// Home / News

Google's Nexus One meets cool reception

By Stuart Turton

Posted on 6 Jan 2010 at 08:24

Google has taken the wraps of the Nexus One, but analysts have been left unmoved by the "superphone".

The Nexus One runs on the 1Ghz Snapdragon platform and Android 2.1, features a five megapixel camera and a 3.7in OLED display - which sadly lacks the multitouch ability of the iPhone. Google's claiming seven hours of talk time, or up to five hours of internet use.

Though built by HTC, the Nexus One is Google branded and will only be available through Google's own website. While the phone sounds much like every other Android-powered smartphone on the market, Google was keen to point out that it had extended its voice-recognition technology to every aspect of the device.

Android's no iPhone killer

Discover why Mike Jennings thinks we need to stop comparing Android to the iPhone

This allows people to write text messages, emails, tweets or Facebook posts simply by speaking. In the presentation, a Google engineer demonstrated the feature by speaking the text message "Check out this new voice keyboard! I just hope this demo works."

It seemed to, though we'll wait for our review models before drawing any firm conclusions. The Nexus One is also the first Android smartphone to feature active noise cancellation, which will fade out background noise when you're speaking in a busy area.

The launch of the Nexus One marks a significant shift in strategy by Google, which has described the smartphone as "the next stage in the evolution of Android". And it's an evolution that's desperately required, if figures from Gartner are to be believed.

The analysis firm claims that Android currently has a 3.5% share of the global smartphone market, in comparison to the 39% share held by Nokia, 21% held by RIM and 17% gobbled up by Apple.

However, analysts greeted the announcement of the smartphone with mild disappointment. "It wasn't the game-changer people thought it could be," says Canaccord Adams analyst Jeff Rath. "It's very close to the Droid, some people will debate whether it's better. But it looks like an incremental improvement rather than a blow-the-doors-off improvement," he added.

Indeed, Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Interpret, told PC Pro that the phone could work to undermine Google's partners. "Google's just admitted that not all Android phones are created equal," he says. "Motorola customers can't be feeling too good."

Similarly, Gartner analyst Nick Jones claimed that the big news wasn't the Nexus One, but Google's decision to start selling products to customers directly. "When all’s said and done it’s yet another high-end smartphone, in this case manufactured by HTC," says Jones.

"So will it stop at Nexus? I guess not... perhaps we’ll see Chrome OS netbooks on the shelves in the future as well."

The phone is currently being sold in the US for $179 on a two-year contract, or $529 unlocked. Google has confirmed plans to bring the Nexus One to the UK through Vodafone, though it has not given a date.

Subscribe to PC Pro magazine. We'll give you 3 issues for £1 plus a free gift - click here

From around the web

User comments

Is the key Voice Recognition?

The use of voice recognition for text input could be a dsruptive technology -if it works!
However Spinvox seemed to prove that universal voice recognition is not as easy as it seemed.
But if voice recognition works well, keyboard input becomes seriously less important -this could be a game changer.
(PS I'm not holding my breath)

By milliganp on 6 Jan 2010

Any News About Android On 2.1

Has anyone heard anything about Android 2.1 making its way to the other phones (HTC Hero et al).

HTC promised an update at some point, and there was apparently mention of the next couple of days, but I wondered if PC Pro or anyone else has heard anything re this.

By GlasgowGuy on 6 Jan 2010

Choice is a good thing

I agree with the guy from Google in the press interview who said that they are not trying to be better than the iPhone, but provide another choice

My view is that without Android, the iPhone would still be way ahead of the market - the fact that mobile manufacturers are using Android so much is testament to this.

As for whether Nexus is a game-changer, I doubt it. But Android has already done that

C

By Chatan on 6 Jan 2010

I just don't think voice recognition is a huge selling point for the majority of consumers, though I do see it's uses.

I see voice recognition being especially important for in-car use. Personally I would not want to dictate messages into a phone. Text messages are popular because they can be sent and received inconspicuously.

Apple hit the nail on the head with multi-touch because it tactile and intuitive to use.

Am I missing a killer voice application here?

By pepperalex on 6 Jan 2010

hardware

Snapdragon Processor - Check
Android 2.1 - Check
3.7 OLED Screen - Check
The Hardware Spec seems good.If they can wrap it up in a Decent slim and solid body then it looks very good.Just a question now about it works in the real world.Waiting now for the reviews.

By Jaberwocky on 6 Jan 2010

What do sperm and analysts have in common?

1 in 50 analysts has a chance of becoming human.

Analysts are the gypsy fortune tellers of the business world. They claim to be able to see into the future and would like you to believe that they have some sort of special skillset.

"Some people were expecting a game changer", that just proves my point. All the details of the Nexus were leaked in advance of this launch it was clear that it would be "just" a well made android phone. The real change is that Google are selling it without ties to carriers. In the US this is a somewhat new practice and erodes the networks control over the mobile market. It wouldn't hurt here in the UK either.

By windywoo on 6 Jan 2010

Where's the edit button?

Should be 50 million.

By windywoo on 6 Jan 2010

multitouch is overrated

The only time I use multitouch on my iPhone is for zooming in and out of web pages. If the Nexus can do zoom without multitouch - and I'm assuming it can - I wouldn't miss it.

What you don't mention is whether the Nexus screen is capacitive or reactive. That WOULD make a difference.

By Noghar on 6 Jan 2010

I meant resistive, not reactive. Ahem. And if anyone else is interested, the Nexus screen is capacitive, like the iPhone, and double-tapping zooms in.

By Noghar on 6 Jan 2010

carrier independence

Theres an interesting take on yesterdays announcement at Ars Technica

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/01/google
s-big-news-today-was-not-a-phone-but-a-url.ars

"the Google store is now the only smartphone store in the US where, for every phone on offer, you first pick which phone you want, and then you pick a network and a plan on that network. So you can comparison shop among networks based purely on plan price and network quality"

By gurgeh on 6 Jan 2010

RE: Carrier independence

That's how I've bought my last 4 phones - my iPhone is still exclusive to T-Mobile, but the 4 prior to that.

Here (Germany), you walk into a shop, chose the 'phone you want, then select a plan from the carrier you want and see what discount the shop and the carrier make on the purchase price - often you pay 1€ if the 'phone is being promoted, although I paid 150€ for my htc Touch Pro and 120€ for my 6600 or something...

The iPhone was the first SIM locked phone I've sene over here, the Pre and the Android phones joined this "craze", interestingly, considering their history, the Microsoft Windows Mobile based smartphones are still the most carrier independent!

Oh, the irony, the "open source" phones locked up to carriers and the propiertary phones open to all comers! :-D

The pricing plans from T-Mobile aren't too bad, for the iPhone, a little more expensive than a WM phone on O2, for example, but at least their coverage and service here are excellent, not like AT&T in the States, juding by the constant whining.

By big_D on 7 Jan 2010

Jizztastic

If this was an Apple product, apPleC Pro would be metaphorically jizzing in their pants all through the article. Seems like if a phone isn't hogtied to it's manufacturer and doesn't cost at least £800 over two years, then it's not worth getting.

By dodge1963 on 11 Jan 2010

Leave a comment

You need to Login or Register to comment.