Can the Nexus One do it all?

C

Cool1Net6

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 21, 2008
Messages
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Good Afternoon, [H]...

A friend of mine got a Nexus One and I really like the device, so much so that I want one myself, but I need to know if it is the right fit. Currently I have an LG Vu on AT&T, and while its an alright phone, it sucks at everything else. I tried making it into my daily planner, but was sorely disappointed.

My music player was a Zune 4GB and I liked it until I lost it a few months back. My laptop broke a few weeks ago, so I can't really 'compute' when I'm on the move anymore. The most portable camera I have is a Kodak C330 4MP clunker, and I don't even have a GPS.

Can the Nexus One be my all-in-one device that makes my life portable? I haven't had a real smart phone before; can these devices replace my phone, zune, planner, camera, gps, and maybe give me 15-minutes of gaming fun as well? Is having just 1 device even a good idea?

Thanks.

-Cool-
 
Cool1Net6 said:
My music player was a Zune 4GB
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The Nexus One can play music.
Cool1Net6 said:
My laptop broke a few weeks ago, so I can't really 'compute' when I'm on the move anymore.
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I'm not sure what kind of "compute" you do. There are apps for editing Office documents, checking email, and other tasks, but you have to take the form factor and power into consideration. It's a smartphone with no dedicated keyboard, so the "edit area" of a document is pretty tiny. As far as gaming, it's not exactly packing a GTX280. The graphics capabilities of smartphones these days are surprising, but they won't be doing Crysis anytime soon.
Cool1Net6 said:
The most portable camera I have is a Kodak C330 4MP clunker, and I don't even have a GPS.
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There's no optical zoom on the Nexus One (or most smartphones), and you have to remember that your "clunker" is wall-to-wall designed to be a camera. On smartphones the camera function is a chip. Set your quality and performance expectations accordingly. One of the more common complaints about the N1 camera (and other smartphones) is the camera speed.

http://www.engadget.com/photos/nexus-one-camera-shots/
 
To put it simply, yes the Nexus One can "Do It All"...or at least as much as any other phone at the moment. Some phones do some things better the Nexus One does other things better....it will always be a give an take.

There's no optical zoom on the Nexus One (or most smartphones), and you have to remember that your "clunker" is wall-to-wall designed to be a camera. On smartphones the camera function is a chip. Set your quality and performance expectations accordingly. One of the more common complaints about the N1 camera (and other smartphones) is the camera speed.

http://www.engadget.com/photos/nexus-one-camera-shots/
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You could always root your phone and get a better Camera app :)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=652796

hehe. Its awesome!
 
I've been sampling Android phones as I need to grab one to use as a physical test device for development purposes.

Right now it is looking like the Sprint 4G HTC Evo will be it; the Nexus One certainly wasn't. I won't go into all the details, since you probably won't care about most of them, and SuperSubZero already has you covered on the main points.

For me the killer was the screen. For all it's shiny 480x800 AMOLEDness, it's just not, in my opinion, a good screen.

The PenTile (Rg|Bg) matrix used (instead of a conventional RGB) results in hard edges seeming fuzzy and text that isn't nearly as sharp as it should be on a display of that resolution and size. I don't care about theory behind the PenTile configuration, I do care that it makes edges look soft and text (especially black on white) has a fuzzy quality that is simply unnacceptable to me.

So if you're going to be doing a lot of text work on the device I SERIOUSLY suggest you check one out in person somehow. I've not had to deal with fuzzy text on a device display since the days of cheap TN panels on early color Windows CE devices - I'm not going to start now.

I seriously hope this is not the future for OLED displays.
 
Isn't the upcoming Sprint 4G phone also an HTC + AMOLED + same resolution as the N1, so likely the same panel and everything?
 
xsoulbrothax said:
Isn't the upcoming Sprint 4G phone also an HTC + AMOLED + same resolution as the N1, so likely the same panel and everything?
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The HTC Evo (Sprint Phone) has the same size panel/resolution as the HTC HD2. The HTC Incredible for Verizon is the phone rumored to have the same AMOLED panel as the N1.
 
It's a distinct possibility.

I'm just hopeful there is enough pushback on the PenTile configuration that it goes away quickly. Though given the isses with actually producing AMOLED panels, and how much this simplifies them, and the benefits to the blue diode longevity this approach brings, I'm not going to hold my breath on it.

It is increasingly difficult to take OLED displays seriously. Sure, superficially, they look vivd and bright. But none of the much-vaunted advantages have come to fruition yet. They're still very low yield, stupidly expensive, have very limited lifespans compared to every competing technology, visibility in direct light is awful unless they are cranked up so hot that lifespan drops precipitously and they don't even deliver on their low-power claims unless you run a primarily black screen.
 
It can do everything you've asked for. A few quick points:
  • I wouldn't use it for seriously working on powerpoints or something similar. It's not a knock against the N1, but I wouldn't use any phone for that.
  • It's fantastic for browsing.
  • It'll play whatever music/podcasts/videos you have.
  • There are plenty of addictive games
  • The camera is actually pretty damn good compared to most others (better than any other smartphone I've seen, including the other android phones and the iphone). It's the first camera that actually satisfies me in terms of quality.
  • The turn by turn GPS is *awesome*
  • Planning/contacts/etc. all sync with your gmail account and vice versa. If something happens to the phone, your contacts, planning, etc. are all still in existence, and getting them all back requires simply logging in with your replacement phone -- they all auto-download, no syncing with a computer or anything.
  • If you so choose, android allows you to root and take advantage of free wired/less tethering, tons of new customization options and features, etc. etc.
  • Android is continually being updated with new features.
 
I have 1.3 megapixel Fuji digital Camera from 1998 ... it STILL absolutely demolishes the majority of SmartPhone cameras today. iPhone, Droid, Pre ... all pitiful wankstains in comparison.

Excepting a very select minority of Sony and Samsung CAMERA phones (as opposed to SmartPhones w/ cameras), even the latest cameras in phones are damn near worthless.
 
Torq said:
I have 1.3 megapixel Fuji digital Camera from 1998 ... it STILL absolutely demolishes the majority of SmartPhone cameras today. iPhone, Droid, Pre ... all pitiful wankstains in comparison.

Excepting a very select minority of Sony and Samsung CAMERA phones (as opposed to SmartPhones w/ cameras), even the latest cameras in phones are damn near worthless.
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You can say the same thing for the smartphone's ability to browse the web, its ability to capture video, its ability to edit documents, etc. compared to their respective full-fat versions. The N1 is a shitload better quality than the other phones you mentioned, but I think it will be a while before the smartphone camera quality really reaches that of a proper camera.

For a smartphone to be cost-effective, it's difficult to match a dedicated $100+ device in outright quality, but that's assumed. You're getting one extremely small device that does a ton of different things pretty well.
 
The Nexus One is heavily hyped and totally fails to deliver.

If we're comparing to "full fat" versions, then ALL phones fail miserably. Period.

The Droid is a better DEVICE, all round, than the Nexus One. If it wasn't, I'd have kept the Nexus One.

I am NOT cost-constrained, NOR am I brand-biased.

The Nexus One doesn't beat out the Droid or the Pre or the iPhone in ACTUAL use for me. All hype, no trousers. We'll see when the 4G Sprint ships.
 
And comparing a current device to a LOWER RESOLUTION device that is 12 YEARS more modern to yields a win to the 12 year old technology says, in simple terms, "current all-in-one technology is SERIOUSLY lacking".
 
Torq said:
If we're comparing to "full fat" versions, then ALL phones fail miserably. Period.
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That was my entire point...you were complaining that smartphones don't match your digital camera. I'm pointing out that if you don't accept that there will be compromise in a device like a smartphone, you are destined to be disappointed.

Torq said:
The Droid is a better DEVICE, all round, than the Nexus One. If it wasn't, I'd have kept the Nexus One.
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It's pretty obvious you don't like the AMOLED screen. Other than that, the Droid's only advantage is the keyboard (which in all honesty, is pretty fucking poor, compared even to the G1). Other than that, the camera on the N1 is far better, it's running a much faster processor, it's much thinner/lighter, it has more RAM... To be honest, in the end, it's up to you what you prefer, which is why every single one of these threads ends up "try it and see if you like it."
 
If a 12-year more modern, significantly higher resolution, "camera" can't beat it's comparison then that is just buckets full of fail. That's not an N1-specific issues, NO current SmartPhone (other than the CAMERA-phones) does it ... it's just sad.

"My" current digital camera is a $5,000 device ... I was simply comparing to 12 year+ old technology that the N1 still does not even APPROACH.

The N1's AMOLED screen is very bright, very vibrant and fundamentally compromised compared to a cheaper device that offers comprabale battery life. I didn't even HINT at a comparison to a G1 vs. N1 .. nor did I criticize the N1 in ANY area other than it's display.

If "Far Better" stil equals "shit", then it is NOT useful.
 
N1 = Pile-On Jizz-Fest among Android Fanbois.

Among Android devices, the Droid spanks it in every interesting usability metric except "glitz".

As a developer, that stuff is entirely transparent.

The N1 camera sucks at LEAST as much as all the others, and there are better screens on every platform except iPhone.

But hey, if a $500 phone is your ePeen, good luck to you.

That's not even one tire on my weekend drive.

EDIT: Hell, it's not even one tire on my DAILY drive.
 
Torq said:
I have 1.3 megapixel Fuji digital Camera from 1998 ... it STILL absolutely demolishes the majority of SmartPhone cameras today. iPhone, Droid, Pre ... all pitiful wankstains in comparison.

Excepting a very select minority of Sony and Samsung CAMERA phones (as opposed to SmartPhones w/ cameras), even the latest cameras in phones are damn near worthless.
Click to expand...

Torq you seem to know something or the other...so well there is that. But this comment is either you just trying to make a point of bad phone cameras or you not knowing what a good picture looks like.
Any current smartphone takes better pictures than your 1.3MP Fuji, and that's simply a fact. Even without thinking of phone cameras, digital cameras ALL took horrible pictures back then (no matter what MP).....the technology was still crap. Maybe you like really low res grainy pictures with no detail though :)

EDIT: Your last post makes me wish I didn't waste my time writing my first response....you obviously have spiraled into some "Im gonna RANT for no reason" mode....I guess thats my fault

And to many of the other comments, I think the OP asked a pretty simple question. Lets not turn this into a "MY PHONE IS BETTER THAN YOURS" flame fest.

- Sorry OP for your thread getting turned into some retarded argument for these guys....hope you found some useful information.
 
CopyCat said:
EDIT: Your last post makes me wish I didn't waste my time writing my first response....you obviously have spiraled into some "Im gonna RANT for no reason" mode....I guess thats my fault
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Well mine too -- I fed the troll.
 
No, sorry, you simply don't know what you're talking about.

Outside the VERY capable CAMERA phones that both Sony and Samsung have produced, the N1 and other current-generation in-phone cameras aren't even in CONTENTION wiht consumer-oriented 1.3 MP cameras from 12 years ago.

Know how I know?

1. I'm a hobbyist photographer making more from my hobby than 95+ % of the US is making form their primary combined careers.

2. I OWN THESE DEVICES.

I don't need much less care to be subjective

Partly it's the optics, partly it's the way the sensors are built, and partly it's the raw limitations of quantum noise, but regardless of the details, most current SmartPhone cameras suck on all THREE fronts, and the N1 is definitely in the "it sucks" band.

Care/have the ability to post CONTROLLED comparisons?

Care to get into a discussion about the the raw electronic or physical or even theoretical limts in play here?

If so, I say "bring it".

Don't give a fuck about "opinion" ... just in what you can PROVE.
 
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For the record, my "daily" phone is an iPhone (I carry a useful camera for my photographic needs).

Its display is *far* from state of the art.

Its camera resolutely SUCKS.

My AT&T tilt from years ago has the same camera module and it sucks too (though mostly due to HTC/MinWo being overzealous with their compression).

See me defending the iPhone here?

NOPE! There goes your "my phone is better than your phone" argument.

(Edit: Correcting my contractions)
 
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The whole camera comparison is pointless unless your talking about camera with a phone added to it...

Most smart phones camera sensors are so tiny that they are not capable of taking really quality pictures. Even in 12 year old cameras the sensors were much larger so they produced better pictures. Megapixels just increases the size of the image. My HD2's camera does a great job considering how small the sensor is and such, the digital zoom is crappy but it gets the job done when I need a picture and have nothing else. If I want a real picture I'll use my DSLR.

I thought for a good while about the N1, but it had a lot of short comings with storage, the screen problems and some other things that made me hold back. I am not sorry I did not get one. Its a good device but the Evo will be the better device I think.

It was not for me, but you might really like it. If you are really unsure get some good hands on time with all of the aspects you would use and see for yourself if it can cut the mustard.
 
Yes the Nexus One can do it all. It can do all the things you pointed out. Its your all in one device.
 
Torq said:
Outside the VERY capable CAMERA phones that both Sony and Samsung have produced, the N1 and other current-generation in-phone cameras aren't even in CONTENTION wiht consumer-oriented 1.3 MP cameras from 12 years ago.
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This is basically.. well not physics, but something close to it. The size involved in a cellphone's camera (probably a 0.000001" CCD!) means there's no way in hell it's going to compete with *any* dedicated camera, even the first digicams. For many people it crosses the threshold of 'good enough,' however.
 
If you want a device to replace a laptop/netbook on the go, consider waiting for the Dell Streak. That 5" screen is going to mean alot in that case imho.
 
Many responses...

I am understanding that a phone will have a tough time replacing the full-blown stand-alone devices that they claim they can emulate. A camera is better than a cameraphone, etc., but here is where I am coming from:

I currently have the LG Vu. It can play music, it can shoot video, it can take pictures, it can browse the web, it can run many games and applications, it has a calendar and task list, but it does all of these things horribly. I tried using all of these features and was beyond disappointed. It is no good at anything beyond handling voice calls.

I am asking about the N1 because I don't want to spend half a grand on a phone and end up with another half-assed implementation of a stand-alone device like my Vu. If its a pain to use the calendar/planner features, then I still need a planner. If the music player is nothing more than a list of files, its of no use to me, etc. I would be buying the N1 to converge many gadgets into one device, but if the one device is a pain, then why spend so much money?

Speaking of the Nexus One music player, I keep reading that the built-in one leaves a lot to be desired. Is this really the case, and if so, is there an app out that handles music better (album art, genres, sorting, easy to move files on & off device, etc).

-Cool-
 
Cool1Net6 said:
*snip*
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To be honest, I think you need to borrow your friend's N1 for an hour or so just to play with it. You'll be able to test out all the features you're asking about and arrive at a much better answer (your own) than what all of us could tell you.

About the music application, the stock one definitely is a throwback. It handles album art etc just fine, and you add songs to the device by drag/drop, but it just lacks a lot of the features we have come to know and love about other full-featured music players. Personally I only use Pandora for listening to music on my phone, for long trips I have my Zune with me. There are a TON of music app replacements available though (as you can probably imagine), and one popular one I hear is TuneWiki.
 
Cool1Net6 said:
I am asking about the N1 because I don't want to spend half a grand on a phone and end up with another half-assed implementation of a stand-alone device like my Vu.
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Then don't buy the N1. The screen bands on 24bit images because it's only half resolution in red and blue, which also leads to the fuzziness reported earlier in the thread. It also cannot keep track of where your fingers are on the screen, reversing the positions if your fingers get too closer together or cross on the x axis. It also has a very inaccurate touch screen sensor that makes it darn near impossible to draw a straight line on it.
 
Just bought a Nexus-One off Craigslist last week, it was rooted with the Sense-UI, and I LOVE this phone, way more than my BlackBerry 9700Bold, and it is warp speed faster than my old iPhone3G, loading web pages is good 5+ seconds faster on the N-One compared to the iPhone.

N-One that is rooted and Sense is the best phone hands down right now today. Now in 4 months when the EVO 4G is out, that will be the best phone available. But then come the holiday season towards the end of the year, the Android 3.0 phones will be out, that are supposed to be even better than the EVO 4G.

So either get the Nexus-One now and root it, and have a great phone. Or or if you want to wait, then this Christmas some really bad ass phones will be out.
 
Cool1Net6 said:
I am asking about the N1 because I don't want to spend half a grand on a phone and end up with another half-assed implementation of a stand-alone device like my Vu.
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You are thinking about smartphones in the wrong way. Smartphones are not about competing with standalone devices. They are about extending some of the functionality of standalone devices to places those devices can't typically be used or aren't convenient. They are for those "I wish I had my..." moments when the standalone device is at home (unless you carry ALL of your standalone devices with you at ALL times) but hey, I have my phone, I can (take a picture/send that email/make that call/read that document/bring up that webpage) right here and now.

Smartphones stress immediacy and "better something than nothing" of a moment over providing some pristine quality experience. And it fits in a pocket or holster.
 
It does everything except work outside (can't see crap in sunlight) and listen to music with a decent set of headphones. Those two reason (and only) were the ones that made me switch to the HD2. The HD2 is freaking incredible once you spend some time tweaking it for good useage.
 
I think depending on your needs you can be happy w/ the Nexus One. I own and use a Canon Powershot A610 so I'm not picky about photo stuff. The DROID which IIRC doesn't snap quite as well as the N1 takes more than acceptable "I did this on my phone" pictures, but it's probably not going to be grabbing any action shots.

For music on the go, I agree w/ the poster above about Pandora. I have a lot of music, but always, always go to Pandora first. If you don't know about it, check into it (streaming music tailored to your preferences). I use it in the car mostly. For listening to music music, I'm a little snobby and prefer a dedicated Sony player and some nice headphones. Unlike most, I don't see the problem w/ Android's stock music player. It shows album art and lets you pick by artist/album, etc. That's really all I ever do anyway...well, or Pandora. :D

For RSS feeds, Newsrob's great. It hooks into Google Reader and allows me to check my favorite sites super quick and in style. Browsing on the N1's very nice and not only because it's snappy, but that the screen's physically WIDE. It's noticeably easier for me to web it up on the N1 vs DROID due to that reason alone. Overall, it's a great experience, but my time w/ the N1 hasn't been so much that I can weigh in on the blurry text issue.

The N1 as a phone and it's build quality's also fantastic. It's very thin, but has a good solid feel. I found it to be incredibly comfortable in the hand both for browsing and phoning.

The ringer/speaker on the device's quite a bit lower than the DROID, so keep that in mind. Definitely find a friend w/ one to test it out.

Using the calendar functions on the DROID always give me a smile. It's done very well. If you like/use Google Calendar, you'll like the phone version. I can put stuff in quickly and easily wo/ hassle. Instead of putting things down on paper first, then xferring over, I simply use my Google Fu. :D

And for gaming? Well, I had all the "gotta have hw keyboard, OMG!" NES/SNES ROMs and despite this, the 1 game I played was some homerun derby thing that used the accelerometer and the tap on screen functionality. Go figure.

And I know I'm probably going to regret this later, but I actually prefer the N1 over the DROID. Here's some reasons you won't find on the local review site...

-All DROID's I've used get uncomfortably warm on my ear during a phone call, N1 does not do this
-DROID's screen's too bright even on dimmest settings, N1 can be read comfortably w/ low ambient lighting
-DROID's keyboard really does suck, I prefer the N1's wider screen for more room to portrait soft qwerty
-DROID weighs too much and is too bulky for comfy operation

Edit: Also, comparing a friend's N1 and my DROID outside in the ARIZONA sun w/ TONS OF GLARE, both screens are hard to read. We put our backs up against the sun and bingo, both were fine. Honestly, who puts their device in the sun to use it? Who does this!? Of course it's going to be hard to read, but the comments and some reviews would have you believe it's unreadable and I'm just 1 dude telling you that it's completely blown out of proportion IMO.
 
It is a nice phone I'll give it that. I believe it is overpriced tho. Sure it does alot but it's nothing spectacular. The evo will be a good one to see
 
I wanna get a Nexus One but I'm w/AT&T and for the time being I have no real incentive to switch, my only other carrier option is Sprint anyway. It'd be somewhat cheaper, but not considerably so (for me at 'least, given my current AT&T family plan, which is no longer even available), and Sprint doesn't have the N1 yet either. So only option is getting it unlocked or hoping (/praying) AT&T carries the HTC Desire.

Orrr renewing w/AT&T, buying a discounted iPhone, selling it, and using that money to self-subsidize the Nexus One... :p I asked in another thread but I'm repeating myself as I'm quite desperate, anyone know how viable this would be? How much money I could get out of a new iPhone?
 
I read in a review of the Nexus One that it does not support hands-free Bluetooth dialing.

What do they mean by this? When I sync it up with my car, will I not be able to use voice commands through my car's system to dial? Or am I completely misinterpreting the above statement?
 
I don't have a headset myself, but from what I understand it means that if you use just a basic bluetooth headset, you can't do the voice dialing via the headset. As in, you can't push the button on your headset and do voice dialing.

Whether or not it will work with your car, I don't know, but I would guess that it will.
 
rayz said:
I read in a review of the Nexus One that it does not support hands-free Bluetooth dialing.

What do they mean by this? When I sync it up with my car, will I not be able to use voice commands through my car's system to dial? Or am I completely misinterpreting the above statement?
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I am pretty sure they mean when you're connected to a bluetooth device that doesn't have it's own dialing functions, it won't pass-through the voice commands over the bluetooth. An in-car system will continue to work.
 
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Just make sure your car's stereo is bluetooth enabled... Also, A2DP (bluetooth audio streaming) is nice to have built in.
 
I think the best way to describe a smartphone is as a jack-of-all-trade, but master-of-none; other than making phone calls.

My feelings about the capabilities of my Moto Driod.

1. Listening To Music - I have used it to listen to music; however it is a pain to do simple song navigation. I need to unlock my phone to fast forward / rewind / skip / repeat / pause songs. I perfer to use my Cowon S9 32GB media player to listen to music because: #1 - It has buttons for simple navigation so I do need to use the touch screen for navigation. #2 - It has 32GB of storage; I encode my music as FLAC files so I don't lose sound quality, however it is about 5MB per minute of music.

2. Watching Movies - While the Droid's screen is bigger than the Cowon S9, I still use the S9 to watch movies. #1) The S9 has a 3.3" AMOLED screen, #2) Android only supports MV4 while my S9 supports most / all other file formats with the exception of MV4. Non of my self encoded movies are in MV4 format.

3. Camera. I'll be honest, I don't take pictures. Therefore, this is a feature I don't care about as long as I can use the LED light as a flashlight. I've taken a couple of pictures for reference.

4. Games - Sure there are plenty of games for Androids, just don't expect the games to be better than a PSP or a DS. They are good enough for me as my expectation aren't very high. If I really wanna play games I would do so on my PC.

5. Surfing the Web - Hey, it's not as convenient as surfing on your own PC, but it's better than nothing.

6. Personal Organizer ("day runner") - Hey, if I can't remember, then it wasn't important to me. I skip this feature.

7. "Office Work" - If you're considering using a smartphone to work on Excel, Word, PowerPoint, then forget it. It's good enough to probably review documents on the go, but not for actual work.
 
If you're coming from an LG Vu, you'll enjoy the Android interface and the things it has to offer for your needs, especially if you have most of your online stuff centralized through Google account. I am a Nexus One owner and it will definitely perform the things you want just fine, especially with the Froyo update. Music player is spartan, but if you need basic music playback with no EQ you're set. Be aware of a few gripes...

- AMOLED has great contrast and looks beautiful in darker rooms, but in daylight it's nearly unusable
- Battery life is at best one day under heavy use
- Multi-touch does goes oddball from time to time

Aside from that, good luck with your purchase.
 
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