The web is all in a dither about Google’s new Android phone. The official announcement was made by Google earlier today, so the speculation is now over. I note that the news channels on television are talking up (and down) the phone also.
The phone is made to actively compete with Apple’s iPhone – and in fact, looks a lot like it. The specs go on and on, 
but what caught my eye was the 5 megapixel camera with GPS labeling capability. It’s also got a little roller on the bottom face of the phone, allowing the user to scroll through a web page a bit easier than the iPhone.
It looks to me like if you really want one of these phones (like – right now), the best bet is to purchase the phone with T-mobile service. That costs $179 with a 2-year contract. The phone can also be purchased directly from Google in an “unlocked” mode for $529.00. According to Google, “The currently available Nexus One device is unlocked and will recognize SIM cards from any mobile service provider using the GSM standard, but is incompatible with the frequency band used by the AT&T and Rogers networks for 3G data… Additionally, the Nexus One is incompatible with CDMA networks such as Verizon and Sprint.” Phones using Verizon and Vodofone service (in Europe) will be available in the spring. So, it seems that service options are currently lousy -an issue that’s plagued Apple’s iPhone since the beginning (unless you really want AT&T service).
App storage has been an issue for all currently produced Android phones. The addition of a 4GB Micro SD Card (Expandable to 32 GB), along with a promised software upgrade, should make that issue go away. Apps are important to users, including genealogists. Genealogy apps for Android phones are currently pretty limited. I know of only FamilyBee at the moment. If readers know of more, I’d appreciate a heads-up in the comments section below. iPhone has a huge head-start in the apps area, so we will be keeping a close watch on how the competition works out.
The following specs are from Google’s Nexus One page:
Size and weight
Height -119mm
Width – 59.8mm
Depth – 11.5mm
Weight – 130 grams w/battery; 100g w/o battery
Display – 3.7-inch (diagonal) widescreen WVGA AMOLED touchscreen; 800 x 480 pixels; 100,000:1 typical contrast ratio; 1ms typical response rate
Camera & Flash – 5 megapixels; Autofocus from 6cm to infinity; 2X digital zoom; LED flash; User can include location of photos from phone’s AGPS receiver; Video captured at 720×480 pixels at 20 frames per second or higher, depending on lighting conditions
Cellular & Wireless– UMTS Band 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900); HSDPA 7.2Mbps; HSUPA 2Mbps; GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR; A2DP stereo Bluetooth
Power and battery – Removable 1400 mAH battery; Charges at 480mA from USB, at 980mA from supplied charger
Talk time – Up to 10 hours on 2G; Up to 7 hours on 3G
Standby time – Up to 290 hours on 2G Up to 250 hours on 3G
Internet use – Up to 5 hours on 3G; Up to 6.5 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback – Up to 7 hours
Audio playback – Up to 20 hours
Processor – Qualcomm QSD 8250 1 GHz
Operating system– Android Mobile Technology Platform 2.1 (Eclair)
Capacity – 512MB Flash; 512MB RAM; 4GB Micro SD Card (Expandable to 32 GB)
Location – Assisted global positioning system (AGPS) receiver; Cell tower and Wi-Fi positioning; Digital compass; Accelerometer.
Whether the Nexus One phone will be successful in it’s challenge to Apple is yet to be seen. They have a long way to go, but with Google’s money, and a dedication to advanced technology, they just might be a decent competitor…
