Engadget's Review of the Nexus One (and DROID Owner's Comment)

[sooper_droid12]

So here is Engadget's Review of the N1:

Exclusive: Google Nexus One hands-on, video, and first impressions -- Engadget

The review is complete with photos and videos. If you read through the article, I think that what has resonated with other commentators is that the N1 doesn't resemble the game-changer that Google (or, should I say N1 fanboys) has hyped it up to be. From the article:

"The thing that's struck us most (so far) about the Nexus One thus far is the fact that it's really not very different than the DROID in any substantial way."

The thing Engadget mentions most is the "feel" of the phone, being slightly thinner than the iPhone. Where the DROID was a tenths of an inch thicker, the N1 is the same tenths thinner. I think the EPIC FAIL for the review was the video, whereby selecting one of the "live" wallpapers, the N1 FORCE CLOSES repeatedly.

Reading through the article and seeing the video, other than some slick animations and some new widgets, quoting another article, "What was Google thinking of doing with this phone?" If it doesn't represent that quintessential iPhone killer status, delivers it on a TMo network (can't even work with at&t's 3G), and doesn't produce those "game-changing" Google things, how does this proffer anything more for those wanting on the sidelines?

I guess I'm waiting for Google to announce at CES GoogleVoice mated with the Gizmo5 acquisition to provide VoIP from the gPhone. I want to hear a game changer. But until then, it doesn't appear to sound like the N1 offers anything more than a DROID has been offering with a ported 2.1. In fact, I think the bad thing for DROID owners will be the delay of 2.1 for the DROID. Why?

Because the DROID with 2.1 will offer what the N1 failed to deliver: 2.1 on a phone with widespread 3G coverage and the fail safe voice network of VZW. The "speed" difference that Engadget has noted doesn't sound like much more than the 2.1 enhancements that DROID porters have already noted.

What say you?

 

[bmar29]

thats not the review. josh will do an extensive review an literally review every aspect of the phone later. this is simply a first look

 

[superdesi]

yea also wanted to point out that its not a review only a first impression of the device. cant jump to conclusions yet!

 

[sooper_droid12]

Okay, sure. First impressions. However, I don't hear them gushing over the N1's initial impressions as they were in the first impressions of the DROID. Not to say that that means the N1 is a slouch. Only that, the N1 isn't all that it's cracked up to be (based on hype). I mean looking at the photos, that OLED screen looks intense! I guess I'm waiting for more. But based on the FIRST IMPRESSIONS, what do you think? Can't be good that the phone FC trying to open up native wallpaper, can it?

 

[CRPercodani]

I agree, I was really surprised by all the FC's he got when messing with the live walls. Don't expect a huge "OMG THIS PHONE IS AWESOME" from Topolsky, he is a loyal iPhone user. Not saying he is extremely biased, but he is so use to the iPhone that anything else doesn't really strike him as the GOAT. Now about the N1, I personally wouldn't trade my DROID for one even if it was on Verizon. I NEED a physical keyboard, even if it isn't a great one. The OLED screen is pretty, but in direct sunlight they don't do as good as LCD's (IMO). The extra (double) RAM is something to be jealous over, but the Snapdragon hasn't proved itself yet like the OMAP34xx's and even though it probably is faster overall it isn't enough to give up the physical keyboard. Maybe if it had a 4.3" screen or a physical keyboard I would consider it, but I am happy with my DROID, and am sick of HTC's design after sticking with them for many years.

 

[alostpacket]

I really wish one of these tech blogs would root the Droid and toss 2.1 on there for a fair comparison.

 

[Matthew]

I watched the video and was pretty bummed that the droid isn't as smooth. But I think that 2.1 has a lot to do with that. I hope.

 

[Roroco]

I really wish one of these tech blogs would root the Droid and toss 2.1 on there for a fair comparison.

You can't expect tech blogs to compare and contrast illegal versions of tech. You can only really compare readily available hardware in that forum.

 

[Fabolous]

I watched the video and was pretty bummed that the droid isn't as smooth. But I think that 2.1 has a lot to do with that. I hope.

2.1 does have a lot to do with it. With all 5 of my home screens full, the scrolling still stays smooth, like in the video on Engadget.

However, the Nexus One does flex its muscle because it stays that smooth WITH live wallpaper on. If I load up galaxy or the water wallpaper on my Droid, it starts chugging.

Still, I think the greatest advantage that the N1 has over Droid is the 512MB of RAM. I think that fact alone would make the experience on the Droid and N1 almost indiscernible (in terms of "smoothness")

 

[alostpacket]

You can't expect tech blogs to compare and contrast illegal versions of tech. You can only really compare readily available hardware in that forum.

Why not? They had sources they have protected for other things. Honestly curious.

I'd also put the legality into more of a grey area too. At worst it's illegal to distribute ROMs with proprietary Google apps on them, such as Gmail and Google maps. But it's not illegal to posess or flash them. Considering both that Android is open source, and 2.1 is coming to the Droid soon, I have a hard time seeing where they would be crossing any ethical lines here. But maybe I'm missing something.

 

[Hegemony]

I like the form factor of the Nexux One frankly. I like having a keyboard, but there's something to be said for a slick phone like the N1. What's really cool is 2.1 though. If we get some info about 2.1 being pushed out to the Droid, I would be pleased greatly.

 

[darreno1]

I really wish one of these tech blogs would root the Droid and toss 2.1 on there for a fair comparison.

Agreed. 2.1 does make a difference. I'm still not sure why people are gushing over the n1 though. The specs aren't that great compared to some of the upcoming phones with 8 mexapixel cameras and 1080p capabilities. I think in the end we'll have a phone that's only slightly faster than the Droid on an inferior network. I'll pass.

 

[sooper_droid12]

I think a lot of the slickness has something to do with 2.1 (as many ported DROID owners have noted), but it also has something to do with 512mb of memory. That is an impressive feature of the phone already. But that's something that I think any phone would benefit from, whether its an iPhone, N1, DROID, shoot, throw the Eris in there or any HTC running Sense UI (as that in and of itself is a memory hog).

Like I said earlier, Google better announce something big on the 5th. OLED is beautiful but like someone said, gets swamped in bright light. Trackball? Love the idea, but I like the optical track-pad better, featured on the upcoming MotoDroid Devour. Track balls just cause unwanted events like contact dialing, etc. when thrown into a pocket. Never mind the reliability issues with track balls as anyone with an HTC or BB come to experience. Would it have been to much to have an awesome phone with some kind of optical track pad?

The info keeps talking about being able to use the carrier of your choice, which implies that Google will eventually release versions of it to be used on at&t, vzw, etc. Great, but for now, TMo? I don't know... To me, the Devour is more intriguing: OS2.1 running MotoBlur, if not for its smaller screen and clunky look. Speaking of clunky look: Really? Metallic-painted plastic? I don't care if it's on a smartphone, car panel trim, other consumer electronics, nothing looks cheaper than metallic-painted plastic. How does HTC come out with a BEAUTIFUL phone like the HD2 and release the N1 in good conscience?

 

[Optimus]

I think the nexus one is cool. I'm going to try to get my mom on one...she is still on tmo. I think google just wants to set a new standard for consumers and app devs with the droid and n1. Tbe real game changer may not be until next years release of android or whenever 3.0 arrives. 2.0 introduces nav...that's the killer app for now.

 

[onion]

This thread seems to be filled with people trying to make themselves feel better about having buyers remorse now that a FAR superior phone like the Nexus One is out just weeks after the Moto droid was released.

1. Nexus One has the FAR superior 1ghz SnapDragon CPU/Chipset compared to the 550mhz CPU in the Moto Droid.

2. Nexus One is FAR more compact and pocketable and shaped similarly to the Droid Eris which is a far superior form factor to the boxy bulky Moto Droid.

Thy moto droid is not a bad phone, its just does not do anything great. The keyboard is below average, camera is average at best, ect.

 

[darreno1]

^^LOL, from the reviews and demos, it's not FAR MORE anything. The screen size is the same. It just has rounded edges and maybe a little thinner/lighter. MHZ isn't everything either as is evident from the actual demos. It's a little quicker and that's about it.

The upcoming phones will eat it for lunch.

 

[onion]

^^LOL, from the reviews and demos, it's not FAR MORE anything. The screen size is the same. It just has rounded edges and maybe a little thinner/lighter. MHZ isn't everything either as is evident from the actual demos. It's a little quicker and that's about it.

The upcoming phones will eat it for lunch.

LOLZZ!!! LOLZZ LOLZZ!!!!!!!!

All the upcoming high-end phones use Qualcomms superior SnapDragon chipset with 1ghz CPU which is the similar architecture of the Moto Droid CPU but runs far faster.

The SnapDragon GPU is THREE times faster than the PowerV chip in the Moto Droid.

The Nexus One hardware is simply superior to the Moto Droid. There is no contest here. This Nexus One blows away the Moto Droid.

 

[onion]

How does HTC come out with a BEAUTIFUL phone like the HD2 and release the N1 in good conscience?

Simple. Nobody wants a phone with a huge 4.3" screen because it does not fit in pockets. Not that hard to figure out....

 

[darreno1]

LOLZZ!!! LOLZZ LOLZZ!!!!!!!!

All the upcoming high-end phones use Qualcomms superior SnapDragon chipset with 1ghz CPU which is the similar architecture of the Moto Droid CPU but runs far faster.

The SnapDragon GPU is THREE times faster than the PowerV chip in the Moto Droid.

The Nexus One hardware is simply superior to the Moto Droid. There is no contest here. This Nexus One blows away the Moto Droid.

Blah, blah, blah, we can talk theory on paper all day long. In actual tests, the thing was barely faster and some of speed was because of Android 2.1.

The upcoming phones not only have bigger screens they have more memory, better cameras and 1080p capabilities. Like I said, the n1 will be left in the dust and everyone with an n1 (and Droid) will be drooling again.

And why would anyone leave Verizon for T-mobile? The only reason I could think is its cheaper but you get what you pay for.

 

[onion]

Blah, blah, blah, we can talk theory on paper all day long. In actual tests, the thing was barely faster and some of speed was because of Android 2.1.

The upcoming phones not only have bigger screens they have more memory, better cameras and 1080p capabilities. Like I said, the n1 will be left in the dust and everyone with an n1 (and Droid) will be drooling again.

And why would anyone leave Verizon for T-mobile? The only reason I could think is its cheaper but you get what you pay for.

LOLZ!!! LOLZ!!!! LOLZ!!!!! Are you serious??? The phone is almost twice as fast as the moto droid and has three times the GPU speed. You didnt see a noticeable difference in the review because the reviewer did not push the phone and only did basic tasks. If you even do alittle multitasking or CPU intensive tasks the Moto Droid will be left in the dust.

Like I said, the 1ghz SnapDragon chipset is the BIG thing today. Moto Droid was releases just 2 months ago and its already one generation BEHIND the times. What made it sell (and fool buyers) was Verizons crazy marketing campaign and the lack of knowledge people had of superior phones with snapdragon coming in the near weeks after moto droid was released.

Moto Droid is NOT new technology, the chips have been around for LONG time now. The BIG thing today and for the past few weeks (and even prior to Moto Droid release) is SnapDragon chipset.

Im sorry you didnt know snapdragon based phones were coming so soon after you bought your Moto Droid. Welcome to the technology market!

 

[darreno1]

^^I can tell you obviously haven't used the Droid. So no need for me to carry on. Enjoy your n1, I'll keep my Droid till something worthy of an upgrade comes around.

 

[Optimus]

Onion you seem intent on dogging the Droid and people on the forums rather than disucssing the actual article. Maybe you just dislike Verizon. All tech is outdated as soon as it is released...so what's your point. the N1 I'm sure will look like peanuts by Q4 of 2010. Andriod is more about the OS not the hardware driving it. Yes differences between 1.5 and 2.0 devices..but the user experience will be negligible between these two because it's already been proven that 2.1 runs great on the Droid or even older phones. It comes down to hardware preference and it's all subjective. Somebody want's a keyboard, somebody may not etc... so yes, it is a valid point when someone says the N1 experience isn't much different from the Droid. I'm sure next year you will be blasting the N1 and their owners, just to get your rocks off.

 

[YankeeDudeL]

This thread seems to be filled with people trying to make themselves feel better about having buyers remorse now that a FAR superior phone like the Nexus One is out just weeks after the Moto droid was released.

Yeah, I could see where it looks like that. The fanaticism over the N1 and the HTC Whateveritsgonnabecalled could also be construed as remorse for not buying the Droid in the first place. For two months, Droid owners have owned the best Android phone and looks like we will for another month or two.

1. Nexus One has the FAR superior 1ghz SnapDragon CPU/Chipset compared to the 550mhz CPU in the Moto Droid.

Well, it sure does sound fast. The Droid is no slouch, though. Far superior is an overstatement.

2. Nexus One is FAR more compact and pocketable and shaped similarly to the Droid Eris which is a far superior form factor to the boxy bulky Moto Droid.

From what I can gather, they're about the same size, but I do pretty much agree that the N1 will be more appealing to most in that respect. But, again, I'm not comfortable w/ using the term "far superior".

Thy moto droid is not a bad phone, its just does not do anything great. The keyboard is below average, camera is average at best, ect.

Thy Droid is a great phone, and it does just about everything great. Keyboard could be better, but it's not really bad at all. Takes a lil getting used to, just like everything. But it has the virtual keyboards, so there's an option for every situation. And the camera is better than the flack it gets.

In summary, I'm looking forward to these upcoming phones, as I'm sure some of the gripes we do have w/ the Droid will be addressed. But from what I can gather, it looks like these will not be upgrades from the Droid, just alternatives. We just get to enjoy it longer.

 

[sooper_droid12]

Like I said, the 1ghz SnapDragon chipset is the BIG thing today.

Onion, you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. The Qualcomm CEO said, himself, that the Snapdragon platform will likely demonstrate a 5% improvement over current similar architecture SoC processors. In fact, the Scorpion chipset in the Snap isn't even the fastest one Qualcomm has to offer (neither is the OMAP chip in the DROID/iPhone, for that matter). One needs to only take a look at the glBenchmark tests to see that the iPhone 3Gs (which has old technology, according to you) walks the HTC HD2 (which uses the same hardware as the N1) in just about every single graphic intensive test, including triangles/sec, frames, texturing...

The Snapdragon platform is stout, no doubt. No one doubts that. But FAR AND BEYOND... no. Sorry. Newest hype? Yes. OMAP3x is old. You're right. But there's a reason why it's been around so long and continues to power new mobile platforms. Clock speed ain't everything, son. But if you knew anything about anything, you'd have figured that out by now. Just because the Scorpion is clocking at 1GHz, doesn't mean that it's better. It's about integration, how well the CPU, GPU, DSP and ISP all work together. That's why the OMAP3x platform has been so potent for so long.

That isn't to say it's the end all be all. In fact, the best GPU out there right now has to be the NVidia GPU for mobile platforms. SGX would be the next best. And the Imageon GPU in the Snap, sadly, is way down on the charts. Great CPU, but not so great GPU.

 

[onion]

Onion, you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. The Qualcomm CEO said, himself, that the Snapdragon platform will likely demonstrate a 5% improvement over current similar architecture SoC processors. In fact, the Scorpion chipset in the Snap isn't even the fastest one Qualcomm has to offer (neither is the OMAP chip in the DROID/iPhone, for that matter). One needs to only take a look at the glBenchmark tests to see that the iPhone 3Gs (which has old technology, according to you) walks the HTC HD2 (which uses the same hardware as the N1) in just about every single graphic intensive test, including triangles/sec, frames, texturing...

The Snapdragon platform is stout, no doubt. No one doubts that. But FAR AND BEYOND... no. Sorry. Newest hype? Yes. OMAP3x is old. You're right. But there's a reason why it's been around so long and continues to power new mobile platforms. Clock speed ain't everything, son. But if you knew anything about anything, you'd have figured that out by now. Just because the Scorpion is clocking at 1GHz, doesn't mean that it's better. It's about integration, how well the CPU, GPU, DSP and ISP all work together. That's why the OMAP3x platform has been so potent for so long.

That isn't to say it's the end all be all. In fact, the best GPU out there right now has to be the NVidia GPU for mobile platforms. SGX would be the next best. And the Imageon GPU in the Snap, sadly, is way down on the charts. Great CPU, but not so great GPU.

SIMPLY TOO FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are so confused its funny IMO. The iphone 3gs is slightly faster in graphics because of the slightly faster GPU it has. The CPU on the other had gets its @ss handed to it by SnapDragon.

The most important aspect to provide performance is the CPU. Nobody gives a crud about playing stupid 3D video games on phones so it does not matter which GPU is 1% faster than the other. The CPU on the other hand is FAR superior on SnapDragon.

SnapDragon is what every informed person has been waiting for. Im sorry to hear you bought the Moto Droid without knowing that all these SUPERIOR snapdragon phones are coming within a few weeks of your purchase. Kind of funny IMO.