Google's Nexus One Phone Launches

The press conference at the Googleplex is over and Google's Nexus One phone has launched (official Google blog announcement). The NY Times confirms the bare details: manufactured by HTC; $529 unlocked, $179 with 2-year T-Mobile contract; coming to Verizon in the US, and Vodaphone in Europe, in "Spring 2010." The Times notes one desirable feature: "[Google] has also voice-enabled all text boxes in the device, so a user can speak into the device to, for instance, compose an e-mail, rather than type the text of the email." Walt Mossberg points out one limitation: "On the Nexus One, only 190 megabytes of its total 4.5 gigabytes of memory is allowed for storing apps. On the $199 iPhone, nearly all of the 16 gigabytes of memory can be used for apps." No answers yet to the obvious questions: can it tether on T-Mobile? Will it allow VoIP?

Comments

Only $529!

[SandwhichMaster]

Is anyone else sick of this contract subsidizing excuse? Yes, I realize you can't sell a phone like this for $25, but all these phones have an insane price if you buy them out of contract. I have a hard time believing these things cost anywhere near $500 to build. For example, the ipod touch starts at $200, which is obviously sold for a profit. Meanwhile, the iphone (a pretty damn similar device), is $500. Its not like you get a reduced monthly price if you bring your own phone.

This is about advertising for Google.

[mcwop]

Google realizes that mobile will be a huge extension of the desktop/PC dominated internet. A few years out, significant web traffic will be mobile - thus advertising. Google is trying to get Android on as many phones as possible - Google phone or otherwise. Android is meant to disrupt the phone marketplace so that no one company can dominate and prevent/block Google's advertising capabilities. Android was designed more to upset Windows Mobile than Apple's iPhone. Google does not want Bing to get traction in this area.

Google wants a plethora of devices, the Google phone seems to be the first attempt to try and create an unlocked phone marketplace, which will help their cause. This new phone is a small attempt to start doing that. Maybe so the wireless carriers cannot easily block Google's advertising.

More evidence that this is about advertising is Apple's purchase of mobile advertising company Quattro Wireless.

Here's the thread from actual users.

[Medievalist]

See here for lengthy back-and-forth with two guys who've had the phone in their hands since late last month.

If you read the whole thing, they've got benchmarks and such. It's really long though.

Re:UMTS crippled on purpose? will not work on ATT

[samkass]

Oh, and it's worth pointing out (as AT&T insists in their commercials against Verizon) that 2G should be good enough for anybody, and the Nexus One will work on AT&T's 2G network that they think is so awesome.

Not good enough for anybody, just good enough for those used to other provider's "3G" speeds, which aren't much better than AT&T's 2G speeds. If you're already used to AT&T's 3G speeds, this will be a noticeable step down.

Ogg support - sweet

[JSBiff]

I noticed on the tech specs page that Nexus One supports Ogg Vorbis audio. Do other Android phones support Ogg Vorbis playback? I mean, it would seem like that would be a feature of the base Android platform, but IIRC, when the G1 launched, Ogg support wasn't included? I know - it's been over a year since the G1 launched, and a lot has changed in newer versions of Android. Still, have any of the other *currently released* Android phones come with Ogg decoder?

Re:VOIP

[chihowa]

Google just bought Gizmo5, though, which I assume means that they'll be rolling out VoIP access to Google Voice soon. GV (and Grand Central before it was acquired by Google) supports forwarding to Gizmo5 explicitly. Google Voice will likely be VoIP soon.

Re:So what's the difference?

[ScrewMaster]

The point is for you to use Google Voice and have only a voice plan as a backup.

That only worked on T-Mo if you had MyFaves. You would put your assigned Google Voice number and the outgoing number that GV calls when you dial through it into MyFaves. Then your calls would be free. Against your TOS, though, and I believe that T-Mobile has since gotten rid of the MyFaves option. Not sure about that. I still have MyFaves on my contract (it runs out in about 18 months) so until then I'll enjoy free calling. Although, oddly enough, while I only have the 300 minutes/month voice plan, I've never gone over since I started using my G1. Between Google Voice voice mail transcripts and IMAP email, I don't actually make or take that many calls anymore.