nexus one: the real Google phone
Today, a special event is scheduled to take place at Google‘s headquarters in California. If the rumourmill is to be believed, Google may be unveiling its own Android-based phone which goes by the name Nexus One.
Some of the specifications that are available indicate that the hardware is manufactured by HTC and that the operating system is the brand-new version 2.1, also known by its codename Flan.
Version 2.1 of Android seems to speed certain operations up a bit, though it’s likely the 1GHz Snapdragon processor has something to do with that. The device has both 512MB available for its ROM and its RAM and features a 480×800 touchscreen and a 5MP camera in addition to the now standard network connectivity hardware. A MicroSD card slot is provided for additional storage. The device is extremely sleek – see the full specifications here.
The Nexus One is for sale on Google‘s web store – unfortunately, the device is presently not for sale to South African residents.
Looks interesting – if nothing else, it’s another testimony to Apple’s brilliance as Google decides it has to play in that space, too. Android certainly seems to be capturing the imagination of consumers and developers alike and seems to be attempting to combine the flexibility of WM with the ease of use of the iPhone. I’m keen to see what all the fuss is about and the hardware spec of this device makes it a tempting proposition. Wonder if we’ll get it in SA?
Currently, this isn’t available in SA, but I’m certain there’ll be a roll-out to us and other countries soon. It’s a good thing that Apple is getting a bit of competition: the iPhone as the benchmark for every handset currently manufactured is artificial. Each handset should be judged on its own merits, though the edge the iPhone has with its touch interface is probably still that platforms major advantage.
In my opinion, Microsoft has lost the battle with Windows Mobile. Even Symbian is no longer able to muster any useful environment for a mobile handset. Long term, it’s likely that Android handsets may win over Apple purely for being open and not locked down. But the app store Apple has developed is not an easy thing to duplicate – we’ll wait and see. I’m eagerly awaiting the Apple tablet and a next generation iPhone…
And I’ve just seen it reported on Fin24 that there are no plans, immediate or otherwise, to bring the Nexus One to South Africa. Typical. Oh well, I guess it consigns me to living in the murky underworld of grey imports for a little longer…