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It's been almost a week -- how are the Google Nexus One phone early adopters finding it? And how does it measure up to the obvious benchmark: Apple's iPhone 3GS? In IT Blogwatch, bloggers compare and contrast.
Your humble blogwatcher selected these bloggy morsels for your enjoyment. Not to mention asdfmovie2...
Jon 'Hannibal' Stokes warms up the elephants:
The Nexus One is easily the most talked-about gadget from a vendor who has no presence at CES. ... Does the reality live up to the hype, especially after a few days of heavy use? The preliminary answer from this former iPhone and (probably former) Pre user is a qualified "sorta."
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The 3.7 inch, 800 x 480 AMOLED screen is probably the device's biggest selling point. ... The battery lasts all day. ... [But] The Android 2.1 software is at once my favorite and least favorite part of the Nexus One experience. ... Aside from general UI polish, my current Pre still has two non-trivial advantages over Android and the iPhone: Synergy and the multitasking paradigm.
Jason Kincaid warns would-be reviewers to beware of first impressions:
Nexus One ... is drawing numerous comparisons to the iPhone. ... Thats as it should be. ... [But] it takes days, if not weeks, to unlearn your iPhone habits and judge Android on its own merits. Imagine if you took a longtime Windows user and sat them in front of a Mac for a couple days. Theyd probably complain about superficial things. ... Its not until a week or two ... that you overcome these issues and begin to fully grasp some of the benefits.
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I know, because I had the same experience when I made the leap from the iPhone to Android a few months ago. ... Android made me feel stupid. ... [But] a week or so later, it clicked. ... Many of these iPhone users who are testing out Android for the first time tend to get hung up on things that feel unfamiliar, or are griping about issues that will only affect them once in a blue moon. ... Until youve taken the plunge to see what lies beneath its less-polished exterior, you havent really seen what it has to offer.
Danny Sullivan begs to differ:
Jason Kincaid ... would have you think its just because you didnt try it long enough. Its not the phone, you see. Its you. And thats bull. ... After literally an hour or less of playing with my wifes iPhone, I knew my Windows Mobile days were over. ... Everything was easy, intuitive, time saving. And I soon learned that I didnt need an physical keyboard.
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I didnt need a week for the iPhone to click with me. It clicked almost immediately. ... Androids not as intuitive. Im sorry. I wish it were, if only because I tend to dislike Apple so much because of its closed, controlling nature that Id like a different phone to use. ... Android remains like some type of weird evolution of Windows Mobile, where you have to constantly go to menu options to get stuff done.
Trust Gordon Kelly for a useful review:
In a word: excellent. The Nexus One is the Android smartphone we've all been waiting for: slim (11mm), relatively light (130g) featuring a beautiful 3.7in 800 x 480 OLED display with capacitive touchscreen technology and no tampering with the Android UI itself. In fact, you get the distinct impression this is the handset Google has been wanting (but failing to see) manufacturers build since day one. ... [It] feels snug and its matt finish and rounded edges make it far more comfortable and less slippery to hold than the Apple iPhone.
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It isn't quite as snappy as the iPhone 3GS - something which doesn't make sense given the horsepower on tap. ... The redesigned menus and improved UI are a joy to use while the improved voice recognition is top notch. ... That said, do I still want a Nexus One? Very much so. Would I swap it for my iPhone 3GS? ... Enlarge the native memory and improve the response/accuracy of the touchscreen and yes, in a heartbeat. Until then, I'm calling it a tie.
Meanwhile, Duncan Riley points and laughs:
Google is undergoing a baptism by fire since launching the Nexus One, with crappy customer support, faulty phones, and very unhappy customers. ... 24 hours after the news of the problems broke online, things arent getting better for Google. The faults keep getting longer. ... [They] currently include spotty or no 3G in areas with ample 3G coverage, faulty screens (visually), touch screen issues, overheating, faulty microphones, bluetooth connection issues, OS issues, software issues, ... issues with the ordering site for the phone, multiple complaints of being unable to obtain customer service, and a report that developers still dont have an SDK for the version of Android shipped with the phone.
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Not even Microsoft could deliver such a massive balls up in 2010 as Google has with the Nexus One. ... Could there be a Nexus One recall coming? Sure, no phone ever ships without the occasional fault in the odd unit, but this would appear to be far more than the odd broken phone.
Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, he is also an analyst at Ferris Research. You can follow him as @richi on Twitter, or richij on FriendFeed, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itblogwatch@richij.com.
