Have to say this is a sexy looking phone, I have just bought a Nexus One so cant justify it, yes I can, no I cant and on and on..I may well find a way – perhaps a 2 for 1 with an iPad? Anyway check out the video below and see what you think..has to get you thinking as to whether this guy really did leave it in a bar, seems implausible..maybe its a decoy, maybe it’s a teaser? Now thats what I call seeding..
Apple
After 2 years of iPhone, should you buy a Google Nexus One?
Marco Bertozzi:04.02.2010
I have read a lot about the Nexus One, more than I should have I suspect! Much of it is technical, detailed analysis. One reviewer was commenting on the weight distribution of the phone! That’s all well and good but not what most people are interested in, the question is ‘If I have had an iPhone for years should I buy a Nexus One?’ Just answer that..so thats what I will do.
I really wanted to like the Nexus One, after spending all that money it was vital I actually liked it! My first impressions that absolutely stand out compared to the iPhone:
Just so quick. This is your day to day usage, this is the diving in and out of apps, looking at the web, all of that stuff that you might not think about, but when you see it all speeded up you realise the benefits. Any iPhone user is unlikely to complain about the speed of their phone but that’s because they have nothing to compare it to, once you use the Nexus One you will find the iPhone slow, especially in the opening of the apps, no more waiting.
It does feel very shiny and new! The screen is amazing, you really notice it. Anyone who likes new gadgets will love the feel of it, everything comes alive in your hand. I am personally not keen on the colour, and I don’t think the layout of how the apps and buttons work is as intuitive as the iPhone although you quickly get used to it. The four home buttons at the base of the screen are used a lot to access functions within apps as opposed to being built into the app like on an iPhone, again I prefer the simple iPhone layout. The track ball could be useful in text mode but I think it ruins the look and is really not needed.
The App store and the Apps themselves are lacking on the phone, they feel less finished, a lot less of them and it is an area where the iPhone dominates, lets see how long that lasts. Anyone who has had an iPhone and moves to the Nexus will be frustrated by the fact nothing crosses over, sounds obvious but it feels wasteful having all those apps that I have invested in just sitting on my iPhone, yes you can still use them over WiFi but it would be good if the developers allowed you to transfer to the Nexus One if you bought them on the iPhone, or at least at a discounted rate.
Overall it is a great phone, the keyboard is not as good as the iPhone, more fiddly but again you will get used to that, the touch screen is designed for the phone to be held at an angle which means if you aim straight down you often miss your target, frustrating but again you get used to it. The speech to text functionality is very hit and miss in my opinion, its fine if you talk very clearly and slowly, it will be useful in some circumstances but not everyday usage I would say.
Overall I am pleased with it, most things people moan about are simple functionalities that people are not used to, does not mean they are bad. As with all things, give it some time and it will be second nature. It feels very special and even an avid iPhone user will have to admit it feels like a different league. That said it has some way to go in a couple of areas, annoying you can’t sync your Outlook Calendar, but I reckon they will be continually sending upgrades as time goes by. The biggest thing of all for me..I am glad to be back in the early adopter bracket, everyone has an iPhone now, it bores me.
As a footnote if you have a iPhone bluetooth handset, it will sync with the Nexus One, so at least thats one thing you will not be wasting on your swap to N1.
How does Apple manage to generate this much interest?
OK so most people may not be interested so lets not get carried away. Those however that enjoy technology and innovation you cant help but notice the arrival of the Apple tablet or islate or ipad.
What is amazing is the hype, the expectation of the product. Having sat for many years in meetings where clients want to chase down that elusive extra sale or a bit more word of mouth, they could only dream of what Apple have managed. What other brand is capable of doing this? Why have they been so successful? The only other brand that has come close has been the Google Phone, strangely everyone was out to knock it rather than encourage it, Apple receives mostly encouragement to change the world.
I think at the heart of all this is quality, much time and money is poured into the Apple products and the result is mostly amazing products, great innovation and game changing technology, delivered in a fashion that raises the bar each time. Those products are then supported by simple but effective advertising and an army of people who lovce to build applications for them, in the vase of the iPhone. Every element of an Apple product is thought through, not least the packaging, anyone who has bought a product from Apple has to admit that even getting it out of the box makes the whole experience feel special. It is just not the same with any other computer manufacturer.
Bottom line is people have come to expect game changing technology from Apple. In any other sector manufacturers need to think long and hard about how to stand out from the crowd if they want to achieve the level of loyalty and interest. Many advertisers talk about wanting to get the most out of social media, if they worked harder on their products and delivery the social media would sort itself out..
Click here for the new Google phone photos
Marco Bertozzi 14.12.09
The new Google phone photos are now being leaked in every direction, there is a lot of discussion over what phone it actually is, the majority believe it to be an HTC.
The key things with this phone are:
1. It will be unlocked so open to all
2. It is Google born and bred software
It is meant to be very slick and better than the iPhone although time will tell! Click on photo below to see all the photos.
The Apple iPhone, free with £30 of shopping
Marco Bertozzi 26.11.09
OK it’s not that bad yet but its going that way. I have to admit I am undecided on how I feel about the way the iphone is moving. On the one hand I think that it is a great phone (in most areas) and should be available to all, on the other hand it feels as if the gloss is being rubbed off it.
Part of having an iphone was the wow factor, all those early adopters out there loved showing how the screen bent and zoomed and turned upside down etc, that was amazing at the time. Anyone who had an iphone early will have been centre of attention to the vast majority of people, if only through sheer curiosity to see this famous piece of kit. This video summed it up;
Now everywhere you look there is an iphone hanging off someone’s ear, all the other phone manufacturers have caught up in most of the technology capabilities and overtaken in some, it’s just not as interesting anymore. When the Mini launched everyone loved it but it lost something when Foxtons and now many others adopted it as their car of choice. Seeing an Iphone next to the carrots in Tescos does not feel right, where is the next level of exclusivity and novelty from them?
BMW, like them or loathe them understand this and have always brought out new cars regularly, its annoying if you buy one as it’s ‘an old shape’ very quickly, but they do it for a reason. It means those who want to pay for the latest can do and those who aspire to owning a BMW can get one second hand, BMW keep everyone happy. That said BMW were too successful and the roads are flooded with them, they are the equivalent of the iphone in Tescos.
I still love my iphone, it’s user interface and App store is still second to none but I do hope they bring out something else to wow us before that Apple gloss starts to fade.
I never thought I would say it but I am beginning to get envious of my wife’s Blackberry, now there is a company thats trying hard to bring the wow factor.
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