First impressions: Google's Nexus One
Well, as some may be aware (or not) Google's mobile phone, the Nexus One, was finally made available to Canadians (through official channels) this past Tuesday. Looking for a new phone to replace my scratched-up brick (that wasn't even readable when I got it without the backlight on - and it didn't even turn on that often), and drawn to the idea of trying out a smartphone, I was drawn to the Linux-based Nokia N900 and Nexus One. Until last week, neither were available in Canada, short of paying $900+ from internet-based stores in Vancouver (or less, but shipping from the States and likely to cost a bit in duty).
With Google's phone being made available in two versions, I opted for the original, since it would work on all the incumbent networks (albeit at EDGE speeds), plus the new entrants (AWS band HSPA). Ordering a replacement battery in case there were any issues (but not the dock, which cost a bit much for my taste), the phone shipped Wednesday night from Indiana.
Faster than I thought, it arrived at our house the next morning, but since nobody was home, they left to try again Friday (leaving a note about collecting duty, which I paid via cheque). The phone was waiting for me after work Friday night. Unpacking the corrugated cardboard shipping container and the air pockets used to pad everything revealed two white boxes. The lesser was, of course, the extra battery and rather typical looking at that. The larger white box was sturdy, with the Google name in a black typeface and the logo colours along the bottom edges (one per edge). Included items: one phone on top, warranty and quick start card underneath with protective sleeve, two charge cables and a pair of earbuds at the bottom.
Lacking a data plan while I gave the phone its first tests, I used our household wi-fi to link the N1 to my Google account. A bit of setup later, it was ready for testing (and left to charge overnight).
In portrait mode, the keyboard is tiny, and took some time to get used to, as did the capacitive touch screen in general (fingerpads, not nailtips, make it rather difficult t click links without zooming in to extreme amounts first) though the haptic feedback (phone vibrates when it registers a button press) helped. The default home screen layout only uses the middle of the five desktops, with blinky lights in the background that respond to taps (and make a good eye-candy demo).
Unfortunately, using the keyboard in landscape mode hides all but the active text field, so I repeatedly have to flip back to portrait when done (but am less error prone). Battery life during testing was reasonable, as was the sound quality. The built-in music player made a suitable replacement for my previous MP3 player (esp. when it also does Ogg). I might want a bigger micro SD card down the road.
Camera works, though I've yet to test its quality for any serious photography; I don't expect to beat my dedicated camera. But it makes it easier to make icons for RL friends and family (furs in my contact list could get icons downloaded from LJ and the like). Voice search is a fun toy, but requires network access to use.
On Sunday, I signed up for a plan with data from Wind (significantly cheaper than the competition, though their reception is spotty in a lot of areas, and the mobile internet package gets ports blocked) Took a while to get the data to work, then it stopped. Also discovered how much it drained the battery, and had to download an app that could turn it off and on easily.
That being said, the data problem appears to have been rectified with a call to support (mis-billed), so I'll see if that helps, and look at what services can still run over it. Expect a more detailed report on Wind later.
Overall, I like this phone, and decided to keep it, though I'll be ordering some screen protectors and a case to protect it instead of using the existing sleeve. Fingerprints and smudges prove somewhat distracting in brighter areas, and my hand oils are having an effect on the finish elsewhere.
With Google's phone being made available in two versions, I opted for the original, since it would work on all the incumbent networks (albeit at EDGE speeds), plus the new entrants (AWS band HSPA). Ordering a replacement battery in case there were any issues (but not the dock, which cost a bit much for my taste), the phone shipped Wednesday night from Indiana.
Faster than I thought, it arrived at our house the next morning, but since nobody was home, they left to try again Friday (leaving a note about collecting duty, which I paid via cheque). The phone was waiting for me after work Friday night. Unpacking the corrugated cardboard shipping container and the air pockets used to pad everything revealed two white boxes. The lesser was, of course, the extra battery and rather typical looking at that. The larger white box was sturdy, with the Google name in a black typeface and the logo colours along the bottom edges (one per edge). Included items: one phone on top, warranty and quick start card underneath with protective sleeve, two charge cables and a pair of earbuds at the bottom.
Lacking a data plan while I gave the phone its first tests, I used our household wi-fi to link the N1 to my Google account. A bit of setup later, it was ready for testing (and left to charge overnight).
In portrait mode, the keyboard is tiny, and took some time to get used to, as did the capacitive touch screen in general (fingerpads, not nailtips, make it rather difficult t click links without zooming in to extreme amounts first) though the haptic feedback (phone vibrates when it registers a button press) helped. The default home screen layout only uses the middle of the five desktops, with blinky lights in the background that respond to taps (and make a good eye-candy demo).
Unfortunately, using the keyboard in landscape mode hides all but the active text field, so I repeatedly have to flip back to portrait when done (but am less error prone). Battery life during testing was reasonable, as was the sound quality. The built-in music player made a suitable replacement for my previous MP3 player (esp. when it also does Ogg). I might want a bigger micro SD card down the road.
Camera works, though I've yet to test its quality for any serious photography; I don't expect to beat my dedicated camera. But it makes it easier to make icons for RL friends and family (furs in my contact list could get icons downloaded from LJ and the like). Voice search is a fun toy, but requires network access to use.
On Sunday, I signed up for a plan with data from Wind (significantly cheaper than the competition, though their reception is spotty in a lot of areas, and the mobile internet package gets ports blocked) Took a while to get the data to work, then it stopped. Also discovered how much it drained the battery, and had to download an app that could turn it off and on easily.
That being said, the data problem appears to have been rectified with a call to support (mis-billed), so I'll see if that helps, and look at what services can still run over it. Expect a more detailed report on Wind later.
Overall, I like this phone, and decided to keep it, though I'll be ordering some screen protectors and a case to protect it instead of using the existing sleeve. Fingerprints and smudges prove somewhat distracting in brighter areas, and my hand oils are having an effect on the finish elsewhere.