn’t a technical issue but a business issue. That could mean that operators are pressuring Google not to allow it for fear of overloading their networks,” Gohring reports. “The Nexus One also doesn’t support multitouch, like its competitor the iPhone.”
Full article here.
Walt Mossberg reports for AllThingsD, “I’ve been testing the Nexus One for a couple of weeks and I like it a lot. It’s the best Android phone so far, in my view, and the first I could consider carrying as my everyday hand-held computer.”
“The iPhone still retains some strong advantages. It boasts well over 100,000 third-party apps—around 125,000 by some unofficial estimates—versus around 18,000 for the Android platform. And it has vastly more memory for storing apps, so you can keep many more of them on your phone at any one time,” Mossberg reports. “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. In fact, the $199 iPhone 3GS has roughly four times as much user-accessible memory out of the box, though the memory on the Nexus One can be expanded via memory cards.”
MacDailyNews Take: Hey, Uncle Walt actually remembered to write about something important this time around. Wonder what prompted that?
Mossberg continues, “Apple also has a more-fluid user interface, with multitouch gestures for handling photos and Web pages.”
“There are some downsides to the Nexus One. Like all Android phones, it relies too much, in my view, on menus that create extra steps, including some menus that have a built-in ‘more’ button to display a secondary menu of choices. I also found the four buttons etched into the phone’s bottom panel sticky and hard to press,” Mossberg reports. “In addition, although the Nexus One claims seven hours of talk time versus five hours for the iPhone, most of its battery-life claims for other functions are weaker than Apple’s.”
“In addition, the Nexus One, and other Android devices, still pale beside the iPhone for playing music, video and games. The apps available for these functions aren’t nearly as sophisticated as on the Apple devices,” Mossberg reports. “Finally, the iPhone is still a better apps platform. Not only are there more apps, but, in my experience, iPhone apps are generally more polished and come in more varieties.”
Full review here.
Karl Denninger writes for The Market Tracker, “You’ve got to be kidding… Sorry, but with this pricing this thing is dead on arrival… They also, IMHO, made a huge mistake not insisting that the 3G frequency set be compatible with AT&T’s frequencies.”
“In addition watching the webcast was literally painful,” Denninger writes. “This company – with a $623 per share stock price – put presenters on the stage that appeared to have EXTREME levels of stage fright, didn’t know the product and what’s worse, their camera-man (or men) were beyond incompetent and made the presentation look worse than the ‘Morning News’ from my kid’s grade school ‘broadcast TV!'”
“To be blunt I was stunned at how poorly this ‘announcement’ was handled,” Denninger writes. “If this is indicative of what Google has become over the last two years their stock is overvalued by 95% or more.”
Denninger writes, “It really was that bad.”
MacDailyNews Take: Ooh, now we’re awake. Let’s take a look:
Direct link to video here.
MacDailyNews Take: Cringe.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Well, at least Eric T. Mole learned something while sitting Apple’s Board: “Superphone” certainly sounds better than “Rebadged HTC.”
[Apple’s iPhone] goes beyond smartphones and should be given its own category called “brilliantphone.” – Tim Bajarin, January 09, 2007
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Carl H.” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take:
@Marco:
Yeah tomorrow
So, as is customary with Android devices, we have a new version of Android (2.1), a new screen contrast (800*480, compared to droid which is 854*480),a new input method (the track ball) and another processor (1ghz this time). Are developers really going to develop 256 different flavors of each app to accommodate all of the varying specs of each phone? Google is allowing and driving the fracture of the android platform…
@ BOB well said well put….. On point!!!!!!
uhhhh isn’t this more of a “random manufacturer droid using phone killer”?
iPhone has been available unlocked since the day it has been available outside of the US. Several countries are selling it without a contract and unlocked (local legislation requires it), so if you need unlocked, get it from there. Apparently, in the US, this isn’t an option yet.
As for this “superphone”, it is obvious that they are making two versions (an unlocked GSM version, as well as a Verizon-customised CDMA model), if Verizon is to carry it.
And to Raymond in DC: This Nexus One may be “superphone”, but the iPhone is, as everyone already knows, JesusPhone…
Actually, the most important question is when the iPhone will be available for TMobile, Sprint, and Verizon. which will instantly double its sales. best guess – by the end of this year.
should have said, USA sales.
also, betcha ATT gets some solace for losing its iPhone exclusive by getting an excloo on Apple Tablet subsidized sales – with a two year 3G data contract.
…oh, and with Walt’s little statement that the Nexus One is the best android phone out Google has just “playedforsured” its partner in Motorola. The Droid was already having trouble as they are offering a Droid Eris free when you buy a Droid.
With friend like that, who needs enemies….
Walt Mossberg reports for AllThingsD, “I’ve been testing the Nexus One for a couple of weeks and I like it a lot. It’s the best Android phone so far, in my view, and the first I could consider carrying as my everyday hand-held computer.”
Yup! What! Whattt?
“In addition, the Nexus One, and other Android devices, still pale beside the iPhone for playing music, video and games. The apps available for these functions aren’t nearly as sophisticated as on the Apple devices,” Mossberg reports.
Yup! Wha the? Hey?!
“Finally, the iPhone is still a better apps platform. Not only are there more apps, but, in my experience, iPhone apps are generally more polished and come in more varieties.”
Walt is just said he consider this as THE FIRST PHONE to replacement his computer?! Wha?
Walt just said the iPhone is much better and I will not consider it to replace my computer; however, I will consider the Superphone with very little memory for apps and they are not polished?
What the hell? I’m missing the “Juice” they drink!
The Nexus One’s default desktop looks very Windows-95 to me. Cluttered menu bar, ugly icons, icon text labels surrounded by black blobs, and didn’t Windows 95 call that hideous tiled wallpaper “Rivets”?
Google’s designers still have no taste.
transflective,
Google has designers?
Motorola’s co-chief executive, Sanjay Jha, appearing alongside Google executives at the Tuesday event, said his company isn’t threatened by Google’s more prominent role in the development and sale of mobile phones. “I don’t see it as a threat; I think this is potentially an expansion of the marketplace,” he commented.
You can almost hear him grinding his teeth and chaffing at the Google dog collar.
And wasn’t it a Motorola exec who said computer guys (Apple) can’t just walk into the mobile phone sphere and take over? After all, Motorola’s been learning how to be on top of this specialty for many years.
That is the way I understood Walt.
iPhone= No computer replacement. But better apps and more usable memory (Like a laptop) but bad!
Nexus one= Computer replacement, but poor apps and memory usable like a real phone! I gotta get this to replace my computer!!!’
JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS!
@Midwest
Yes you are reading it a bit wrong. The Nexus actually has most of that as available memory, not having it clogged up by the OS. The difference is, the bulk of that memory has to be used for storing music, pictures and videos on the memory card. The onboard memory of 190 MB is the only place you can store apps, vastly limiting the number and size of apps (some single iPhone apps wouldn’t even fit).
So, the iPhone has a very flexible memory architecture that can be used in whatever way you want, basically. Android doesn’t let you install apps to memory cards, where it gets most of its capacity. It’s an insanely limiting factor that will not allow it to effectively compete with the iPhone until changed.
Can we say “splintering…?” Developing apps for all the different flavors and shades of Android looks to be a nightmare I’d just as soon pass on… thanks. Apple’s approach to vetting and collecting apps in one place to reduce consumer confusion and ensure a modicum of compatibility within the ecosystem is not only working… but it’s just common sense.
And from a distance, all the iPhone competitors could be mistaken for an iPhone based on shape and basic form factor. I wonder why this is?? It’s really a shame that there doesn’t seem to be a single, distinctive, creative concept coming out of any of these competitive companies. It’s all a bunch of “me too! Me too!” Just liked in the personal computer wars where a lot of idiots believed Microsoft invented the concept of windowing GUIs because they still dominated the market share… The difference this time is everyone knows the iPhone was first, and all the other copycats will be easy to spot for what they are. There is only one “original” anything, and if it hits critical mass where the original whatever is actually popular with the masses, then it’s game over for market dominance in the long run. It’s just too easy to imply “we’re the real deal – they’re not!” any time, without having to even say it.
Whatever Apple unveils in the tablet/iPad/iTab/iSlate/iPlate/iFlatThingy arena will be in a good position to become another “original” in the lexicon of American culture. How many other companies can actually say they pulled that off in less than a decade? 1.) AAPL = keep buying, and hold! 2.) Retire in 10 years.
As usually first model is failure.
I think Nexus Two will be on same level as iPhone
yes, a question: do Droid apps also work on Nexus? (and vice-versa?). are the screen aspects/resolutions the same?
yeah…I don’t get the Nexus thing….ha to the guy that said the first one is usually a failure….in this market..you better get it right the first time.
@ all the folks who love dropping in on stories like this just to say “I sense fear”:
You sense wrongly. It’s laughter.
These guys are scrambling to catch up any way they can, yet Apple’s still quite a ways ahead, for a whole host of long-term reasons which competitors can’t simply overcome in a few months or years. Walt’s completely illogical arguments (illustrated here by NCG598) would seem to bear this out.
Apple’s not going to rest on their laurels, so by the time their competitors catch up to where they are now, they’ll be even further ahead.
Oh yeah, and that UI? Utterly hideous. Yikes.
From the Nexus site-
“The currently available Nexus One device is unlocked and will recognize SIM cards from any mobile service provider using the GSM standard, but is incompatible with the frequency band used by the AT&T;and Rogers networks for 3G data (see below). Additionally, the Nexus One is incompatible with CDMA networks such as Verizon and Sprint.
“We are working hard to provide Nexus One phones optimized for the Verizon network – please stay tuned. The Nexus One for Verizon will not be a GSM device, so it will not be compatible with T-Mobile, AT&T;, or other GSM networks.
“The Nexus One’s antenna supports four GSM radio frequencies (850/900/1800/1900) and three 3G/UMTS Bands – 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900). These cover most major GSM mobile providers worldwide; however, the 3G band used by AT&T;and Rogers is not supported. For questions about the bands supported by your mobile service provider, please contact your provider directly. You may also consult a list of GSM coverage worldwide that is maintained by the mobile trade organization GSM World.”
The voice activated features of the Nexus One are pretty impressive… I wish the iPhone would let me speak aloud text mags or emails. Google has already demonstrated how accurate voice dictation can be with their Google app for iPhone… now Apple needs to implement that in all of their own apps.
I was following the Ustream feed, live, and they didn’t call the Nexus One the only superphone. They called it a category, which included the Nexus One. Presumably it is similar to what David Pogue of the NYTs tried to do, and he called this category AppPhones, as Smartphones no longer made sense, since lots of Nokia phones are in this category but are never used like they belong.
“Eric T. Mole” lol!
It’s those goofy glasses of his that make it SEEM like he’s not paying attention – but oh he is – he is.
Who needs a Superphone when you can have a Megaphone!
Motorola must be feeling like they’ve been ROKR’ed again. Google pulls the rug from under them with the latest version of Android they’ve been able to cook up with HTC. Any manufacturer that has started to develop hardware for Android must be having second thoughts.