Let the phone technology rise
Windows Mobile 7 May Not Be Delayed Until 2011
Jan 17th
Rumors are suggesting that Windows Mobile 7 may be delayed until 2011, but November 2010 now looks to be the month when the ball will start rolling for real.
Using Windows Mobile 6.5 as an example, rumors of Windows Mobile 7 being delayed until 2011 may not be accurate. Back in February 2009, Microsoft showcased Windows Mobile 6.5 at the Mobile World Congress. The platform was then released to manufacturing in April 2009, while manufactureres and carriers started offering phones based on the platform in October 2009.
In other words, if Microsoft follows a similar path with the introduction of Windows Mobile 7, there’s still a pretty good chance of seeing the platform being showcased at MWC 2010 next month. However, as Bright Side Of News recently reported, MWC 2011 may become the trade show when we’ll first see smartphones powered by Windows Mobile 7 in every second booth.
We would be surprised to see Windows Mobile 7 ending up at U.S. carriers more rapidly than what was the case with Windows Mobile 6.5 though, meaning that late 2010 is probably as early as it can get for involved players to start offering subsidized WinMo 7 phones to U.S. customers. As with most hot high-end phones, there’s then a certain “shipping pre-orders only” period, and we could easily be talking about early 2011 until the first Windows Mobile 7 smartphones will be widely available in stores.
Interestingly, HTC recently said to a customer that the HTC HD2 will be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows Mobile 7 in November 2010 at the earliest. It’s common practice for HTC to offer such upgrades, which was also the case with for instance the Touch Pro2 back in 2009. HTC shipped that phone with WinMo 6.1 in mid-2009 and then offered a free Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade in October 2009. This month, we’re also seeing more U.S. carrier phones receiving upgrades to Windows Mobile 6.5.
All in all it looks like at least the HTC HD2 will become a Windows Mobile 7 smartphone in late 2010, and there’s a good chance that we’ll at least see announcements of brand new Windows Mobile 7 smartphones around November 2010. But again, the first showcase of Windows Mobile 7 could appear at MWC 2010 already next month regardless of when or where the platform would appear to end-users first down the road.
HTC admits customers have Nexus One 3G trouble, not yet blaming the phone
Jan 17th
By Scott M. Fulton, III
If samples from customer support threads are an accurate indicator, hundreds and perhaps thousands of early adopters of Google’s Nexus One phone aren’t looking for humanity from some pinstripe or tapered edges, so much as from customer support.
A spokesperson for HTC, the manufacturer of the Nexus One phone sold by Google and deployed thus far on T-Mobile’s GSM network, told Betanews late Monday evening that it is aware of the magnitude of 3G connectivity problems reported by customers nationwide since last week. As of Monday evening, several hundred messages were posted to Google’s support Web site, many reporting essentially the same problem: For the most part, their 3G connections are spotty and variable; and for some, 3G is non-existent.
Contrary to reports, however, HTC is not acknowledging a problem with the phone. As of now, the T-Mobile network remains equally suspect, especially amid the complete lack of much news whatsoever, including to its customers, from Google.
“While the majority of Nexus One owners have been thrilled with their experience, HTC is aware that some owners have reported having some technical issues with their Nexus One devices,” the spokesperson told Betanews. HTC, Google, and T-Mobile take all such reports very seriously, and are working closely together to determine what issues may be behind these reports.”
Late Monday morning, T-Mobile’s customer support site did include a thread started by support personnel, who appeared to be actively interested in collecting information on the problem. “Let’s see what we can learn about this,” the thread began. “Maybe we can uncover some commonalities among those experiencing issues.”
But although blogs today reported that this thread was an admission of problems with T-Mobile’s network, actually, T-Mobile made no such admission. It merely acknowledged the issue and its personnel (unlike Google’s) are interacting with customers in search of a resolution.
Customers who did manage to get through to HTC support personnel report having been told that a software patch of some sort is in the works; some who received that message last week were told they would receive a patch as soon as today. It does not appear certain that such a patch, if it exists, specifically addresses this problem.
All that Google will say on the subject is as follows: “We are investigating this issue and hope to have more information for you soon. We understand your concern and appreciate your patience.”
Nexus One is far from the first smartphone with 3G problems in the early going. The first US-based Apple iPhone 3G models were plagued with network trouble initially, as was the BlackBerry Bold 9000 — both on the AT&T network. Early troubles with the BlackBerry Storm on the Verizon Wireless network were traced back to the phone.
Some information from Nexus One early adopters tends to point toward the network, not the phone, as the possible culprit. One fellow reports having swapped SIM cards with a friend with an iPhone, and immediately receiving faster 2G EDGE service from AT&T on Nexus One than 3G service from T-Mobile. Another customer who also owns a T-Mobile G1 noted similar 3G connectivity problems on both the G1 and the Nexus One, since last Tuesday when Nexus One was launched.
One story indicative not only of customers’ problems but of their bewilderment over the lack of an obvious solution, comes from user scotty1024, who works in Redmond, Washington, just blocks from the Microsoft campus. “This morning I went into a conference room and no one else had shown up yet so I killed time in the Amazon MP3 store. The phone kept telling me it lost connection and to press here to retry. You’d retry and it would flip to Edge and I was able to pull up lists of titles. But about 2 minutes later it would flip back into non-working 3G and kill the connection. Spin, wash, repeat.”
One would think, scotty1024 goes on, that the phone would be smart enough to route calls via Wi-Fi using Google Voice when 3G service goes dead.
Windows Mobile 7: Can Microsoft reinvent the mobile market?
Jan 17th
n the aftermath of last week?s Consumer Electronics Show, Windows Mobile watchers are reading the soggy tea leaves of hints, generalities, ambiguities, off-the-cuff comments and anonymous sources to discern Microsoft?s plans for Windows Mobile 7. The bottom line? Anybody who really knows anything isn?t talking.
There are still wildly varying ideas about when the new version will be released. One recent story says it has been delayed ?again? and won?t appear until 2011. That story, at BrightSide News, cites unnamed sources at ?at least five? smartphone manufacturers. (Somewhat strangely, BetaNews seemed to interpretMicrosoft?s refusal to comment on the report as evidence that it was true.) But another account reports that Korea?s LG Electronics let slip at CES that Windows Mobile 7 will be released in 2010, probably in the Fall.
Nonetheless, there are some more concrete bits of information that observers are pulling into their interpretive mosaic for Windows Mobile 7.
One is the continuing improvement of the Windows Mobile UI. At CES last week, Microsoft was quietly showing off the next iteration of the current Windows Mobile 6.5 release. Several news Web sites found the Microsoft demonstration of the 6.5.3 version, shown on a Toshiba TG01 smartphone and Pharos Traveler. This release is due out later in 2010, according to one report.
The changes are taken as showing that Windows Mobile 7 may move decisively away from the PC-driven assumptions that have dogged the platform for years. Currently, the smartphone platform is built on Microsoft?s Windows CE, a modular, embedded, real-time operating system that is used to power different classes of devices. It has a separate code-base from the desktop Windows OS, but makes use of the Windows APIs.
Phonescoop detailed many of the changes in 6.5.3 with photos. (Engadget has some larger format pictures.) Microsoft moved a bunch of functions from the top of the screen to new, larger, virtual buttons at the bottom, within easy reach of your thumbs. The status bar at top is redesigned: Swipe it down with your thumb and a horizontal line of larger icons drops down, for such functions as search, volume control, power management, alarm, and so on.
The virtual Qwerty keyboard can be flicked to one side or the other to bring up specialized keypads: one for numbers, the other for a more compact T9 keypad ? text on nine keys. In another change, the onscreen menus are bigger, simpler and cleaner. You can see the 6.5.3 interface in action in this Phonescoop video.
(The DailyiPhoneBlog found a new Sony Ericsson smartphone, dubbed Faith, also loaded with the 6.5.3 software.)
But these changes, and others in 6.5 which were criticized for being mere tweaks, may only be the surface.
Last November, Microsoft demonstrated Windows Mobile 7 to a select group of tech journalists under strict NDA. One attendee, SoloPalmari, nevertheless posted comments (in Italian and translated roughly by Google) that indicated Microsoft has no intention of merely tweaking the UI, but radically transforming it, and the mobile Windows experience.
?We are faced with an upheaval of the logic of interaction and not just a substantial revision of the interface,? he wrote. ?The concept of ?applications,? as the programs continue to live their important identities, will bend to the principle of ?user experience.?? This principle demands a new level of interactive performance: ?Finally the performance, the fluidity in the display of screens, images and icons becomes a priority. As powerful and versatile Windows Mobile will be next, will never submit to slowdowns and delays in the response?. developers say Microsoft is certain: the experience of use to forget the ?old? Windows Mobile.?
At CES this year, Microsoft?s mobile chief, Robbie Bach, echoed those ideas, telling a group of financial analysts, ?I am certainly confident that we are going to see [Windows Mobile 7] as something that is differentiated and sets the bar forward, not in an evolutionary way from where we are today, but something that looks, feels and acts and performs completely different.”
Microsoft has certainly invested the money and talent to achieve that. Over the past two years, Microsoft has revamped the entire mobile effort, appointing a new top exec for the Mobile Communications Business, Andrew Lees, who grew Microsoft’s server products into a multi-billion-dollar franchise; recruiting a host of new marketing talent from its consumer businesses; and pulling in new engineering talent, among them nearly 20% of all Microsoft ?Distinguished Engineers,? a top distinction at the company.
Coupled with some broad hints from Microsoft, many observers are now convinced the company will use the February Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, to formally unveil Windows Mobile 7. Australian student, blogger and programmer Long Zhen posted part of a personal invitation he received from Microsoft for the event:
?Microsoft will be making several exciting announcements during the show. You will learn:. How the company plans to align its consumer vision and grow opportunities for the mobile industry as a whole.. How it will tackle challenging times ahead, in the face of economic uncertainty and stiffening competition.?
?If that doesn?t sound like Windows Mobile 7, then I don?t know what does,? he writes in his blog.
Similarly broad and vague promises were cited in a BetaNews story which quoted Microsoft?s Greg Sullivan, senior marketing manager, Windows Phone (as the OS is now formally known).
Sullivan?s comments suggest that Windows Mobile 7 will enable hardware partners, carriers and developers to coalesce around fewer basic platform configurations. “Our fragmentation issue is primarily around screen resolutions and assuming a minimum CPU and storage,? Sullivan is quoted in the story. ?We’re going to continue the horizontal market, but work very closely with our hardware partners to provide more guidance on the platform so we don’t have nine different display sizes that independent software vendors have to target…maybe just two….?
BetaNews? Tim Conneally concludes that ?when we see Windows Mobile 7 finally come to market, it will be on fewer devices, which are designed in close collaboration with manufacturers, and thankfully, the legacy OS architecture looks like it will be retired.?
Yet Microsoft?s goal is to broaden the appeal and reach of Windows Mobile, to make it more easily available on more devices, to make it a mass market platform. The Windows Mobile UI changes to date do reflect Microsoft?s response to the iPhone?s consumerist success, and to the threat posed by the fast rising Android mobile OS.
But last November, the company announced it was turning over global licensing for Windows Mobile to Bellevue, Washington-based Bsquare, which until then had been the key worldwide distribution partner for Windows Mobile, offering engineering services for applications and platform development to OEMs licensing the OS.
In an interview then, Bsquare?s Scott Caldwell, director of sales for third party products, said Microsoft wants to get Windows Mobile into the hands of far more than a handful of top-tier OEMs. The intent is to make it easier for many more, smaller OEMs to license Windows Mobile, get engineering and other help from Bsquare, customize the OS for their target vertical and consumer markets and quickly bring to market new varieties of affordable mobile devices.
?You can imagine that markets like China and India will support a high number of differentiated [mobile] devices,? Caldwell said. ?I find it hard to believe that the Apples and RIMs are going to get there. It?s hard to compete with the OEMs born and bred in those markets.?
The danger is that such an approach will continue or even increase the fragmentation that exists in the Windows Mobile market for developers. While Windows Mobile offers a wealth of APIs to access phone functions, the APIs are often sketchy, weak, or dated, according to some developers. OEMs compensate with highly customized Windows Mobile implementations, which in turn force developers to do extensive testing and hacking of their code to work with different Windows Mobile devices. Solving that issues points to the possibility of major changes at Windows Mobile core and better development tools, coupled with the radical new GUI layer.
A final critical element, emphasized by Microsoft?s Robbie Bach at the CES meeting, is the role of integrated online services. ?The service delivery is going to be critical [and] that is why I keep talking about cloud delivery, what we are doing with Widows Live, what we are doing with Xbox Live, why Azure is so important to us because it really will enable us to reach all of those different screens [PCs and laptops, TVs, and mobile devices],” he said.
Microsoft is not the first to see this. Palm with its innovative webOS for the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi smartphones demonstrated how Web technologies can create a very easy development for sophisticated native apps, and for tight integration with Web-based applications and services. Google is attempting something simpler but taking a narrower view with its focus on Google-based services.
If Microsoft can translate its server-based infrastructure into a set of easily accessible cloud and Internet-based services, and smoothly blend these with a redefined mobile experience, it could change the market even more dramatically than Apple did with the iPhone.
HTC Smart
Jan 17th
Expected Spring 2010
Until now, HTC have made only quite high-end Windows Mobile and Android smartphones.. but that has all changed with the introduction of the HTC Smart.
The operating environment on the HTC Smart is called “HTC Sense”, and it is built on top of the new Qualcomm BREW MP operating system. BREW is more common in US devices than European ones, but has featured on INQ handsets like the INQ1.
HTC’s endorsement is certainly a significant one for Qualcomm, and although HTC don’t have the market clout of others, it is nonetheless pretty important.
The point of this is to make the HTC Smart a much cheaper device that can target a larger market than HTC have done in the past. Competing perhaps against upcoming phones powered by Samsung Bada and the latest more mass-market orientated Symbian devices, the Smart certainly has some tough competition.
It’s a pretty straightforward device – the HTC Smart has a 2.8″ 240 x 320 pixel touchscreen display, 3.5G support, a 3 megapixel fixed-focus camera with flash, Bluetooth and microSD expandable memory. There’s also a multimedia player that can cope with AAC, MP3 and WMA audio plus a 3.5mm audio socket.
Inside, this is a quad-band GSM phone with support for 2100 MHz HSDPA in Europe and Asia with a possible version for the US, giving maximum download speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps. The 1100 mAh battery powers the HTC Smart for up to 6 hours talktime and an impressive 25 days standby time on 3G. The internal processor is not specified, but it runs at 300 MHz and is most likely some sort of Qualcomm-based ARM unit. The whole package weighs just 108 grams and measures 104 x 55 x 12.8mm.
There’s no guidance at all on pricing, but our guess is that the HTC Smart will retail for less than €200 SIM-free when it hits the market sometime this spring.
This could well be the start of a significant new chapter in HTC’s history. If they can make their HTC Sense platform a success, then it could enable them to sell enough handsets to be considered a truly major force in the global mobile market, we will see..
What we craved this week: Nexus One, Netflix to Wii, bear country
Jan 17th
This week has been big on Google. The company’s Nexus One’s pricing has gotten a few tweaks and The Wozdeclared it his favorite gadget–quite a statement coming from the co-founder of Apple, makers of the iPhone, the Nexus One’s direct target.
Speaking of Apple, one of its lawyers accidentally let slip the fact that the infamous Apple tablet might someday exist even though it doesn’t really exist. This is due to Gawker’s $10,000 bounty on anything confirming that the nonexistent tablet exists. I hope he takes PayPal.
Speaking of people messing things up, did you hear the one about the bear who ate an airplane and then the airplane owner fixed it with duct tape and then flew it home? Well I did. True story, too.
And some good news for Wii owners: Your consoles are getting Netflix streaming content. At this clip everything will have Netflix in about five years including my espresso machine. Or at least I’m hoping.
The first Google phone Nexus One is now available in UK and US
Jan 7th
Well, how about that? All the rumors turned out true to the last bit. At an Android press event Google just presented their new Android uberphone and they have novel way of selling it directly to customers.
Features and design
You’ve probably heard all there is to know about the Google Nexus One. We doubt any of its specifications will come as a surprise to you. It’s got a Teflon-coated body, a 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, GPS, digital compass, accelerometer, light and proximity sensor, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a multicolored status alerting trackball.
There’s also a second microphone on the back used for active noise cancellation during voice calls.
There are even some one-off’s
There is a couple of other things we noticed. First off, as far as we know, the Nexus One is the first GSM mobile phone touting 802.11n Wi-Fi support (or is it a typo?). Also we believe Nexus One has the first AMOLED display used by HTC ever. We’ll see more of those on their upcoming phones.
Android gets updated to 2.1
Google Nexus One runs on Android 2.1 – an update version of Eclair. There are five homescreen panels instead of three and there are new news and weather widgets. Users also get a dynamic wallpaper that reacts to your touch on the screen and a 3D main menu (app launcher). Google have also added speech-to-text input, which works on every text field throughout the UI.
Google have teamed up with Cooliris to put the 3D capabilities of the phone to good use in the image and video gallery. Browsing those looks extra cool and there’s even a way to automatically organize photos in albums by their time, date, or location. It can even be used to browse your Picasa images online.
Cooliris 3D gallery integrates Picasa albums as well
If you want to see all that new stuff in action, you should definitely check out our Nexus One video roundup.
The final new thing in Android 2.1 is the new API that will give devs access to the Android 3D framework. That will surely bring along many 3D graphics applications and even games – much like on the iPhone. To showcase the new 3D features at the conference, Google demoed the upcoming Google Earth app for Android. It offers fluid graphics as you spin the Earth with your fingertip or fly through the landscape from birds-eye view perspective. Thanks to the new text-to-speech engine, you can even use your voice to search for places.
How to get the Nexus One
HTC-made, the Nexus One will be the first Android smartphone (or even the first physical product) sold directly by Google themselves. Still, there HTC branding over it unlike the initial samples that leaked online.
No matter whether you want the Nexus One with or without a contract, there’s no need to go to a store. You just need a Google account and a Google Checkout account to purchase and later activate the phone online.
Nexus One is the first phone to use that business model but there will be more. The ordering process even allows you to order a custom text engraved on the back for free.
Google Nexus One is now available SIM-free and unlocked for 529 US dollars in the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong and US. The US is the only place where they’re offering an operator deal as well – your can buy it with a T-Mobile plan for only 179 US dollars.
In Spring 2010 you will also be able to get it subsidized through Verizon Wireless in the US and from Vodafone in Europe.
You can learn more about the Nexus One at google.com/phone
HTC Nexus One by Google
Jan 7th
Call us geeks, but we can’t hear the word “Nexus” without thinking of the utopian dimension in Star Trek where all wishes were fulfilled. And in the run-up to the announcement of its Nexus One phone, Google seemed to be going for the same idea. Indeed, when the phone was finally unveiled on January 5, a Google executive billed it as not only a “superphone” that exemplifies what Google Android can do, but also as “the meeting place of Web and phone.”
Lofty promises to be sure, but as is usually true in the tech world, things aren’t always what they seem. Don’t let the dull candy bar design fool you: the Nexus One brings welcome new offerings to the Android table. The Snapdragon processor is undeniably zippy, the AMOLED display is gorgeous, and we welcome both the enhanced voice dialing capabilities and the noise cancellation feature. What’s more, the Android 2.1 interface enhancements show that Android continues to improve as it evolves. It’s not the greatest Android phone around–that’s a difficult call to make in such a diverse and crowded field–but it adds to an already rich family.
Of course, the Nexus One wasn’t without its problems: the music player continues to underwhelm, app storage remains limited to the internal memory, we didn’t get tethering or multitouch, and we would have appreciated dual-mode (GSM/CDMA) support. But even with those gripes, the Nexus One delivers a satisfying user experience. The operating system already can go to head-to-head with the iPhone, and the Nexus One only gives Android more ammunition.
Perhaps its greatest benefit is that the Nexus One is sold exclusively by Google in two versions. That means you can skip the carrier store and get free overnight shipping. Believe us when we say it’s fairly remarkable that Google is changing the typical control-freak ways of the U.S. carriers. But even better, both versions of the phone–$529 without service and $179 with a two-year T-Mobile contract–will be unlocked. And for you CDMA fans, Verizon Wireless is set to get its own version of the phone in early 2010.
Design
While slim and attractive, the Nexus One’s candy bar, touch-screen-only design won’t stand out from the Android crowd. With its trackball and prominent display, it looks a bit like both the HTC Hero and the HTC Droid Eris. At 4.56 inches by 2.36 inches by 0.47 inch, it’s about the same size as the Droid Eris, the Hero, and the iPhone, but it weighs just 4.58 ounces. The two-toned gray color scheme is standard smartphone, but the handset has a comfortable feel in the hand.
Not surprisingly, the Nexus One’s star attraction is its 3.7-inch AMOLED display. Bursting with 16.7 million colors and an 800×480 pixel resolution, the display really is a wonder. Everything from standard text to busy photos and graphics jumped right off the display in full glory. The Android 2.1 OS adds to the fun with 3D graphics (more on that later) and live wallpaper, which are animated backgrounds that react to your touch and your music. They’re a nifty and attractive touch, but we realize they may be a bit much for some people and we’re not sure if they affect battery life. Standard wallpaper is available if you’re not game.
Like the Motorola Cliq, there are five home screens for full personalization. You can add and delete shortcut icons and folders at will, and you can use the dedicated Google Search box. You’ll see a customizable weather/news box that’s similar to that on the Cliq, though here it’s more extensive and its design is refined. The display also offers an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, and a proximity sensor.
Compared with previous Android phone, the Nexus One brings a few unique touches to the home screen. A square touch control with a grid design replaces the menu tab found on other Android phones. It makes no difference to usability as long as you recognize what it does. You’ll also find dots on either side of the touch control that let you skip to an individual home screen or view thumbnails of all home screens in a row. Another change is a shortcut bar that allows you to activate and deactivate the Bluetooth, GPS, syncing, and Wi-Fi features, and control the display brightness. It’s all very handy since you don’t have to dig through a menu.
The main menu is similar to previous Android phones, but it now takes on a rolling effect at either end where the icons recede into the distance like the title crawl in a Star Wars film. Interior menus, the design of the Android Market, and the display lock and mute icons are comparable to the Motorola Droid. You can adjust the brightness and backlighting time, and limit the display animations. There’s no option for calibrating the display, but the touch interface is accurate and responsive to a light touch. Haptics feedback can guide you if you need help.
The Nexus One is almost the same size as the iPhone.
The four touch controls below the display–a back button, home and search keys, and a control for the notifications menu–are standard Android. A long press to the home screen will bring up your recent features, while a long press to the search control will activate voice search. The touch controls take a firm press, but it’s not a big deal. When you’re not using the touch screen, the trackball will be your primary interface tool for accessing menus. It’s large and responsive, and it lights up when you have a message. The virtual keyboard is also unchanged from other Android phones; you can use it in both landscape and portrait modes.
The power control sits on the top of the phone, next to the 3.5mm headset jack. We’re thankful that the jack has a standard size for using your own headphones. The volume rocker on the left spine is thin, but it’s easy to find when you’re on a call. On the rear side are the camera lens, the flash, and a space you can engrave with a personal message. You’ll have to remove the battery to access the microSD and SIM cards. The Micro-USB port sits on the phone’s bottom end and accommodates both the charger and a USB cable.
Features
As an Android phone, the Nexus One has everything you’d expect from the OS. The contacts menu is limited by the available memory, but each entry can store multiple fields for phone numbers, street addresses, work information, e-mails, URLs, instant-messaging handles, nicknames, and notes. Contacts are automatically synced from your Gmail account, but you can sync Facebook and Microsoft Exchange contacts. We did both and the exchange took just seconds. As with previous Android phones, you must store applications from the Android Market on the 512MB of internal memory. MicroSD cards (the Nexus one can accommodate cards up to 4GB) are only for other data files.
Besides Gmail, the Nexus One also supports additional POP3 and IMAP4 accounts, though not through a unified in-box. We added an Outlook Web Access (OWA) CNET e-mail, but during our initial test period we were unable to add a Yahoo account. When we tried doing so, we received a message that not all Yahoo accounts are supported. That’s the first time we’ve seen that on an Android phone, and it’s troubling. When we typed in our Yahoo account anyway, the Nexus One informed us that our username and password were incorrect (we did it several times to be sure). We’ll keep trying, but for now it doesn’t look good.
Sadly, calendar syncing looks to be incomplete. Though your Gmail calendar will sync automatically, we were unable to find a way to sync the Outlook calendar and notes. We’re confirming if this is the case and will report the results when we find out. Needless to say, no Outlook calendar syncing will limit the Nexus One’s appeal as a business device.
The Nexus One’s primary feature selling point is its voice command features. In addition to dialing, you can perform a variety of functions, such as updating your Facebook page, composing a text message, and searching the Android Market using only your voice. We jumped in right away and were astounded how well it worked even in a crowded room. Indeed the only mistake it made was it spelled “be” with just the letter b when we said “I will be late.” The feature is speaker-independent so no voice acclimation testing is required.
The 5-megapixel camera is a few leaps ahead of most Android phones. Beyond the choice of four resolutions, it also offers the aforementioned flash, white balance and color effect controls, auto focus, infinity focus, a 2x digital zoom, and three quality settings. We like the enhanced camera interface that came with Android 1.6, especially the quick switch to the camcorder. You can record up to 30 minutes of video in a 720×480 resolution (20 frames per second), but clips for multimedia messages are capped at 30 seconds. You can also select a quality setting, a color effect, and white balance.
Photo quality is satisfying. Colors looked natural and there was little image noise. The flash is relatively bright, though it doesn’t appear to be of much help in completely dark places. Video quality is about average. When you’re finished shooting, just forward the photos to friends using the usual methods. Alternatively, you can use one-click upload to Picasa and YouTube. You can geotag your shots for your reference.
The Gallery application offers a few improvements. When you first open the gallery, photo groups will be arranged in stacks with the name of the group underneath. Tapping each stack will display the photos in a grid format for easy scanning, or you can swipe through each shot individually in a slideshow. And thanks to the 3D graphics, the photos will appear to rotate as you tip the phone.
We had hoped Google would give us a better media player on the Nexus One, but that’s not the case. There’s nothing bad about the Android player; it’s just that not exciting. You get album art, repeat and shuffle modes, and the option to make playlists. You can add music via a USB cable, a memory card, or from the Amazon MP3 Store. Access to a quality video store and an FM radio are still on our wishlist.
Other features include a calculator, a full duplex speakerphone, a compass, a text-to-speech feature, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, text and multimedia messaging, and the full slate of Google applications like Google Voice, Google Talk, and Google Maps. Thanks to Android 2.1, the Nexus One also has the Car Home application, which offers local search and real-time, turn-by-turn directions with voice.
Performance
We tested the Nexus one in Las Vegas with T-Mobile service. As a quad-band world phone (GSM 850/900/1800/1900), you’ll be able to use the Nexus One with any GSM carrier, but its 3G bands (2100/AWS/900) are compatible only with T-Mobile’s network in the United States. AT&T customers will be able to use the Nexus One, but their data speeds will top out at EDGE.
Call quality was quite good on the whole. Conversations were clear, the volume was loud, and we heard little static or interference. We even could get service at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the 2010 International CES. With thousands of cell phone-happy people in one place, CES can be a notorious dead zone.
On their end, callers said we sounded good. They could tell we were using a cell phone, but they reported no problems with the volume level or clarity. The phone dialer interface is easy to use, and we like the one-touch access to your contacts and recent calls lists. Also, when you’re on a call, you can switch to Bluetooth or the speakerphone with one touch.
Speakerphone calls were satisfactory as well. The sound was tinny and a tad distorted at the higher volumes, but it gets pretty loud. We had no difficulty carrying on conversations in most environments. Friends reported similar conditions on their end, though a few mentioned more background noise. We’re still testing Bluetooth headset quality and the Nexus One’s capability to make Bluetooth hands-free calls.
The 3G speeds resulted in a satisfying browser experience on most fronts. Our only complaint is it lacks the multitouch support of the Droid Eris. To zoom in, you will have to use the magnifying glass icons on the bottom of the display. On the upside, pages loaded quickly, thanks to the strong 3G connection, and the browser offers a full set of features like bookmarks multiple windows, and cut and paste.
The GPS application performs better than on other Android phones, but it still missed us by a block or two. It’s not a deal-breaker, unless you’re trying to direct someone to you. In those cases, make sure you’re giving accurate directions. Music quality is decent over the external speaker, but a headset will offer the best experience.
The Nexus One’s greatest triumph is its 1Ghz Snapdragon processor. It made a huge difference that was noticeable as soon as we dove into the phone. Applications loaded in a flash and there was no lag when switching between features. We also didn’t encounter the lag we often get when swiping between home screens on the Moto Cliq. It’s not an understatement to say that the Nexus One is the fastest Android phone we’ve seen. We’ll have more through testing soon.
Battery life for the Nexus One is as follows: 10 hours of 2G talk time or 7 hours of 4G talk time; 12 days of 2G standby time or 10.4 hours of 3G standby time; 5 hours of Internet use on 3G or 6.5 hours on Wi-Fi; 7 hours of video playback and 20 hours of audio playback. According to FCC radiation tests, the Nexus One has a digital SAR of 0.867 watts per kilogram.
How the Google Nexus One Stacks Up
Jan 7th
Does the so-called “Google Phone” measure up against the iPhone, Droid, and other leading smartphones?
Tuesday’s announcement of the Google Nexus Onesmartphone wasn’t a shocker, but the phone itself has some great new features and is in a good position to become the top Android device just months after the Motorola Droid took over that spot. The Nexus One’s specs are appealing, with a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, an amazing screen that is similar to the Droid’s, and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. Google’s Nexus One is also the first device to run Android 2.1 software, which adds features like new home screen panels and interactive wallpaper.
So how does the Nexus One measure up to the other big-name smartphones out there? We’ll compare the Nexus One to theMotorola Droid, Apple iPhone 3GS, Motorola CLIQ, and the Palm Pre, four of the highest-rated and most-buzzed about smartphones of the last year. We’ll show how the Nexus One’s specs compare in terms of network, OS, display, processor, and camera. Of course, final judgments will have to wait until we’ve had a chance to test the unit.
Network
The Nexus One can be purchased on contract from T-Mobile immediately and will be available for Verizon Wireless in the spring. This is the first time such a heavyweight smartphone has been offered on two simultaneous U.S. networks so quickly, and it’s a peculiar (and welcome) example of choice for the consumer. The Nexus One can also be purchased unlocked, and you can use a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM card to get service. (Keep in mind, however, that because of supported frequency bands, unlocked Nexus Ones will be compatible with T-Mobile’s 3G network, but not AT&T’s.) While T-Mobile had its share of publicity problems in 2009, the service is known for good pricing and customer service. T-Mobile is going to be the first with HSPA+ data, so CLIQ and Nexus One owners who can get 3G service from the carrier should be able to enjoy noticeably faster data speeds before other carriers.
By comparison, the iPhone’s biggest problem is arguably that it’s only on AT&T, which has a reputation for dropped calls and unreliable service. The Pre is on Sprint, which continues to be a fairly reliable option for 3G service and coverage. The Droid has the advantage of being tied exclusively to Verizon—a feather in its cap because of Verizon’s trustworthy service. When it comes to the network, Google’s Nexus One trails the Droid at the moment, but when it adds Verizon in the spring, the Nexus One looks set to have the most attractive options.
Operating System
The Nexus One has a real edge when it comes to the OS. Android 2.1 is, not surprisingly, better than the Motorola Droid’s Android 2.0. And it’s light years ahead of the Motorola CLIQ’s Android 1.5, which feels dated even with its MotoBlur extras.
As for whether Android 2.1 is better than the iPhone’s 3.1 OS, that’s a matter of personal preference. Each has its own feel—Android more customizable, iPhone more streamlined. Two of the biggest differences are that Android can run several third-party apps simultaneously—not the iPhone. Android also allows for more customization of home screens than the iPhone. On the other side, the latest iPhone OS has an onboard video editor and a simpler-to-use interface.
Palm’s webOS is another beast altogether. Its innovative and fun interface features “cards”, where each program is a card you can pull out, cycle through, and discard as needed. Plus, you can run multiple apps simultaneously. Sadly, Palm’s Pre isn’t powerful enough to fully realize webOS without bits of sluggishness, especially with multiple apps running.
Display
The Nexus One has a 3.7-inch, 480-by-800-pixel AMOLED display. The Droid has a similar 3.7-inch 480-by-854-pixel touch screen, but it won’t be quite as vibrant because it’s not AMOLED. We absolutely love the Droid’s screen, so we’ll give the Nexus One equal billing because they are comparable. The iPhone’s bright 3.5-inch, 320-by-480-pixel screen is good, but not Droid or Nexus One good. The CLIQ and Pre’s 3.1-inch, 320-by-480-pixel touch screens are just a little too small for comfort, especially when compared to their smartphone competitors. The Nexus One ties the Droid when it comes to screen specs, until we have to time test the units side-by-side.
Processor
Being Google must have some serious perks. The Nexus One is only the second smartphone, after the HTC HD2, to be equipped with the powerful 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, the fastest processor yet to run on a phone. Most analysts have noted that the processor makes a big difference and makes Android run very smoothly. The Droid runs well too, but its ARM Cortex-A8 is now a generation behind. The iPhone and Pre both run ARM Cortex-A8 processors as well, so count them slightly behind the curve now too. And the CLIQ’s 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7201A processor, which is responsible for its occasional sluggishness, is now two generations behind. The Nexus One is the clear winner when it comes to processor specs.
Camera
The Nexus One features a 5-megapixel camera with a LED flash and can capture video at 720-by-480 pixels at a minimum of 20 frames per second. The Droid has a 5-megapixel camera with flash and can take videos at the same resolution with 25 frames per second. The iPhone’s 3-megapixel camera doesn’t quite compare, but videos on the iPhone are 640 by 480 pixels and 30 frames per second, which are probably in the same class as the Nexus One and Droid. And the Pre’s 3-megapixel camera works fine, but lacks in options and doesn’t record video. The Droid has a slight edge in terms of camera specs—actual performance is another matter, of course. Stay tuned for our tests.
Google: Never Mind the Nexus One, How About a Cheaper Cell Plan?
Jan 7th
Jeff Bertolucci
Based on this week’s flurry of media reports, it appears that Google will introduce its Nexus One smartphone right after the New Year. This HTC-built handset sounds like a very good Android phone, a solid effort as Google delves deeper into the consumer wireless market.
Unconfirmed rumors price the phone at $180 with a 2-year T-Mobile plan, or $530 unsubsidized. T-Mobile’s monthly contract will run about $80 a month for 500 minutes of talk and unlimited text and Web — pricey, sure, but not out of line with similarly-equipped smartphones.
And there’s the problem. The Nexus One is business as usual, if the reports are true. Where’s Google the Disruptive Force we’ve come to expect?
The Nexus One comes across as a fairly conventional consumer product–not unlike the Apple iPhone, Motorola Droid, and other high-end handsets.
It’s a me-too smart phone, not one that’s going to turn the cell industry on its ear.
Why should we expect more from Google? Because the company has built a reputation for stirring up trouble in the tech industry–with consumers reaping the benefits. Whether it’s providing free GPS navigation for Droid phones, free airport Wi-Fi for the holidays, free voicemail(and a lot more) with Google Voice, a free office suite with Google Docs, or free public DNS, thedon’t-be-evil search giant always has something interesting up its sleeve. A bold, consumer-friendly advance in wireless services would be welcome.
Now, I’m not expecting an earth-shaking announcement of, say, free cell service when Google launches the Nexus One. But an innovation that brings together Google’s growing stable of telephony components would be welcome.
One example might be a data-only service plan that integrates Google Voice, the company’s recently-acquired Gizmo5 (a Skype-like VoIP service), and the Google-branded smartphone to provide voice calls without a conventional calling plan.
Or how about a free, ad-sponsored calling plan? Personally, I wouldn’t want this, but I’m sure a lot of people would. As it stands, an $80-a-month service plan sounds like business as usual. Hopefully, Google will surprise us next week with better news.
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