Google Says: We’re Not Trying to Take Over the World…Honest!

With the arrival of Android 2.0, many speculated that Google would start to develop their own hardware, or at the very least get someone to do it for them. Turns out those people were right and Google hired Taiwanese Smartphone manufacturer HTC to develop their phone. So what, if anything, makes the Nexus One so special?

The Nexus features a gorgeous 3.7” AMOLED touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, expandable storage by way of MicroSD, 4GB flash memory, a 5 Megapixel camera with flash and is capable of using 3G networks. The phone runs Android 2.0 2.1 which comes with animated home screens, 3D elements, new grid layout and slew of other really cool features.

The overall look and feel is reminiscent of the HTC Hero or Eros. In fact, if the Hero and Eros had a child, this is probably what it would look like which doesn’t really set it apart from other Android based phones. Like other Android phones, the Nexus forces you to install Apps to the internal memory. This isn’t a big deal for most, but some would prefer to at least have the option of where to store their data. The Nexus also lacks multitouch support, dual-mode GSM and CDMA, Outlook Calendar sync and hands-free Bluetooth dialling.

It appears that there isn’t a big selling point to Nexus One. It doesn’t offer anything other HTC phones offer and it kind of looks similar to other models. Well, the thing that’s so special with the Nexus One is that the phone is sold completely unlocked. Even if you buy it from a carrier, once your contract is up, you can use it on any carrier you choose. This is a huge step in the mobile phone industry since 99% of all phones are tied to the carrier you bought the phone from.

For those who care about having a phone that is truly theirs, this is big. No longer will they feel tied to a particular carrier because they’re in love with their phone. AT&T customers know this pain all too well. It is to be hoped that the Nexus does well. If it does, we could see a huge shift in the way Smartphones are sold.