Nexus One – Signature9

Nexus One Lives… As A Developer Phone

Shawn Ingram — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:00:49 +0000

A few weeks ago, Google killed the Nexus One. Â The phone wasn’t so much killed as the last shipment was completely sold out just a few hours after it was announced it would be the last chance to get the phone. Â The phone never found strong sales success, but it was still disappointing to think that Google’s one official phone was gone.

Now it looks like the Nexus One is back. Â The phone is now replacing the Google Ion (better known as the HTC Dream or myTouch 3G) as the phone for developers to buy. Â If you’re a developer, you can buy the phone unlocked at $529. Â It comes preloaded with Android 2.1, but Google promises that it would be given an update to 2.2 shortly after it’s turned on. {Engadget}

While the developer Nexus One is unlocked, it only has bands that are capable of working on the T-Mobile network. Â It’s also unclear if the phone can be rooted to allow for custom ROMs, but that will surely be figured out by some developers.

HTC also recently announced that the Nexus One would be shipping with S-LCD (Super LCD) screens rather than the short-of-supply AMOLED screens. Â Google is still listing the Nexus One as having the old screen, but perhaps sometime soon the phones will start to ship with the newer screens that have the added advantage of. better visibility in direct sunlight. {Gizmodo}

Android 2.2 Froyo Rolls Out to Nexus Ones, Rolls Over Everyone Else

Shawn Ingram — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:37:32 +0000

Just a week after the launch of iOS 4 for iPhones, Google is letting the final build of Android 2.2 Froyo loose to the masses. Â By the masses, that of course means the update is coming to those who have the Nexus One phone, and that’s about it for now. Â The roll-out will happen over the week via Over The Air updates. {Google}

The new updates brings Flash 10.1 to the Google phone, along with a host of other features. Â There’s a slightly redesigned home screen, where users will always have access to the call function and the web browser no matter what home screen they are looking at. Â The Nexus One will now also feature tethering both via Bluetooth and mobile hotspot where users can connect up to 8 other devices to the phones 3G connection through WiFi. Â Other improvements include automatic updates for apps if you so choose, an “update all button” in the Market, and faster speeds for applications.

Phones other than the Nexus One will get the update, but it will take time for the phone manufacturers and carriers to push out the updates. Â For the Nexus One, Google handles pushing out updates on their own. Â For phones like the myTouch 3G, the update could be relatively simple as it runs on stock Android without any added bells and whistles. Â Phones like the EVO 4G and HTC Incredible, however, will likely take longer as they use a custom skin over Android which will have to be made compatible with the new OS version.

It also calls into question the new phones we’ve been seeing like the Galaxy S smartphones from Samsung like the Captivate, Vibrant and Epic 4G and the new Droid X, which were announced as running on Android 2.1. Â Of course, this was before we knew that Google would start pushing the updates through. Â It would make sense for the companies like Motorola, Samsung and HTC to attempt to put Froyo on their phones before they’re launched, but there’s no guarantee that the updates will be ready in time. Â Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of Over The Air updates of Froyo rolling out over the next few months. Â Meanwhile, Google is likely hard at work on the version, Gingerbread.

It’s A Droid, It’s A Phone, It’s Superphone!

Vanessa Quirk — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:56:08 +0000

Steve Jobs may very well be quivering in his boots – or, more likely, in his turtle neck – right about now.

Google announced to the world today what happens when they and HTC (a company that makes all those Android running smartphones) come together.

Answer? They make one sweet phone.

The Nexus One, Google's foray into the world of smartphones.

The Nexus One,Â publicly released today, is Google’s answer to the iPhone.Â This sleek piece of machinery doesn’t just look as sexy as the iPhone; it’s faster, lighter, and isn’t tethered to AT&T. You can buy the phone through T-Mobile for a discounted price ($180 with a 2 year contract) or unlocked at $530 – making the Nexus OneÂ slightly cheaper than most of its smartphone competitors.

Add into the mix the fact that it’s got a whole bunch of Google goodies (Google Mail, Maps) one touch away, cutting-edge software (Google Voice, Live Wallpaper), and some killer hardware (a 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touch screen and aÂ 5 MegaPixel Camera) and you’ve got yourself a serious contender in the smartphone race.

This is the “it” phone of the moment (the one all those tech geeks and plugged-inÂ multitaskersÂ are practically slobbering over), but will the Nexus One appeal to the iPhone/App loving masses? Could it topple the house that Jobs built? Only time will tell.