I know, I know. I gave this product 5 stars yet my review title seems to be quite a bit contradictory, but theres plenty of reasons why. First and foremost, I have dreamed of this product ever since I got into the PDA game in 1999 with my Palm IIIc. Since then, I've used a veritable warehouse of different units, anything ranging from the aforementioned Palm IIIc to pretty much any Android handset out there that offers service in a GSM flavor to this point. I purchased the Nexus One on day one, and received it over night, so I am by far one of the earliest adopters in the market. As you can imagine, my expectations are quite high for an all-in-one PDA, and even though my title may be emitting a bad taste in my mouth, I can assure you thats not the case.
With PDA's/Smartphones bridging the gap between our Laptop's/PC's, the functionality all needs to be there to really be a full on mobile replacement. With the insurmountable amount of internet discussion that this device received prior to its official announcement and release, one couldn't help but get their hopes up. Did the Nexus One hit its mark? Yes, I believe it did, and with style and poise to be frank. But, is it that all-one-device that has the power to leave your laptop at home for the road warrior? Nay, I wouldn't go as far to say that. The device itself and Android put together are a powerful duo of open-source-goodness, but it still has a ways to go, which I'm sure Google will stand behind and push forward.
DISPLAY 9/10
Overall, the 3.7 inch AMOLED display is a sight to behold in and of itself. The colors are brilliant, blacks couldn't be more rich and dark, and video is even crisper than my dedicated laptop, the
ASUS UL30Vt-X1 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) which is currently for sale on Amazon as well. Watching HD video on YouTube is no doubt an impresser, and website viewing and navigation couldn't be more pleasing, especially with the new multi-touch update that Google pushed out to its user base, which provides that functionality inside of Google Maps, the browser, and the gallery.
The capacitive touch screen works just as great as expected, except for a few minor issues which do not hold any ground in this review and score of the display. For one, being a male of average height, I don't exactly have that big of hands. Therein lies the problem with one handed use, as the device is a wee bit too wide for my hands, which occasionally causes my palm to touch the screen when I try to reach too far. As you can imagine, this causes a problem sometimes, but you really just have to arch your thumb when using it which takes some time to get used to.
The 1 gigahertz Snapdragon is definitely awe inspiring in its performance, and typing on the screen is definitely better than its other Android predecessors. Whether Google will admit it or not, typing on the screen would be greatly enhanced by adding multitouch capabilities to the keyboard and allowing for adjustment in that regard. Some people like myself type literally at a speed of 70 words per minute on a QWERTY phone keypad, and this would definitely be appreciated.
The only downfall of the gorgeous display is the fact that there is a bit of tinted red hue if you look closely. It is ever more apparent when taking video of the device itself, as it greatly pronounces this fault in the screen. For the most part it doesn't affect the user experience of the device, which is why I only slighted the score by 1 point. The other thing to watch out for is the fact that AMOLED's perform horribly in direct sunlight compared to their LCD counterparts, but this is something that is somewhat widely known and it shouldn't be knocked for that.
PERFORMANCE 10/10
With the amount of RAM included in the device and the newly praised Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, this is where the Nexus One definitely puts it shine on. Applications open swiftly like the device has extra sensory perception, and you couldn't be more satisfied with the overall speed increase compared to any other Android device, or any other Smartphone on the market for that matter. 3D games perform admirably, and there isn't much else to say other than yes, it will knock your socks off.
Web browsing compared to my other Android devices is a joke, and don't believe what some reviewers are saying about the Web-Kit based browser compared to others of similar nature, namely the iPhone 3GS. With my constant side to side comparison with friends that use the iPhone, 90 percent of the time my Nexus One is making them cry tears of pain, not admiration.
The trackball is well, a trackball. It does its job, what little it may have, and one of the only things I would definitely change about the device is the addition of a trackpad instead.
BATTERY LIFE AND HEAT 7/10
I didn't buy the Nexus One expecting it to perform very well in this regard, but it definitely gets the job done for a day's worth of moderate work. AMOLED's and OLED's in general are definitely the display of the next generation of tech devices, but people fail to realize their shortfalls. Namely, most people will tell you that they're power savers compared to their LCD counterparts, which is only partially true. Where AMOLED's really shine in battery conservation is when text is displayed WHITE on BLACK, as in a black background and white text such as the format used in most of Android's operating system menus. The obvious reason that Google designed it this way is because of not only better readability, but the fact that this is where battery improvement comes from compared to LCD laden devices.
In comparison, I'd have to say that the battery only slightly does better than the T-Mobile G1. A typical heavy user should expect to carry a charger around with this bad boy.
Heat while using the phone or even while 3D gaming could be considered as negligible, and only when the device is plugged into an AC outlet does the temperature start to reach uncomfortable proportions. With everyday use of the device, there isn't a time where I felt like this caused an usability flaws.
CAMERA AND GPS 8/10
The camera is definitely a HUGE step up from other Android devices on the market today as well. The 5.0 megapixel camera is definitely not something to write home about, but the shutter speeds, new functionality in Android 2.0, and overall ease of use is definitely something that is noteworthy. Pictures come out crisp as ever with the proper lighting, and the LED flash definitely helps in situations where there isn't enough light to shed. Since the flash definitely isn't Xenon based, you can only expect to get proper use out of it around the 1 - 6 foot range, unless pitch dark. Periphery with the flash as expected definitely leaves something to be desired in darker surroundings, as the flash doesn't flood the scene enough and leaves a somewhat noticeable dark area around the edges of pictures. Any kind of motion in the picture that you're taking still takes some effort, but is at somewhat of a tolerable level now.
The 720p video is definitely impressive as well, much better than I had originally expected. Again, with proper lighting I am getting an average of 24 frames per second, which is definitely something I would present to friends and wouldn't be embarrassed about. High motion is also another issue here even in noon-clear-sky daylight, but its to be expected, remember; phone first, camera second.
GPS locks are definitely much faster than other Android iterations, and I have found plenty of use for Google Navigation inside of Maps as anyone can imagine. The large display and loud but tinny speakerphone get the job done even going 80 mph down a highway. The only thing it needs now to complement it is the car accessory dock, which unfortunately isn't as punctual as its desktop dock counterpart.
SOUND QUALITY AND RECEPTION 9/10
The phone is definitely loud and clear with good to great earphone quality, and fairly underwhelming speakerphone quality. As a long time HTC proponent, I have come to expect much from said company in this regard, but I've had better ones from them. When talking even going down a highway, people tend to not believe me when I tell them that I am. The noise cancelling second microphone performs like a champ, and I don't believe I've had a phone that could even come close to Nexus One in this aspect.
Reception is great, which is also another thing to expect from most HTC phones. I have been one of the people that have been having trouble with keeping a 3G signal in a well covered area with T-Mobile, but problems are to be expected in a new generation of technology device, and I would push for patience in this area. Only downfall here seems to be inside of buildings, where other HTC Android phones seem to get the best of the Nexus One in most situations.
In conclusion, the device definitely is the cutting edge in mobile phone products, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone thats even slightly interested. The main downfalls come from poor software implementation up to this point, and the somewhat shoddy service from T-Mobile, as well as Google's failures as a retail company. We may all consider them to be the geniuses of the internet and advertisement industry currently, but they definitely need some work in the customer service game. Users that don't have a somewhat advanced knowledge of electronic warranties and replacements, as well as technical skills to trouble shoot your own problems with the device may want to steer away for a little while until the kinks are worked out.
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