Nexus One: Thoughts and Persuasion

[adamlovesu]

do you think your device will last untl next year or possibly 2?

 

[oniongirl]

do you think your device will last untl next year or possibly 2?

i feel like it will. the hardware is, in my opinion, up to the job (good processor, lovely screen). with OTAs coming direct from google software support will be excellent, you would hope.

So, yeh, I reckon I will be hanging onto this for at least a year (hopefully more if no new phones tempt me... had my old Samsung for 4 years before I found this one that I liked enough!)

 

[adamlovesu]

well the hardware i know will lol.... i just dont wanrt to get it than 2 mts down the road i get dust.............................

 

[oniongirl]

well the hardware i know will lol.... i just dont wanrt to get it than 2 mts down the road i get dust.............................

IMO a speck of dust is not going to ruin the phone. Coming from someone with a speck of dust that is, as I've mentioned before, invisible in artificial indoor light, and only visible in bright sunlight. And only when really looking for it.

 

[Slug]

kindly explain what is so troll about my posts on this thread?

You don't have practical experience of the device, but insist on arguing your second-hand info with those who actually own the Nexus. Not just here either, but in other threads. Whether you intend to or not, you're coming across simply as a Nexus-basher who is derailing useful threads.

To all:
The OP requested input and advice, not idle speculation. If the thread continues on its current path it will be closed.

 

[grainysand]

I've been squinting up, down and sideways for dust under the screen. In low, bright, and direct light. As I've said elsewhere, either I'm blind or there is no dust, so take that as you will regarding dust issues.

The soft buttons are fine. Very responsive and sensitive. There are touchscreen issues, but it's only due to that palm wrap thing; simply unwrap your hand, hold the phone upright, and it goes away. Battery pull unnecessary. Multi-tasking is flawless. For the first few days, I obsessively killed apps in task killer, but have since stopped doing that. What do you know, no slow-downs, no lag or anything whatsoever, so that whole "Android magically manages its own memory use" must hold true to some degree.

The phone gets warm while charging, but then what phone with this kind of hardware doesn't?

 

[turbosol16]

The N1 is my first Android phone and I really do like it.

-the capacitive buttons - 8/10
I sometimes skim them and the phone vibrates but the button press does not register and go back.

-the trackball - 8/10
I don't use it much but I think it is a little to stiff but use able when you need it.

-the sensitivity and accuracy of the screen - 9/10
My screen is very accurate, sometimes when I click a widget icon in the very corner of the screen it does not register but I think that is the widget not the screen causing that problem. Other then that mine is really good.

-the battery life - 7/10
Battery drains quickly but I get a normal days use out of mine.

-the speed of multitasking / day to day use - 10/10
It can lag sometimes but that clears up fast but I also have a lot of widgets running all the time. Before I added all of them it ran faster. Great to use everyday and nice hardware that feels solid in your hand.

I think the phone is really good, the only time I ever have a problem is when I become impatient and try to apply something like a live wallpaper before it loads. The phone can lock up but a quick battery pull will fix it and really how many times do you change the wallpaper, it is not a frequent activity so it really does not bother me at all. Just be aware there are some issues but I haven't seen any on my phone that I can't live with.

I have no dust under the screen (no cover or case just using the sleeve that came with the phone) and my battery only get hots when I charge the phone.

 

[eipee73]

don't listen to adamlovesu, he appears to be a troll.



I find the capacitive buttons a 6/10. While I nearly always hit them when I want to hit them, it bothers the **** out of me when I hit them accidentally. That happens once in a while as suggested by oniongirl.

I'm happy with everything else. One downside for me is about something you didn't inquire about: I'd like to have a store (similar to the iTunes store) that allows me to download movies and TV series. Movies look stunning on the N1 and I'm too lazy--and have legal concerns--about transcoding stuff myself.

Hitting them once in a while makes you feel they're a 6/10? hmm...I like the look of capacitive buttons, but it's a hell of a lot easier to avoid pressing physical ones accidentally.

I have a feeling that store will be coming down the road at some point in the relatively near future. It seems that right now they're more focused on improving the OS to make it more appealing to the masses as well as making the market more robust. In the end however I think it is completely impossible to avoid something like you're suggesting.

Thanks for the info!

 

[eipee73]

The phone gets warm while charging, but then what phone with this kind of hardware doesn't?

I have to agree it seems like most devices charging do get warm to some degree. I'm not sure how this stacks up to other phones/portable devices or even laptops/netbooks, but I'd imagine it would feel around the same. Anyone that has ever owned a Dell Laptop can probably attest that when it's charging it get's very very hot, but I have never had one fail due to it.

 

[eipee73]

The N1 is my first Android phone and I really do like it.

-the capacitive buttons - 8/10
I sometimes skim them and the phone vibrates but the button press does not register and go back.

-the trackball - 8/10
I don't use it much but I think it is a little to stiff but use able when you need it.

-the sensitivity and accuracy of the screen - 9/10
My screen is very accurate, sometimes when I click a widget icon in the very corner of the screen it does not register but I think that is the widget not the screen causing that problem. Other then that mine is really good.

-the battery life - 7/10
Battery drains quickly but I get a normal days use out of mine.

-the speed of multitasking / day to day use - 10/10
It can lag sometimes but that clears up fast but I also have a lot of widgets running all the time. Before I added all of them it ran faster. Great to use everyday and nice hardware that feels solid in your hand.

I think the phone is really good, the only time I ever have a problem is when I become impatient and try to apply something like a live wallpaper before it loads. The phone can lock up but a quick battery pull will fix it and really how many times do you change the wallpaper, it is not a frequent activity so it really does not bother me at all. Just be aware there are some issues but I haven't seen any on my phone that I can't live with.

I have no dust under the screen (no cover or case just using the sleeve that came with the phone) and my battery only get hots when I charge the phone.

I have heard a lot of people mention doing battery pulls and feeling like that is a major setback, but I guess I'm relatively immune to it seeing as I am going to be switching from a BB. This thing constantly needs battery pulls to run up to speed or it becomes incredibly laggy. It also takes ~10 minutes to boot up, so I think I can handle a few minor issues.

It's also good to know that there are people out there that aren't having the dust issue. Good input on the heat as well.

Thanks!

 

[MartinS]

-the capacitive buttons

Generally work well. Occasionally hit by accident when texting etc. But as the N1 is multi-tasking, you don't lose whatever you have typed.

-the trackball

Works more accurately that my BB Curve. Hardly used except for text editing as the screen is so good for most things.

-the sensitivity and accuracy of the screen

Great.

-the battery life

Average for a large screened smart phone which can handle lots of processes. Not a problem for me to charge overnight. Always lasts the day.

-the speed of multitasking / day to day use

Speed is generally good, if you have a lot of processes running the home screen may lag slightly. No worse than I've seen on other phones and easily fixed with a task killer.

Other gripes people have and my comments:

Battery overheat. Never notice and not had a problem My battery widget has reported temperatures of around 32 deg C. It is currently fairly idle at 21.6 deg C.

Dust in screen. No problems here.

3G issue. My only issue is that I live in a weak signal area and 2 bars of GPRS signal can reduce to 1 or none occasionally when I hold the phone. In stronger areas and 3G areas the phone works brilliantly.

Battery pulls. Done once. Less frustrating than when my old iPhone 3G threw a wobbler and all I could do was hit the power button and the home button (a lot) until it righted itself.

Media player. Not a concern of mine as I still tend to use my iPod Touch. However I have had a quick go with DoubleTwist ad it pulls all your music from your hard drive and allows excellent sync management with the N1. Played a film to try it out and seemed fine. If I was bothered I would probably get another media player app from the market for the phone front end though.

Track ball. I don't care that it isn't working in multicolour at the moment.

Scratches build quality. So far my unprotected N1 doesn't have a scratch on it. Build quality is good. However I would like the back of the phone to be less slippery - I still feel a bit nervous during one handed operation.

 

[eipee73]

-the capacitive buttons

Generally work well. Occasionally hit by accident when texting etc. But as the N1 is multi-tasking, you don't lose whatever you have typed.

-the trackball

Works more accurately that my BB Curve. Hardly used except for text editing as the screen is so good for most things.

-the sensitivity and accuracy of the screen

Great.

-the battery life

Average for a large screened smart phone which can handle lots of processes. Not a problem for me to charge overnight. Always lasts the day.

-the speed of multitasking / day to day use

Speed is generally good, if you have a lot of processes running the home screen may lag slightly. No worse than I've seen on other phones and easily fixed with a task killer.

Other gripes people have and my comments:

Battery overheat. Never notice and not had a problem My battery widget has reported temperatures of around 32 deg C. It is currently fairly idle at 21.6 deg C.

Dust in screen. No problems here.

3G issue. My only issue is that I live in a weak signal area and 2 bars of GPRS signal can reduce to 1 or none occasionally when I hold the phone. In stronger areas and 3G areas the phone works brilliantly.

Battery pulls. Done once. Less frustrating than when my old iPhone 3G threw a wobbler and all I could do was hit the power button and the home button (a lot) until it righted itself.

Media player. Not a concern of mine as I still tend to use my iPod Touch. However I have had a quick go with DoubleTwist ad it pulls all your music from your hard drive and allows excellent sync management with the N1. Played a film to try it out and seemed fine. If I was bothered I would probably get another media player app from the market for the phone front end though.

Track ball. I don't care that it isn't working in multicolour at the moment.

Scratches build quality. So far my unprotected N1 doesn't have a scratch on it. Build quality is good. However I would like the back of the phone to be less slippery - I still feel a bit nervous during one handed operation.

How does the size of the trackball compare to that of a BlackBerry? I like the idea of the trackball simply for precise text editing. I have heard that it was supposed to show multicolor, but I'm not sure I care that much about it either. Is the trackball the only notification for messages and such?

The 2G/3G issue doesn't concern me personally because I am going to wait for Verizon's version thus I should get better coverage. I had T-Mo years ago and the coverage was insufferable.

I also don't think I care much about the media player. I have a bit of music on my phone, but I barely use it for that since I have 2 iPods it seems like a waste as it is probably a significant battery draw on my primary device.

Overall would you say you're happier, much happier, or about the same as you felt when you had a BlackBerry?

Thanks for the info!

 

[grainysand]

Actually, if you're concerned about media player, google up Nemo Player. It's an app ripped from the Acer Liquid--slick-looking, incorporates all media, and renders pictures much better than the stock app, though the gallery doesn't support multi-touch (if you use care about that kind of thing). I don't have trouble gripping the phone myself, but then I sweat very little.

How does the size of the trackball compare to that of a BlackBerry? I like the idea of the trackball simply for precise text editing. I have heard that it was supposed to show multicolor, but I'm not sure I care that much about it either. Is the trackball the only notification for messages and such?

According to someone else on the xda forums: "I just seen the disassembling video for the Nexus One on Youtube and said the trackball was the same as the blackberry's. I have a spare black trackball from the 8900 and want to clarify if they actually are the same. I know down the road the trackball will soon start to yellow or get dirty so I think replacing the trackball and even cleaning out the dust specks under the screen." So yeah.

 

[steverino]

Don't get it. You won't be able to put it down for a week. If you do get it - get the Dock while ur at it.......

 

[eipee73]

Don't get it. You won't be able to put it down for a week. If you do get it - get the Dock while ur at it.......

Ha that's an interesting perspective. I would prefer a device that I don't want to put down because it's so good. What real advantages does the dock bring?

 

[turbosol16]

What real advantages does the dock bring?

It looks good by A/V equipment. It is bluetooth enabled so you can stream music from your phone to the stereo if you are within bluetooth range. But you can probably find a product cheaper that does the same thing. That is where the looking cool charging by your A/V equipment comes in...

 

[eipee73]

It looks good by A/V equipment. It is bluetooth enabled so you can stream music from your phone to the stereo if you are within bluetooth range. But you can probably find a product cheaper that does the same thing. That is where the looking cool charging by your A/V equipment comes in...

I have never really been one to buy excessive amounts of accessories for phones, typically just screen protectors or a case... $45 seems like a high number for not that much functionality...at least in my case...

On a side note, how many people use screen protectors or cases? If you do what are they and would you recommend them?

Thanks again to everyone for contributing!

 

[ChrisFix]

I bought the N1 on launch day and ended up returning it on day 14. It is a beautiful industrial design and my complaints were partly with the phone and partly just with Android (this was my first Android phone - coming from a BlackJack II WinMo 6.1).

My feelings on the phone design:
Capacitive buttons = fail. I don't know why they designed them this way, but the button touch area is actually just above the icons - not a deal breaker, but just either a poor design choice or a software issue they haven't yet fixed. This will lead to occasionally selecting one of the button functions when trying to touch something at the bottom of the screen (for me, I often wound up with the search button activated inadvertently) In fact, if you watch some of the video reviews, you'll see more than one reviewer do this same thing.

However, the real issue for me is that I discovered from using the phone for two weeks that I prefer a physical button you can find by feel instead of having to look and precisely touch. This is a personal preference and not a commentary on the phone. All that beautiful sleekness comes at a functional price IMHO.

A related use issue for me is that to wake the phone, you must press a physical button, which in this case is the power button on the top of the the phone, and because the phone is quite long, this isn't something you can do very easily one-handed.

The only really negative thing I found about the hardware was the speaker - it is a POS and just sounds bad as a speaker phone or trying to listen to a youtube video or the like. It is completely inconsistent with the quality of the rest of the hardware. And I also think the ringtone volume is quite low (at least compared to other non-Android phones I've used).

And my last thought about the design of the phone, is once again a personal preference, but I actually found the phone to be too thin to hold comfortably for any length of time (when using as a phone). This of course is my opinion, and the thinness may be a big plus if that is important to you, but I'd recommend trying out the iPhone 3GS that is similar in thickness to see if it is comfortable to use. And like someone else mentioned, the phone is so sleek, that it can slip out of you hands quite easily - I used mine with no case, but I think a silicon sleeve would actually be very helpful, but then you lose some of the attractiveness of the phone - so there are the inevitable trade-offs.

Being new to Android, I found a few software things that seemed less than mature (but mostly you can get apps to fill in the gaps) with the one glaring exception of Bluetooth dialing. Can't do it in Android, and as someone who actually uses the phone function of the phone, this was a deal breaker. This is not an N1 criticism, but if you are coming from a BB (or any cheapo phone made in the last 5 years), the lack of true handsfree dialing will be a big surprise. The voice dialer app in Android requires launching it from the phone, and then clicking on the selection you want, and the search function can be used to locate names, but requires activating from the phone as well - not from a button press on the headset. So there are some work-arounds that get you part way there, but you should be aware of this Android limitation as you make your decision.

 

[ecb]

Currently I am rocking a BlackBerry Tour with Verizon...this is an Android forum...that means I need help.

I'm looking to move into an Android phone and the Nexus One looks like it may be the phone for me, but I was hoping to get some thoughts and persuasion from the current Nexus One owners. I wanted to wait a bit until you guys had them in hand for a while to get real opinions after some of the excitement has worn off. I am not overly concerned regarding the 3G connectivity issues as I will be picking up a phone on Verizon and obviously since it's not out yet there may not even be any.

Please let me know your thoughts on:

-the capacitive buttons
-the trackball
-the sensitivity and accuracy of the screen
-the battery life
-the speed of multitasking / day to day use

Any other information that you would like to provide would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to be as persuasive in either direction as you'd like as I am looking for subjective opinions. I look forward to hearing all of your input.

Thanks in advance,
eipee73

the capacitive buttons


The capacitive buttons have some slight issues. You have to hit the top of the button. It's not a big deal and you'll get used to it easily.

-the trackball


The trackball is top notch. It's great to use for fine scrolling (i.e. trying to select text to cut/copy)

-the sensitivity and accuracy of the screen


There are some occasional issues with the accuracy of the touch screen. You can check the posts for more details, but I know that I've had instances where I hit one area of the touchscreen and another area is activated. That being said, those instances are (for me) very few and far between. I'm anticipating that they will be fixed with a firmware update.

Other than those occasional glitches, I've found the touchscreen to be very accurate and sensitive overall.

-the battery life


Battery life for Blackberry's is superior to most smart phones, so you may be disapointed. However, it's possible to get a full day's use, which is all I expect from my phone. I'd put the battery life right up there with the iPhone, Droid and is superior to every other non Blackberry phone I've used.

-the speed of multitasking / day to day use


Day to day use is great. The integration with Google services is seamless, I love the ability to customize the home screen with various widgets. The Android 2.1 adds some very nice GUI elements that add a lot of polish to the Android UI.

Multitasking is very good. The Palm Pre takes the cake as far as multitasking and being able to control the running apps (due to their card view system) but the Nexus One handles multiple apps very well. Android's memory management tends is not as aggressive as I would like but there are several good task managers that do a great job of shutting down apps and freeing up memory (if you don't feel comfortable using a task manager, Android goes a serviceable job at managing memory)

Unless your devoted to the Blackberry world (i.e. your a Crackberry addict) I think you'll be very impressed by Android. The Nexus One is the best Android phone out there without a keyboard. If you need a physical keyboard go with the Droid !

Good luck with your decision !