| Enter the Nexus One: Google Launches its own Smartphone |
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| by PJ Punla |
| Tuesday, 12 January 2010 11:15 |
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Las Vegas was pretty much the world capital of technology and gadget geekery from January 7-10 of this year, as it hosted the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (2010 International CES). While many of the gadgets featured at CES seemed to be riding on a 3D craze (inspired by James Cameron’s smash-hit Avatar?), everyone was talking about this one mobile phone that had come out just ahead of the show.
We are, of course, talking about the Nexus One, the Android-powered smartphone from Google. Yes, Virginia, the Nexus One is out. Formally launched at a press event in California on January 5, Google made a point of making the phone available to as many users as is possible: you can get it via Google (http://www.google.com/phone/?locale=en_US&s7e=) at a price of USD529 (PHP24,330.01), unlocked and untethered to any mobile provider. This means that anyone can pick up a unit, stick their own SIM card in, and be able to use it right there and then. The phone is also available via T-Mobile in the US, priced at USD179 (PHP8262.72) and coming with a two-year contract.
(As of the time of writing, there are no plans or announcements yet regarding the Nexus One’s availability in the Asia-Pacific region or in the Philippines.)
So what’s with all the hoopla anyway? The main reason for the excitement and the hype is the name behind the phone itself: while the Nexus One is being manufactured by HTC Corporation, it’s being sold under the Google brand. It partakes of the connotations attached to the name of one of the world’s largest search engines. Google had previously offered the Android Dev Phones 1 and 2 (alias the Ion), but this is its first actual foray into retailing its own mobile telephony device.
Let’s look under the hood and see what the “Google phone” has to offer.
Manufacturer: HTC Corporation Design and branding: Google Dimensions: 119 x 59.8 x 11.5 mm (4.7 x 2.35 x 0.45 in) Weight: 130 g with battery Operating system: Android 2.1 (“Eclair”) CPU: 1 GHz Qualcomm QSD 8250 Snapdragon Memory: 512 MB DRAM Storage capacity: 512 MB of flash memory on board; microSD slot with 4 GB bundled (expandable to 32 GB) Display: 3.7 in, 480 x 800 pixels, WVGA, AMOLED Input: Capacitive touchscreen display, trackball Camera: 5.0 megapixels; built-in flash; autofocus; video capture of 720 x 480 px at 20 fps or higher Connectivity: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth, Micro-USB, A-GPS, Quad-band GSM, GRPS/EDGE, Tri-band UMTS, HSDPA/HSUPA
 
Online reviews at Engadget.com have called this phone slim and sleek, and it certainly looks like it’s shaping up to be an object of techno-lust. It’s light without being too much like a feather, and early reviews have called it easy to hold and hang on to. The 5.0-megapixel camera works well and gets a boost out of its accompanying LED flash. Initial reports have also pointed out that the Nexus One provides a good audio experience during calls.
One problem that the Nexus One might have locally is, as with the iPhone, the utter lack of a physical keyboard. Google has loaded a version of its speech-to-text software on the phone, which allows people to “talk out” their SMS messages, but that might not be so popular a feature in a country where everyone communicates with swift presses on a keypad. Not to mention, as responsive as the touchscreen is, how well will it stand up to near-constant use?
Discussions on Philippine messageboards and social networking sites have pointed up the idea that since Globe Telecom called dibs on the iPhone, the Nexus One might go to some other company, such as Smart or Sun. We’ll certainly be tuning in for that announcement if and when the phone hits local shores.
Stay tuned to MyQuezonCity.com for news and updates on the Google phone, the Nexus One!
Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_One http://www.cesweb.org/aboutces.asp http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/04/nexus-one-review/
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| Last Updated on Monday, 25 January 2010 11:07 |
