March 19th, 2010
Google’s Nexus One has been around for a couple of months now. How does it measure up?
Pros
1. 3.7” AMOLED touch screen and 5-megapixel camera—beats the iPhone’s 480 x 320 display in sheer size and picture quality.
2. Two microphones: One will absorb all surrounding noises, while the other focuses only on your voice; removing the background noise from your call.
3. Google Voice not only allows you to command your phone to call, create a message and give directions on interactive maps; but the Nexus One can even transcribe voices to text. This feature works for voice mails, web browser and even Facebook status updates.
4. The transparent trackball changes colors so you can identify different incoming communications—from SMS to email.
Cons
1. All the whistles and bells on this phone lead to a mega drain on the battery, making it more of an energy hog than the power hungry iPhone.
2. Though paired with Google, the browser runs a little slower than iPhone’s Safari.
3. Around 20,000 apps available—versus 100,000+ on iPhone.
Available at www.google.com/phone for US$529 (approx $740, plus shipping charges). Insert your SIM card and it’s good to go.