IT Pro Verdict

Google's Nexus One is the latest in a long line of smartphones that lay claim to the "best Android phone currently available" title. While there's no question that the Nexus One is an amazing phone, we have a pretty good feeling that it won't be holding on to this title for very long. Android is finally starting to see the attention that Google envisioned - from both manufacturers and consumers - and 2010 is going to be a big year for the young OS. Those looking to purchase "the best Android phone available" in the next few weeks should look no further than the Nexus One. Those who can wait a month or two will likely see the Nexus One trumped in Barcelona next month.

By Gary Krakow

published 15 January 2010

in Reviews

Even though it wasn't officially introduced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Google's Nexus One phone was definitely the top technology topic at last week's convention.

Any and every journalist or industry wag who was carrying a Nexus One in their pocket in Las Vegas became an instant celebrity. Video cameras of all shapes and sizes followed those lucky enough to have a the coveted handset so they could show off the device and describe their feelings.

We decided it was best to live with our "real Google Phone" test sample for a few days before telling you about it. We're glad we did, as we made some interesting discoveries.

Thin, slim and drop-dead beautiful, the HTC-built Nexus One is the most modern Android smartphone to date. It has to be compared to Apple's iPhone 3GS to understand just how important this phone really is.

Overall, both phones are nearly the same size on the outside. The Nexus One is a drop thinner overall, but for the most part, the dimensions are pretty close. The Nexus One's Snapdragon processor is 66 per cent faster than the processor in the iPhone 3GS (1GHz vs. 600MHz). Google's smartphone has a 3.7in AMOLED screen (800 by 400 pixels).

The iPhone 3GS sports a 3.5in display (480 by 320 pixels). Both phones handle Wi-Fi connections and Bluetooth, and both are GSM/EDGE world phones - the iPhone launched on O2 in the UK, and the Nexus One will launch on Vodafone.

The Nexus One has a five megapixel camera. The iPhone 3GS: 3.2 megapixels. The iPhone comes with either 16GB or 32GB of fixed storage while the Nexus One has 512MB of built-in storage plus a 4GB microSD card (expandable to 32GB).

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