Google Nexus S review

The Nexus S, the latest Google-branded Android smartphone, is finally here. But is it any good? Read our review to find out.

IT Pro Verdict

Although it's not perfect, the Nexus S is the best Android smartphone yet, if only because it's currently the only one with Android 2.3. If you're buying SIM-free, then the Nexus S is the Android phone to get – it costs just £30 more than a SIM-free Galaxy S, our previous favourite. However, when purchased on a 24 month Vodafone contract, the Nexus S costs a total of £123 more than the Galaxy S – whether this is worth it to you depends on how much you want the camera flash and immediate Android updates.

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Despite the massive success of Android, Google has largely been content to let other companies, such as Motorola, make, market and distribute Android smartphones. The exception is Google's line of Nexus phones which are sold under its own brand but manufactured by other companies. Unlike other Android phones, which often face delays before receiving the latest Android updates, the Nexus phones get them as soon as Google releases them. The Nexus S is the latest model and is the first Android phone to come with 2.3 Gingerbread, the latest version of the Android operating system, and, at the time of writing, available exclusively from Carphone Warehouse.

Unlike any other smartphone we've seen, the Nexus S has a slightly curved screen which, Google claims, makes it more comfortable when held against your face for long periods. It's a very slight curve though and didn't feel any more or less comfortable than any other smartphone in our experience. Calls made on T-Mobile's network in our central London offices did sound crystal clear though.

The Nexus S is the first smartphone we know of to have an integrated Near Field Communications (NFC) chip. Similar to the technology used in London Transport's Oyster cards, NFC is a short-range wireless communications technology. Google gave us an example of placing the Nexus S near a NFC-enabled poster which automatically opened a URL in the phone's web browser. However, there are few NFC-enabled objects in the real world.

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