I sit here with my Nexus One and am convinced of Android's usefulness to my daily smartphone usage. It has been three weeks since receiving this on March 2nd, and I still remain in awe of how much it has come to impress me. Not only do I have ESeries grade capabilities combined with a smooth, iPhone-like OS and refined portability, but there is also an additional enhancement I never expected in my wildest dreams! Google Maps on Nexus One also happens to be blessed with voice Navigation, and I am still floored at how momentous this has been for me on road trips. Having regular Google Maps would have been more than enough after having NO support on the N900, but I essentially gained a GPS module in addition to an Android device!! For years, I resisted the urge to buy a Garmin since I was getting by with Maps and MapQuest. As long as I could see that blinking blue dot on the map, I was good to go and didn't yearn for the voice of some robotic woman ushering me over the river and through the woods. Lo, Google Maps Navigation has arrived as an Android standard on the Nexus One, and I will be damned to ever let go of it!!
I first activated this function during a tour in Richmond, Virginia to find the nearest Target at Short Pump Mall. I forgot about voice-enabled turn-by-turn directions being included, so I nearly dropped my Nexus when it started talking aloud to me! GPS signal lock occurred almost instantly, and I was on my way to the destination with no problem. A nice touch is when it automatically goes into Street View when the destination is reached. I have to admit that Google Navigation alone makes this Nexus One a keeper for me at this point!
I recently purchased a phone holder from a T-Mobile retail store for my car that was originally meant for the myTouch device. Being that the compartment is adjustable, I figured there should be no trouble for my Nexus One. After installing the holder to my windshield, I am amazed at my new in-car setup for the Nexus! While it is in the cradle, it is used as a speakerphone and music player in addition to a GPS navigator! Some may be turned off by the charging cord and cassette adapter coming from both ends, but I don't mind the minor wire clutter. Being able to hear incoming calls and music through my Honda speakers while ensuring ample power is well worth it!
TRENT SMITH
Sent from my Google Nexus One
TRENT SENSE blogger/netcast host
trentsense.com
YouTube.com/absolon3
7 comments:
Glad you're loving it! While like every other platforms, there could be some more additions to software and hardware, Android seems to be the way of the mobile world. That and Apple which I still have a softspot for.
I have only felt this content with a device whenever the software and hardware experience proved to be seamless and simple. The Nokia E71 and admittedly the iPhone fit this criteria, but not to the same extent as Android. I get amazed by how Android has surpassed the iPhone OS by adding multitasking. Out of the box, this Nexus One has been a most pleasurable experience with absolutely no hacking necessary!
Yes, there are some quirks that can be attributed to this model from a hardware and software standpoint, but so far they have been tolerable overall.
One thing that has had me returning
recent devices like the N900, Palm Pre and HTC Hero has been the appalling battery life. Why do manufacturers give into the fashion brigade and make their batteries so puny for the sake of a couple of mm? With every press release I can see the trend continues as they still rage for ever faster processors and super-slim cases. The fact that every one of these devices would be dead in my hand by mid afternoon (the N900 by lunchtime) means as far as I'm concerned they're just toys for frustrated gamers/facebook nerds rather than a dependable comms device, entertainer and PDA.
So, onto my question - how does the Nexus fare in this regard? How does it compare to the Touch Pro2? (I know it can't compare to the E71). Is the Nexus a work horse or play thing? Can it get through a 12-18 hour day or does want to flake out by mid-afternoon?
From what you just posted, I have to agree. Unfortunately, the battery life on the Nexus will not be any better if the N900 didn't last with you until lunchtime.
I, too, have learned that the Nexus is more of a social networking and web/media machine than a suitable word processor.
However, I would be lying if I said I don't prefer the thin dimensions. An extended battery could always be an alternative, but there's always the risk of bulking up the unit with a different battery door.
I could always return to the E71, but I don't think that is likely after being accustomed to such a smooth touch interface.
It seems that recently, the lines between what a smartphone can or can't do is starting to get blurred. Are smart phones really about things like word processing and emailing now? It used to be the case when phones couldn't do much and having a physical qwerty with a notepad app would be enough to call it a smartphone. Almost all phones now are design with multimedia in mind: facebook, apps, storage capacities, large screen, youtube access, camera/video recorder, and the list goes on. Even blackberries, n900 and e71 boats some of these features but because of low hardware, performance in media gets sacrificed or is subpar and emailing, word processing and battery life is automatically enhanced and therefore deemed a"better smartphone".
Now, would the same be said if the nexus one, iphone, pre plus, droid, hd 2 and soon evo 4g all had battery that could easily last an entire day on heavy use? Battery engineers are definitely making more money in this field to r&d higher capacity batteries in smaller packages.
Very brief overview about Google nexus.
Thanks
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