The Google Phone

In mid December as holiday gifts and cards were arriving daily in our office, I received a gift from Google. It was a Nexus One. I have been using it since that day as my primary phone. In the box was a note from Google asking me to keep quiet about the phone until Jan 5th. Well today is Jan 5th and so I can tell you what I think. So here goes

This is not going to be a hard core review of the phone. Engadget has one of those up this morning. Thus is about how I use it and why I'll most likely stick with this phone for a while longer.

I'm at the gym on elliptical trainer typing this into the Android browser. I connected to the gym's wifi without hassle, something my security obsessed blackberry fails at regularly. Then I checked in with the awesome android Foursquare app. Then I put on last.fm "my library radio". Then I launched the killer android browser and went to typepad and started writing this.

I could have done all of that on the iPhone except the part about running multiple apps the same time. Which is a big deal by the way.

The Google phone isn't much different than the iPhone. Its basically an Android clone of the iPhone. I have to type on the screen on this phone and I'm struggling mightily to do that fast and well. If this post has errors in it I wont be surprised.

There are a few inferiorities vs the iPhone to note. The on screen keyboard is good but not as good as the iPhone. And the ability to pinch and flick (called multitouch?) is missing.

I miss these gestures the most in the browser. But having a real browser that can remember passwords and such is such a godsend. RIM must be blind to miss that.

I also like the way the Google apps run natively on Android. Gmail/Cal/Contacts work so well on this phone. Of you use the Google app suite, you should really be on Android.

I also love the openness of Android. If I decide I really need a keyboard (I think I do), I'm pretty confident that some handset manufacturer will build the ideal hardware configuration for me soon.

And I love that apps can auto update without having to go through the app store approval process. Android apps can get better quickly, like web apps can.

And I love that I can carry a second battery with me like I do with my blackberry.

All in all the Google phone is a mighty fine phone and I'm staying on it for now. Thanks Google.

UPDATE: After posting this, I realized I didn't mention the phone features. I don't really use a phone for voice very much. I've made a total of a dozen calls on this phone in the two plus weeks I've been using it, mostly to the Gotham Gal. But the phone seems to work great.

UPDATE #2: Something is not right with the disqus comments on this post. I'm looking into it. In the meantime, typepad's comment system is operating instead. Sorry about that.

Comments

[Pallian]

Any push technology like blackberry?

[DragonI]

Would you recommend buying the Nexus? Also how is the battery life?

[Ben Ortega]

Other than running multiple apps and the openness of Android, what about the "endpoint" made you say, (if you said) this is going to be big?

Your review, although hampered by running on a treadmill, seems to be fairly cool about the Nexus. Is it just OK?

[Fred]

yes, i'd recommend buying it as an alternative to the iPhone.

the battery life has been excellent. i've only had one day where I had battery life issues

[Fred]

i don't know to be honest. i get my emails as quickly in gmail on the android phone as i do in blackberry

[Fred]

i think the openness is the big thing. it will play out in the marketplace more than on this specific phone

[Donna]

Hi Fred. I want one so badly for all the reasons you say. But 1 - I need my keyboard, so back to my 9700 and 2 - I need the pinch for my aging eyes to make the screen bigger. I have vague hopes for the table but have to see how big it is (I want it small.) I am sick of my blackberry but I love it so much.

[Donna]

PS Where'd Disqus go?

[Mark Essel]

Disqus vanished (for me) and your endgadget link suffered cut/past smartphone syndrome.

Going to write about smartphones as a commodity this morning.

[Stephen Pickering]

Running Multiple apps is a big deal. Sometimes, for instance, I might want to play a game or tweet while I'm listening to a podcast ( I don't listen to podcasts on Itunes, too much trouble)

Does it do flash? As far as I'm concerned the iPhone isn't a complete internet experience without flash. What if I want to listen to FredWilson.FM? :-) Can't.

[JimLittlefield]

The NexusOne sounds worthy of consideration when I'll be looking at new phones next month.

As someone who's "Gone Google" the integration with Google Apps is enticing. I'm eager to see how Google voice will tie in with the device.

[Fred]

Yes. Posting from the mobile web is still an adventure

[TrendRida]

As we continue the shift to the next computing cycle, mobile internet, some tech companies will make it some won't. It is clear that AAPL and GOOG will be there. I wonder if RIM will cross the chasm? It has a loyal user base that is clamoring for the sleek features of the iPhone and Android based phones, but it is not delivering those features fast enough. An android built BB might buy it some time, but that won't come until all else fails.

[Fred]

Fredwilson.fm loads in my android browser but it requests a newer version of flash
Don't have time for that right now but I will see if I can make it work

[Fred]

I don't use Google voice but I've heard it works great on android

[Ouriel Ohayon]

So Fred, i was kind of right :)

http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2009/12/thoughts-on-blackberry-fail.html#comment-27076573

btw why is Disqus not on your blog?

[RacerRick]

Seems to me that it needs to be game changingly better than the iPhone. I don't feel that from your review.

(Btw these comments are so 2000s!)

[ryan singer]

Sounds like you were excited to this cat out of the bag. Glad you finally did. Your points about removable battery, multitasking and google apps/gmail are taken to heart as I will need to make a decision far off in June. Although this phone it's enticing me to switch carriers I an reluctant to give AT&T any more money for their crap service. I recently lost my iPhone and replaced it with the cheapest option the $29 Samsung SGH-a137, hahaha! a joke!!! ...So your intent to write about smartphones as commodities makes me jump out of my heart and is very real to me! The compromise has been difficult, but the outcome has been surprisingly refreshing in that I have so much more time in my life back. I now archaically write everything in a moleskine and devote the rest of my time to my wife and 2 sons.

[Otávio Sampaio]

Hy, one thing I think you might be able to answer is how long the battery holds. At least a day (making calls and using wi-fi/3g)?

I had a hard time with my Samsung Galaxy until I decide it's time to let him go. But androids 2.1 version is more reliable and battery saver

[Sidharthdassani]

You could download the Dolphin browser which supports multi touch and does so very well. I use a HTC Hero (UK GSM version) and it has multitouch in native browser , album etc but not in Google Apps like Maps. It seems that Google is not shipping multitouch in US phones due to patent issue but allowing it in non US phones

[[email protected]]

Extra battery and simultaneous multiple apps is a big deal.

I'm an iPhone lover as I've expressed on this blog and if the interface is gd enough and these two big items are added, that's a strong possible buy sign.

Life without Disqus is a sad thing.

Thnx

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=676567540]

Wow, I didn't realize how much I'd miss Disqus commenting until it was gone. Perhaps that's an unplanned benefit from this little glitch?

[gsiener]

I don't think the multitasking argument is a strong one against the iphone. It's trivial to jailbreak an iphone at which point you can install one of several patches that allow you to run programs in the background.

That said, the lack of multitouch is a huge negative. Browsing on the iphone is amazingly capable because of these gestures. I didn't realize Android was lacking and I hope the community can figure out a way to add that functionality (or is this a patent issue)?

[Henry_sztul]

I agree the keyboard isnt great... (referring to my experience with the on screen keyboard for the droid).
I just got the new keyboard application Swype and after a few days of getting used to it, the experience is the best on screen typing experience I have had yet!

This is the real plus of an android device vs. the iphone. Alternatives breeding evolution.

Personally, my opinion of the Nexus One is that while its physical form factor might be more appealing to some as it is more iphone-esque compared to the droid. I feel like hardware/software wise it is very close to the droid... although how I wish for an OLED screen.

[carl griffith]

Google is perceived as a cool brand, like Apple.

It's going to do rather well, I suspect. Hardly a risky call that, I agree, lol.

How many boats did Yahoo! miss over the years?

:-/