Discussion on:

If you're avoiding iPhone or AT&T, the Nexus One is your answer

Original post:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=3851

I was attracted to the Nexus One because it had similar features to the iPhone and I didn't want to have to change carriers (I was with T-Mobile).

Currently, the Nexus One can only be purchased online. The phone is not available via all carriers as yet, so the cost of the phone is $589.99. The website is a little misleading - T-Mobile customers are supposedly able to get the phone for $189.99. However, there is a catch: you have to establish a new line of service with a new 2-year contract. I was willing to sign a new service contract, but I did not want to establish a new number, as I have had the same mobile number for 10 years. So, I could have stayed with T-Mobile and kept the same number, but I would have had to pay full price for the phone.

I am now a happy owner of an iPhone 3GS for which I paid $199.99, and I still have the same mobile number. Obviously, T-Mobile lost me to AT&T.

That's good for people to know.

Of course, as I mentioned in the article, I'd recommend the Nexus One on Verizon over T-Mobile.

Nexus One is a GSM phone that does not work on AT&T. Recommendation of Verizon doesn't work either - CDMA at Verizon. I have been searching for a GSM carrier in the US so that I can use a Nexus One and have been completely unsuccessful. Anyone know of one?

That it's coming is certain. Rumor has it with a late March availability. Latest non-rumor news is FCC certification of Nexus One for Verizon's CDMA frequency ranges - that happened in late February

The Nexus One will be available with Verizon and Sprint (I think) in Spring 2010.

The CDMA version of the Nexus One just passed the FCC. Should land on Verizon before the end of the month.

Just to clarify, the GSM version of Nexus One does work on AT&T (technically) but it does not have the 3G bands. I wouldn't want it without the 3G, but I just want to make sure we are sharing the right information with the public.

You are absolutely right. I should have clarified that if users wanted the Nexus One at the discounted cost by going through a "partnered" carrier (for lack of a better term) that Verizon and Sprint would be able to offer the phone at the discounted cost with a 2-year contract agreement.

And I totally agree re: the 3G.

For more info, visit www.google.com/phone.

CORRECTION: Sprint is not the other "partnered" carrier. It is vodaphone in Europe.

What business user will use a CDMA phone which can't be used overseas ?

We are a business customer (~1300 employees ) and use Verizon CDMA phones.

don't travel overseas. That's still the vast majority of U.S. knowledge workers.

When I spoke to the T-Mobile representative at my local store, he indicated that the upgrade policy was a Google stipulation. The carriers have nothing to do with the sale of the phone since it is not available in stores. It can only be purchased online.

Why would google care if you open a new account or continue with an existing account?
They don't. They only one who cares is the phone company who are subsidizing the phone.

With T-Mobil there is only one plan you can renew to, but they will allow you to switch soon after. As far as keeping the same number, that is standard when renewing. Did you actually speak with someone at T-Mobil? Here are the two cases:

1) Renewing: at 22-24 months into your existing contract you can get the phone for $179, start the 500 min plan (keeping your same number is assumed), with a two year contract.
2) New service: sign the two year contract with the 500 min plan, get the phone for $179, and port your number from your old carrier.

I was only at 17 months and I also wanted to move to non-contract plans once it ran out so I ended up buying one outright.

I got a Nexus One on a T-Mobile contract and kept my old number I'd had for 3 years. A new line of service doesn't mean you can't take your old number with you.

In fact you can transfer any number to any company and any device at any time. It's called "Existing Phone Number Portability". Of course their are conditions and proper steps to take:

http://www.fcc.gov/cib/consumerfacts/numbport.html

But spreading lies in order to promote your own agenda is asinine! Sorry!!!

For this?

Though I like most things with the Nexus One, one big drawback is the sound quality. The quality of sound is very when compared to the iPhone or the HD2

... it's not ready for business use. Why? Look a little closer at the network side of it. While it may be a SIM card phone, it doesn't get 3G on AT&T's network. So you are tied to T-Mobile if you really want 3G (and that is a "must have" I think on these phone), and their 3G coverage map is *awful*. In fact, their entire coverage map is awful, it very closely resembles an overlay of the highway system and a population density map. In other words, "good luck using your phone if you don't love in a city". But with AT&T, it's actually WORSE! Why? The Nexus One *can't do 3G on AT&T's network*. PERIOD. Physically incapable. If you want the Nexus One at 3G, you either need to go with T-Mobile and their lousy coverage area, or holdout for Verizon to get it.

Personally, I couldn't stand my ENV3 anymore, I got the brand new Devour yesterday. I think it's chassis is amazing, love the look (very 70's techie, just like the Droid is very "Casio watch-esque"). I really trended towards the Droid for the Android 2.0 OS and because I really didn't see the appeal of MotoBlur (although I really like it now that I have it), but the deciding factor was the keyboard. The Droid's keyboard shares the top row between letters and numbers, and at the same time, it's so close to the screen that I cannot easily get to the items on it; the Devour has more space between the screen and the keyboard, and the top row are numbers anyways. I'm just hoping that MotoBlur releases on Android 2 soon.

J.Ja

...Google currently won't allow sales to Businesses. You have to purchase at the individual user level and import onto your Corporate account. That hurdle needs to be removed before it can even be considered as a business option.

Re your drawback of the navigation buttons not working the answer is to touch them above the icon that is between the icon and the screen itself and then they work great. Give it a try.

Is the Nexus One very similar to the HTC Hero as offered by Sprint? If so, wouldn't the Hero be as good a platform?

I feel the vendors create such a cloud (or smoke and mirrors) that I cannot really figure out what is what.

We have the Sprint Hero phones and they work largely fine and many applications are OK. So far none of them got me excited out of the about 100 apps I tried. Many were sent into history within two minutes. As I have no clue who can see my data I do not even like the idea of banking with the phone.

So here we have a (probably) good phone but a murky infrastructure on weak legs. Why would I want to use the phone for business applications rather than a netbook? Yes, a netbook is pain with the boot time but I have my data somewhat safe.

Nexus One = Android 2.1 with 1GHz processor

Hero = Android 1.6?? with 528MHz processor

Update: Display on Hero is 320 x 480 as opposed to the Nexus One's 800 x 480 (display is also 1/2 inch larger).

Nexus One also has almost twice the RAM

Or is it Google? I have had T-Mobile for at least three name changes and it does everything I want for a good price. Why do I have to dump my current plan for a one small size fits all? As for Google, I have been an early adopter for all their products. My warm fuzzy customer loyalty for both companies is feeling a bit chilled lately.
I wonder, is there a huge warehouse filled to the rafters with Nexus Ones? If they would give me a little incentive, like $100 off, I would take one off their hands.

One of the strengths of the Android platform is the flexibility to replace part of the UI with a different component app. This is certainly true of the on-screen keyboard. Coming from an HTC Hero to the Nexus One, I really missed the Hero's keyboard provided by HTC's Sense UI. I installed Smart Keyboard Pro from the Market and found this a lot better, though still room for improvement.

Since then, though, I have discovered Swype and SlideIT. Unlike the usual tap-entry keyboards, Swype and SlideIT both work by sliding your finger across the keys of the word that you want to type. You only lift your finger at the end of the word. Sounds weird, but it really works very well. I can enter text around three or four times quicker in this way. Swype (currently in beta) is only available for Nexus One and Droid, due to screen size. SlideIT scores over Swype in that it is available for any Android phone and, importantly for euro-market, has several language packs. Swype is the better-looking of the two, though.

IMHO, the Swype and SlideIT approach to on-screen text entry largely does away with any complaints about no physical keyboard.