Penny Mobiles – Mobile phone news, reviews & information

Google has officially taken down the online store that sells the Nexus One Android smart phone.

Over a week ago, Google quelled initial rumors about a possible Nexus Two handset. According to the software developer, the Nexus One has already been a successful handset in such a way that it achieved the goal that Google has set for it. Many may argue that the device was not a financial success –after all, the device did not sell much at all.

However, Google stated that the Nexus One was meant to be a smart phone that would push the current boundaries and standards for the Android operating system. This meant that users would be able to experience the open source mobile platform in the way that Google meant it to be. In that regard, Google states that the device was a success.

The shutting down of the online store does not mean that the Nexus One is no longer available. The smart phone can still be obtained through contracts and deals on Vodafone UK. Developers can also get a handset directly through Google –only the standard online store has been taken down. The special site exclusive for developers is still available. This means that Google intends to use the Nexus One as a continuous developer resource.

When the Nexus One was first launched last January, the only way to obtain the handset was through Google’s online store. Many who were present at the launch at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California thought that it was a bad idea, and that the device would not be accessible to a majority of the Android’s target market.

They were right, in the very first week of sales; the online store only sold 20,000 units of the Nexus One. In that same month, Vodafone UK managed to sell 100,000 iPhone 3G smart phones.

When Samsung announced the Bada operating system, many believed that the Korean phone manufacturer would be so focused on their proprietary operating system that they would slow down in the production of smart phones for other mobile platforms. However, it seems that the general assumption was quite wrong and Samsung is making plenty of mobile handsets for the Google Android operating system.

With the launch of the i7500 Galaxy last year, Samsung has begun its series of high end devices that would be making use of the open source mobile platform. The device would later be followed up by the Galaxy Lite (also known as the Galaxy Spica) and now, the series is expanding with many new handsets added to the list.

First to join the ranks is the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S which is basically the Korean manufacturer’s answer to the Nexus One and the HTC Desire This smart phone not only matches the 1GHz CPU and 5 mega pixel camera, but they also bring in their new super AMOLED capacitive touch screen display. According to recent reports, there will be a Samsung Galaxy S Pro smart phone that will be released soon and that the phone will come with a slide out QWERTY keyboard.

Speaking of super AMOLED capacitive touch screen displays, the Galaxy Tape is set to have the largest one around at 7 inches. The Galaxy Tape is considered to be a tablet despite having phone call capabilities. With the Android 2.2 Froyo, a front facing camera and a better resolution display, this is perfect answer to the Apple iPad.

Aside from high end devices, the Galaxy series is also offering more common midrange phones like the Galaxy Apollo which was recently put in a teaser by Orange Mobile UK. The device is the same as the Samsung Galaxy 3 though the two have different number designations. Last on the list is a Corby Galaxy smart phone, the i5500 Galaxy 5.

Google has already announced that their first self branded smart phone, the Nexus One will be the first Android handset to support the new Flash 10.1 format. Of course, Adobe AIR will also be supported making the Nexus One the phone with highest web standards compatibility.

Cupertino based Apple has already drawn in their lot in the tech industry after they released the details of the now controversial iPhone 4.0 SDK developer’s agreement. In said agreement, a clause fully detailed that developer can no longer use third party software –a direct slap in the face of Adobe that was just about to release Flash Professional CS5 which came with a major Flash to iPhone compiler. This started what would be the great Apple and Adobe “over the web with letters” debate –which begun with a lengthy letter from Steve Jobs himself.

Anyway, it appears that despite the initial loss of having Apple’s outright rejection (and the fact that Adobe stock value fell a bit when the agreement was made public), the Flash developer is once again back on its’ feet and this time, it is heavily backed by Google, developers of the Android operating system and of course, Apple’s largest rival in the mobile phone industry.

Showcasing Flash on the Nexus One is a great start for the new partnership. The high end Android phone is fully equipped to show the world that it can handle the resource heavy Flash content and that the web format actually works great on touch user interfaces. The Google show does not end there however. At the recently held Web 2.0 Expo, Google showed off their Android tablet device which became a major highlight as it was the first tablets to support Flash content.

Flash 10.1 support for the Android will be available when version 2.2 Froyo comes out.

Vodafone’s mobile device offerings for April are several Android devices along with the Apple iPad tablet. The UK based mobile network operator’s official website is already promoting the devices for their upcoming launch.

Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X10 is already confirmed for April and it looks like Vodafone might also offer the X10 Mini devices when they launch later this year. The XPERIA X10 may be the first Android smart phone from SE, but it looks like the joint venture have made a pretty good device for the open source OS. It has already been reported that despite the phone having only version 1.6 Donut installed, an update to the latest version will be made available within the next few weeks.

The HTC Desire and the HTC Legend are two of the Taiwanese manufacturer’s most anticipated devices. Both were first revealed last year when the HTC 2010 roadmap was leaked (along with several other devices). Both phones were showcased at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain.

The Desire is pretty much like the Nexus One in terms of specs, both phones have Snapdragon processors running at a full 1GHz, both use 5 mega pixel cameras and the two devices also have 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen displays. Many are considering the Desire to be the perfect substitute to Nexus One.

The Legend on the other hand is a mid-range smart phone that may sell even more than the Desire. Despite the hardware advantage of the Desire, the Legend is expected to be priced at a more reasonable rate. It is also the successor to the HTC Hero. Both the Desire and the Legend will be using the Sense user interface.

Get to know more about HTC Legend, Desire and Vodafone UK’s other offerings at Know Your Mobile.

Vodafone is one busy mobile network operator with plenty of new devices coming this March and April.

The Apple iPad is a definite top biller with Steve Jobs’ latest gizmo taking the headlines just before the Mobile World Congress. The only drawback to Apple’s tablet device is that most people do not even know what to do with it. While this gadget has the potential to change the way we look at daily published materials such as newspapers and magazines, the average folk is still not aware that this expensive and impressive device is not capable of something as basic as multi tasking. But many expect to see this device to get more users once people start realizing how nice it is.

The Google phone Nexus One is also headed to Vodafone though many of us wonder how much good this will do for the dying Google Android handset. While the device is impressive with its 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen, 5 mega pixel camera, speech recognition software and noise reduction system, the fact that the only way to obtain the phone is through the online store is pretty discouraging. Expect many to pass this for the HTC Desire.

Speaking of HTC, Vodafone will be bringing us a winner of an Android this March as the HTC Legend will finally hit the shelves. The much anticipated successor the HTC Hero will be offered by Vodafone in various deals. The device comes complete in all its aluminum covered glory. The Legend has a 3.2 inch AMOLED touch screen, a 5 mega pixel camera and a Qualcomm 600 MHz processor. It also uses the HTC Sense user interface on top of the Android operating system.

Read more about the HTC Legend Android smart phone at Mobile Choice UK.

The newly released Google Nexus One is made by HTC.  It has the Android 2.1 Éclair operating system on it, not HTC Sense.  If we look at the physical presentation of the phone, we can see that the Nexus One is an 11.5 mm thin, 130 grams weight phone with a 3.7 inch 480 x 800 pixel display and four buttons on the front.  There is a 3.5 mm headphone jack on the top and the integrated 5 Megapixel camera with LED flash for high quality photos.  When we talk about photography, the Google Nexus One offers an autofocus from 6 cm to infinity, a 2X digital zoom and the user can include location of the photos from the AGPS receiver.  The video is captured at 720×480 pixels at 20 frames per second, or depending on the condition the user can get higher frames.

When you power up your Nexus One you can find the weather widget and the forecast on the homescreen, an example of the sort of thoughtful feature you would expect to be included by Google. Another feature is the news feed; you can tap at the news icon and navigate between the news, read them and arrange them thematically.

When you tap on the home button, your applications appear with the feeling of the 3D effect; you can scroll and navigate between the apps.  As you tap on the photo gallery, a new improved look of the photo gallery application appears.  To view the photos, you just have to tap on them and if you rotate the phone then the accelerometer kicks in.  You can view the photos by date and by folders created to keep better track of them.  Although the phone is manufactured by HTC, the phone is not multi touch enabled.

A new feature introduced with the Google Nexus One is the text to speech functionality. You have the Google maps included so you can talk to the phone and you have a navigating system launched.  This feature can be very useful when you drive and want to write somebody a message for example, you just speak to the phone and it converts your speech to text for you to send.

Socializing becomes easy with the Google Nexus One as you have integrated social network applications included. Web browsing is also fun with the Nexus, despite not supporting multi touch.

There is a Desktop Dock that adds another feature to your Nexus One Smartphone.  If you put the phone in the Desktop Dock, the Clock application automatically shows up and offers an additional comfort.  At this time you can easily check the local weather and time, look at the photo gallery and watch a slideshow of your photos, or just listen to some of your favourite musicians through the 3.5 mm headset jack, or dim your phone’s display for nighttime use.

The phone supports some of the most popular mobile and wireless bands, being primarily a quad-band GSM/EDGE device with support for 3G through UMTS and HSDPA 7.2 Mbps / HSUPA 2 Mbps. The Nexus One also comes with support for Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR with A2DP.

A Google press event was held January 5th, 2009. The purpose of this highly anticipated event was to officially unveil the popular, search engine company’s Android Smartphone, the Google Nexus One.

The buzz surrounding the phone has been tremendous for sometime now. Electronics blogs, website owners and their readers have been speculating for some time about the phone’s appearance and specs. There were many anonymous insider reports complete with entire lists of features and specifications. While reading such information was interesting and even exciting, there was no way to determine if it was true or not, at least not until now.

While the official announcement was made yesterday, the company was “scooped” by several official reviews one night before. I’m not sure if these were actual scoops. The blogs doing the reporting obviously had accurate information, complete with pictures, both which were likely supplied by Google themselves.

The Google Nexus One will first be available for purchase in the United States. Individuals can buy the phone directly from Google. They also have the choice of buying it from T-Mobile. It is a lot more expensive if individuals choose the former. Mobile handsets purchased from Google will cost $529 (£331). Individuals willing to sign a 2 year contract with T-Mobile will be able to buy the phone for a mere $179 (£112). After it is released in the U.S., it will be available in Europe via Vodafone.

The Google Nexus’s specs are very nice. The phone includes a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, 3.7 inch touch screen display, voice recognition, GPS, compass and 1GHz snapdragon processing.
Now that the Nexus has been released, individuals will be able to determine if it has been worth the wait. Technology lovers have been quite excited for some time about what the phone. Now, they are able to see for themselves if it is everything that they thought it would be.