Product Category: Android 2.1 Smartphone

Manufacturer: HTC

Price: $529 (T-Mobile 3G) - Find it on eBay now!

Specifications: 800 x 480 3.7'' AMOLED screen, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11g WiFi, 1 Ghz Snapdragon processor, MicroSD Card slot, MicroUSB Charging, 5 MP Camera

Pros:

• It's speedy and responsive;
• Good fit in hand and light;
• Camera takes excellent photos.

Cons:

• The price;
• Unused trackball and lack of buttons;
• 3G reception issue for some.

Summary: Honestly, this article was written when you could still buy the device easily. Still a great device though, and it deserves a review! For years we heard it was coming. The "Google phone" would revolutionize our lives. Then last winter we saw it, and experienced the fastest Android handset on the market running the newest version of the operating system. But for those who are still wondering if they should upgrade (from say a G1) or switch (from say an iPhone), questions may still be unanswered. So read on for more information about my journey with the Nexus One!

Physical Form & Feel

Figure 1: My left hand holding the Nexus One, it fits snugly, not too big or wide.

The first thing someone who has used a G1 will notice about the Nexus One is the smaller size, despite being slightly larger. It's always a slimming experience to go from a keyboard-device to a keyboard-less, and with the extra power behind the Nexus One, the difference is even more pronounced ("Hey, it's slimmer and faster, wow!"). And most likely the last thing someone will notice after using a Nexus One for awhile is just how infrequently they use the multi-color (White, Green, Blue) trackball. With a capacitive screen, the responsiveness of the touch interface is sufficient enough that using the hardware trackball is seldom necessary. At first I "felt" I did get some use out of it, but after a few weeks I realized that even though it was perfectly functional and I had no complaints about its operation, I never used it. In retrospect, I'd rather they ditch the trackball and give me actual buttons vs. the touch sensitive buttons at the bottom of the screen.

In my rather large ape-like hands, the Nexus One fits nicely, and I can hit the controls either with my thumb on the hand I'm holding the device with or my index finger of the opposite hand. My large fingers initially had a bit of trouble with the on-screen keyboard, however that's largely gone away as I've gotten more practiced with the keyboard.

Figure 2: The width of a Nexus One compared to my large left hand.

The device is certainly thin enough - and has a nice sleek edge that slides in and out of your hand easily. Perhaps too easily - which is why I bought a hard plastic case for the back and sides of the device for extra protection.

Figure 3: The bottoms and left side of the G1 and the Nexus One. The Nexus One uses a Micro-USB port with no cover, and three gold contacts to charge in the desk and car docks.

Figure 4: The right sides of the G1 and Nexus One