After weeks of anticipation from techies the world over, Google has unveiled to members of the press the Nexus One, its first consumer electronics device previously known as the Google Phone. Set to compete with Apple’s iPhone and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry, the HTC-made Nexus One runs an updated tweak of the Google Android OS.
Apart from what are expected from smartphones developed post-iPhone-touchscreen display, 5-megapixel camera, and stereo Bluetooth for headphones-the Nexus One pulls off features that impress us. The phone includes a Global Positioning System, two microphones (one for noise cancellation), and a speech dictation technology, which transcribes what you speak on the Nexus One as you compose e-mails, tweets, and Facebook status updates.
Reactions, however, were not as mind-blowing as Google might have expected. "The Nexus One has attractive features, but many of them were already available on other phones that use Google’s Android operating system," wrote Jessica Guynn of Los Angeles Times.
Michael Gartenberg, an analyst from Interpret research firm, says that the new phone provides a perception that not all Android phones are created equal. "If I was a (Motorola Droid) customer who just bought the phone a month ago, I might not feel so good."
The Nexus One is now available on Google’s online store for US$529 if you want it unlocked or $179 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile. Similar offers will be available from Verizon Wireless and United Kingdom’s Vodafone within this year. It is also expected to be shipped in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Image source: Google
