Nexus One
The Nexus One is a smartphone from Google, which uses the Android mobile operating system.The device is manufactured by HTC Corporation, and became available on January 5, 2010.Features of the phone include the ability to transcribe voice to text,a native Gmail application, and voice directions while driving.
The phone comes unlocked, and is currently offered for use on the T-Mobile network in the United States; a version for use on the Verizon (US) and Vodafone (European) networks is expected in the second calendar quarter of 2010.It can be used on any GSM network worldwide, although 3G speeds will only function on certain networks.
Hardware
The Nexus One features a 3.7in AMOLED display, with a resolution 800×480. The screen has a 100,000:1 contrast ratio and a response time of 1ms. It has an illuminated trackball which can emit different colors of light based on the type of notification being received. The phone has two microphones, one on the front and one on the back, to enable noise cancellation to reduce background noise during phone conversations. A standard 3.5mm headphone jack is also provided.
The phone features a 1GHz Qualcomm 8250 processor, 512MB of RAM, a 4GB microSD card, 512MB of internal Flash storage, a 5MP auto-focus camera with LED flash and digital zoom, GPS receiver, light and proximity sensors, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and 802.11b/g/n Wifi capabilities. It provides hardware decoding for H.263, H.264 and MPEG-4 video, and is capable of playing MP3, AAC+, Ogg Vorbis, WAV and MIDI audio, and displaying the JPEG, GIF, PNG and BMP image formats. It has a standard micro USB port rather than the proprietary HTC connector, and the microSD card slot allows expansion up to 32 gigabytes of card storage. Initially applications from the Android store will be limited to the 512MB of internal flash memory, although application storage on removable SD cards will be enabled once security and piracy concerns have been addressed.
The phone weighs 130 grams (4.6 oz), with a height of 119 millimetres (4.7 in), a width of 59.8 millimetres (2.35 in), and a depth of 11.5 millimetres (0.45 in). It is powered by a removable 1400mAh battery, expected to last up to 290 hours on standby, 10 hours talk time, or 5 hours while browsing the internet.
The phone’s antenna covers most major GSM providers worldwide, with the notable exception of the 850MHz and 1900MHz UMTS 3G bands used by AT&T and Rogers (of Canada). The GSM radio frequencies covered are 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 along with UMTS frequency bands 1 (2100MHz), 4 (1700MHz), and 8 (900MHz).
Software
The Nexus One runs the Google Android 2.1 operating system, codenamed ‘Eclair’.The 2.1 firmware version of the Android operating system adds a few aesthetic changes such as “Live Wallpapers” which are animated in the background and react to different user inputs. It also replaces the “Application Drawer” with a simple button which can be pressed to access the list of applications installed on the phone. This thumbnail list can be scrolled up and down and as it’s scrolled, the applications roll up into a 3D cube instead of disappearing from the screen. Once the bottom of the application thumbnail list is hit, the screen bounces off similar to the iPhone functionality.
Pinch-zooming is still not available on the 2.1 firmware of Android. However, double-tapping will zoom in. Additionally, the “Gallery” application allows the use of finger swiping to switch pictures rather than requiring use of the “Right” or “Left” arrow keys.
Pricing and release date
The Nexus One was released on January 5, 2010. The phone is sold via Google’s website, at a price of $529 unlocked, or a subsidized $179 when purchased with a T-Mobile two year contract.Only one plan is available – $79.99 per month rate, which includes 500 talk minutes with unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited texting/MMS, and web data.The $179 T-Mobile price is only for individuals who are not currently under contract with T-Mobile. If one currently has a T-Mobile contract without a data package, the price of the phone rises to $279.99. If the contract has both the voice and data package, the price of the phone again jumps to a higher price bracket, which is $379.99.By spring 2010, a Verizon version will be available in the US and a Vodafone model in Europe, with plans to expand the phone to other carriers and international markets in due course.
Google is making the phone available for delivery to the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong, although native carrier tie-ups have not been finalized for these countries, and the phone will be shipped from the US. Customers ordering from the UK are charged $20 international shipping and an optional $19.99 for an AC adaptor, with an additional 17.5% VAT and 6.5% import duty being added. Singapore applies 7% GST, while Hong Kong does not add any additional taxes.
Hacking & Modifications
Users are able to root the device by unlocking its bootloader using the fastboot command “fastboot oem unlock”.[19] Unlocking the bootloader allows the user to install other firmware images that give the user root access, and even other bootloaders. Obtaining root privileges enables a user to override protected operating system features, install arbitrary software and enable internet tethering to share the phone’s 3G network connection over Wifi among other things. Upon running the fastboot command, the user is presented with a Google-created screen stating that unlocking the bootloader will void your warranty.
History
A trademark application for the name “Nexus One” was filed by Google, Inc. on December 10, 2009.The Nexus One trademark was filed in International Trademark Class 9 for “Computer & Software Products & Electrical & Scientific Products” with description of “Mobile phones”.The trademark was filed as an Intent to Use trademark, with no use in commerce date provided, indicating that the name may be used for a future product.
On December 12, 2009, Google confirmed in a blog post that they had begun internal testing of the device.[23] Google stated that a “mobile lab device” had been given to its employees, at this time Google had not yet confirmed that a device would be sold to consumers. Wireless phone and data services for the device were not activated nor billed to Google, it was up to the employees to activate and pay for wireless service on their own.
Name
The Nexus One name is believed by some to allude to the novel (by Philip K. Dick) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which was later adapted into the film Blade Runner. The term android is also used in the book, but had generic broader usage that predates the book. Both the book and film are centered on a group of rogue androids called ‘replicants’ that are identified through the model designation Nexus-6.Mr Dick’s daughter Isa Hackett described Google’s usage of the Nexus One name as “a clear infringement of our intellectual-property rights” and announced the estate would be taking legal action.