Since the web first heard about Google’s Nexus One smartphone — sorry, “superphone” — reactions have been mixed. Some folks expected it to be a huge leap forward in the Android user experience. Others? Not so much.  Now that we know what Google and HTC have on tap, we can finally come to some conclusions about whether or not the new handset is worth your money. We’ve come up with a list of the four happiest pros and four saddest cons. Take a look and let us know if you agree.  GoogleGoogle and HTC are very excited about the Nexus One’s ability to accept voice dictation for any text field — web search, SMS text messaging, TwitterTwitter, e-mail — you name it. While the technology isn’t perfect, it’ll work in a pinch. You should be able to solve that dangerous texting-while-driving problem, if nothing else. This is currently the only major feature unique to the Nexus One.  Rumors were circulating that the first Google-branded phone would forgo traditional cellular voice networks all together by making all phone calls over data networks. The VoIP-only plan would have been a game changer, eliminating restrictions on minutes and giving you more freedom to make calls when and where you want. Sadly, that rumor turned out to be false. The Nexus One is the same as other handsets when it comes to making phone calls. We hoped for more radical innovation from a company like Google.  The most significant change to AndroidAndroid is largely an aesthetic one. The Nexus One runs Android 2.1, which adds several 3D user interface features and overhauls both Android’s home screen and its gallery application. Android 2.0’s home screen interface won’t drop any jaws, but the Nexus One uses that powerful Snapdragon processor to pull off some elegant tricks.  During the press Q&A session that followed the Nexus One’s announcement, a Google rep confirmed that the new Android software will appear on the Motorola Droid and any other Android phones with the hardware to run it. That might even include the phone’s voice recognition features. That means the Nexus One’s software superiority will be short-lived.  The Nexus One is available unlocked, albeit at the steep price of $530. Though it’s selling at a reduced, on-contract rate only through T-Mobile to start with, Verizon will get its own Nexus One deal in the Spring. Vodafone is on the list for 2010 as well. By contrast, the iPhoneiPhone is currently only available through AT&T, and the Droid is exclusive to Verizon.  Carrier choice offers greater encouragement for competition between carriers to provide the best data networks. It also makes the phone an option for people who are already committed to a certain carrier. Basically, it’s always better for the consumer. Kudos to Nexus One for being one of only a few high-end smartphones to appear on more than one carrier in the United States.  Like several of its Android predecessors, the Nexus One’s hardware is capable of reading touch input from more than one finger at a time, but the software does not support it. If you’re accustomed to pinching to zoom in Google MapsGoogle Maps on your iPhone, or to playing 3D games on a touchscreen without using physical buttons, this is a big disappointment. It’s not a surprise anymore, though, and it’s not likely to change right away, since it’s still unclear if Apple’s patent on pinch-to-zoom gestures will hold up.  Google VoiceGoogle Voice does several neat things: It lets you access your voice mail from your computer, transcribe your voice mails to text, and place comparatively cheap international calls. All of these features are included in a Google Voice app that’s pre-loaded on every U.S. Nexus One. It’s essentially the same as the existing BlackBerry and Android Google Voice apps.  The Android music player application has never earned high marks from gadget nerds and reviewers. Sadly, it remains completely unchanged on the Nexus One. If you were hoping to jam in style, well… keep hoping.  Is the Nexus One a worthy competitor to the iPhone 3GS, the Palm Pre, and the Motorola Droid? Let us know what you think in the comments.  Tags: android, Android 2.0, android 2.1, droid, Google, Google Voice, htc, multitouch, nexus one, smartphone, T-Mobile, verizon, vodafone, voice recognition, voicemail, voip  User reviews: Android, Google, Google Maps, Google Voice, Twitter, iPhone  Jobs For more than 30 years, Corporate Accountability International has successfully challenged corporations like GE, Nestlé, and Philip Morris to halt abusive practices that threaten public health, the e...
Now that Google's much awaited Nexus One smartphone has been officially announced, is it worth your money? Here are four pros and four cons of the device.