Live-blogging the Nexus One phone

Added:
– The official web page for the Nexus One is http://google.com/phone
– There’s a YouTube channel for the Nexus One.
– And here’s the official blog post about the Nexus One.

I’m sitting in the Googleplex waiting to live-blog the Google Android event today. I’m on a seven day Twitter diet, but Chris DiBona is live-tweeting the event. Added: Ryan Block also live-blogged the event. Danny Sullivan is also live-blogging the event.

I noticed that T-Mobile just announced that they have upgraded their 3G network to HSPA, which has a peak speed of 7.2Mbps. Added: and Rhapsody just joined the Android family.

Mario Queiroz (VP, Product Management) is up to put things in perspective and look back at the history, e.g. the introduction of the G1. The Open Handset Alliance just added 13 members (e.g., China Telecom, Freescale). From 1 device on 1 carrier in 1 country to 20 devices on 59 carriers in 49 countries and 19 languages. Four major software releases in 2009 (e.g. Cupcake, Donut, Γ‰clair). To help prevent fragmentation, Google introduced a compatibility test suite. I believe Mario said that Android users search (surf?) up to 30x more than conventional phone users.

Mario says that it’s time for the next step in Android evolution. Mario is taking a moment to send shout-outs to some great devices like the Droid and the Hero. One of the questions they asked was “What if we work even more closely to bring devices to market that showcase the great software technology in Android?” So today they’re announcing the Nexus One, “where web meets phone.” Intended to be a “superphone,” an exemplar of what is possible with a phone. The Nexus One was designed in close partnership with HTC. Mario is introducing Peter Chou, the CEO of HTC.

MG Siegler is also live-blogging the Nexus One event.

Peter Chou asserts that the phone is very thin, fits well in your hand, and has a gorgeous screen, plus a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. “It pushes the limits of what’s possible on a mobile phone today.”

Mario is back on to introduce Erick Tseng, Senior Product Manager to do a deeper dive. 3.7″ OLED screen, 800×480 screen, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU. Trackball has a multi-colored LED (bluetooth = blue, other information could have other colors). The N1 also has Light and proximity sensors. It’s 11.5 mm thin, (“thinner than a #2 pencil”), and it weighs 130g. 5 megapixel camera and flash. Records video in Mpeg4. Syncs pictures to Picasa, and can upload video to YouTube. 3.5mm headphone jack. Stereo A2DP support. It can have an inline remote. Two microphones to do noise cancellation.

The Nexus One can have custom engraving in the metal bezel/band on the back on the phone.

“With the hardware, we think we have half the story.” Now Erick is moving to talk about software, the other half. Nexus One runs on Android 2.1, which includes Maps navigation, Facebook integration, and Quick Contacts (ability to switch between contacts and have a seamless view, regardless of where the contact is coming from).

New features in Android 2.1:
– Better customization. Five home screens. A new widget has weather and news. The widget knows where you are and auto-tells you the weather. Clicking through shows you the temperature over the course of the day. Live wallpaper. Shows a home screen that looks like a pond. Touching the screen makes water ripple.
– Media and 3D. New 3D framework in Android. Live wallpaper is one, but the app launcher also turns 3D. Apps scroll away off the top in 3D like the text in the beginning of Star Wars. A new gallery app from working with Cooliris. Tipping the phone makes the photo gallery tip. You can also view your photos clustered based on time, date, and location. Photos can be sync’ed to Picasaweb.
– Voice. [I can attest to this: the voice recognition is pretty amazing, and will only improve over time.] Demo with “Navigate to Ikea”. Android 2.1 adds voice recognition to every text field in the device. Erick just demoed sending an email by saying “Check out this new voice keyboard! I just hope this demo works.” and it worked perfectly, drawing the first applause of the day from the room full of I’ve-seen-it-all journalists. πŸ™‚
Bonus! Erick is demoing a version of Google Earth with 3D by flying around some mountains in the north bay. Then he uses voice to fly to “Mt. Fuji” in Google Earth.

Erick hands the stage back to Mario. Mario is talking about how to get the phone, and emphasizing that Google wants simplicity. You can buy the Nexus One with or without a plan. Today, you can purchase a phone with service from T-Mobile USA from http://www.google.com/phone/ . They expect to add more operators, devices and countries on that url.

A bonus announcement. Verizon Wireless in the U.S. and Vodaphone in Europe have also signed on to this program. On http://www.google.com/phone/ you can get a 3D tour or click on individual icons to see what the apps look like.

Price is $529 unlocked or $179 with T-Mobile USA service. This “coming spring,” the Nexus One will come to Verizon. You will need a Google Checkout account to buy the phone. On the site, you can enter two lines of laser engraving and you see a live preview of what the engraving will look like.

Mario emphasizing that the buying process is designed to be easy, simple and fast. I think Mario said that you can ship to the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong immediately, and more countries will follow. The Nexus One is the first phone you can buy from google.com/phone, but more devices (HTC and Motorola were specifically mentioned), operators, and countries will come into the ordering process. They’re providing demo phones later today so that people can do in-depth reviews.

They’re showing a video now, which was pretty spiff.

Now they’re doing Q&A. Sanjay Jha is stuck in traffic, but will join when he can make it.

Q: Robert Scoble Why only 512MB for app storage?
A: We provide a way to protect against piracy. But in the future, we’ll provide a way to put apps on the

Q: You can order today–does it ship today?
A: Yes, it ships today.

Q: It only works on T-Mobile?
A: No, it can take any GSM SIM. On AT&T, you can slip in your AT&T SIM card from your iPhone and use it today. You’ll get EDGE speed instead of 3G, but it will work fine. [That’s how I’ve been running my phone.]

Q: Is this phone an iPhone Killer?
A: The message isn’t to iPhone/Apple folks, but to consumers. The goal is to produce a great phone that people will like.

Q: Which inventory does the phone come out of?
A: Google is the merchant of record. Google is working with HTC to manage the logistics of shipping.

Q: Marketing and App Market for the Nexus One (noted that Apple does a lot of TV advertising)?
A: Initial marketing is primarily online. Will also continue to iterate to improve the Android market.

Q: Why was it necessary for Google to design the phone instead of HTC?
A: It’s HTC’s work building a really great phone.

Q: Will other software features of Nexus One make it to (say) the Droid.
A: Within a couple of days, we expect to open-source Android 2.1.

Q: What will convince people to buy this phone vs. other smartphones?
A: This is hour one of operation. The phone is solid and provides a very good experience. We intend to keep innovating, plus to add more operator plans, more devices, more countries. Andy noted that the original question was “I can buy an iPhone for $99, so why would I buy this?” but mentioned that there’s a larger world outside the U.S., where ~50% of the time people buy a phone unbundled from a service plan and without a subsidy.

Q: Google isn’t known for retailing–color on how to make a dent in a tough business?
A: This is about providing an easy, complete solution. Working with handset partners to get a great phone out to consumers quickly and more choice. “It’s another channel; it’s not intended to replace existing channels.”

Q: What’s the revenue model–per phone, money on ads?
A: When we think about new ways for people to access the internet, mobile is huge. This phone is a lot like a laptop as of 4-5 years ago. This can be just the next front of ads. The objective is less to make a ton of money per phone unit and more to provide the best possible Google experience we can.

Q: Support for tethering to a PC? Wifi?
A: Wifi is supported. It’s just a technical issue to add support to tethering. Sounds like they intend to add tethering?

Q: Missed this–something like what if there’s too much success and operators can’t handle the data.
A: Work closely with partners.

Q: Is the physical keyboard dead?
A: HTC believes that different people have different preferences, and the strategy is to serve whatever people want. This phone concentrates on the form factor. Mario notes that google.com/phone is a channel that will add more phones over time, so if people want a keyboard, different devices can show up in the web store (perhaps the Droid, for example).

Q: Does this mean that Google will be selling more products online?
A: Other mobile phones may join google.com/phone .
Q: Beyond mobile phones?
A: Jokes about small cars, lava lamps. πŸ™‚

Q: Other phones being sold?
A: They want the best possible mobile experience. The bar is raising on devices; not every device will show up there. They don’t want to flood; they want the experience to be simple, clean, and nice.

Q: Other countries?
A: They will add other countries (e.g. co.uk) soon.

Q: Why is multitouch not supported in the U.S.?
A: HTC Droid Eris does support multitouch. We’ll consider it.

Q: Mike Arrington When will Google Voice launch?
A: [He then went straight into the next question, so this got skipped.]

Q: Is there something awesomer coming next month? Or should be wait?
A: “You’re going to be waiting a long time if you’re waiting for the next one.” But also mentions that manufacturers are always rolling out new ones.

If you are an existing T-Mobile customer, it asks if you want to e.g. switch your plan, port a number, etc. You can see your next month’s bill so there’s no surprises.

Q: Danny Sullivan: What’s revolutionary about this? Why launch a phone that doesn’t support everything? The pricing seems boring and conventional. “I want the revolution from Google–where is it?”
A: Andy says that globally the plans are quite good. “Before you can revolutionize the world … you have to have a mechanism by which you’re selling the product.” Andy says this is the first baby step along that path.

Q: Will anyone be able to touch the phone at a retailer partner?
A: Right now it’s online only. We’ll iterate over time. Whatever makes sense for consumers, we’ll offer them options. But no other comment at this time.

Q: Difference between superphone and smartphone?
A: Openness coupled with easy app market, solid ecosystem, GHz processor, gigabyte storage. As powerful as your laptop was four years ago.

Q: Will subsequent phones support “world mode”? (GSM + CDMA, UMTS?)
A: Yeah, we’re very focused on that.

Q: Developers, app store?
A: Carrier billing was just added, will continue to improve.

Q: Projections about sales?
A: [Doubt they’ll do this.] They didn’t comment.

CEO of Motorola just said that Nexus One is a good phone. Droid will get software update.

Sanjay Jha is happy that google.com/phone will provide a new channel to get to consumers. “I don’t see it as threat.” It might result in an expansion of the marketplace. Peter Chou thinks it’s good for the industry, and a new model. Sanjay thinks this is an expansion of the ecosystem and a good thing as well.

And with that, my laptop is dead, so I’ll stop. Here’s the official blog post.

30 Responses to Live-blogging the Nexus One phone (Leave a comment)

  1. are they broadcasting the event some where?

  2. There goes your not-tweeting for a week then:

    http://twitter.com/mattcutts/status/7410197127

  3. Thanks for the live-blog, direct from the source as it were.

    (And since you’re on a Twitter diet, you won’t read my latest lament, that nearly all the people I’ve turned into Droid fans have been the gracious recipients of free Nexus Ones from Google over the past few weeks…. woe is me. πŸ™‚

  4. Hey Matt,

    Any word on the release date of the nexus one?

  5. It says in the Q&A, it can ship today…
    I like it, but I think they could be selling it to more countries right now. Only a hand full available.. This suxx for me, can’t get it, and I’m in Europe…

  6. @Mark: It looks like they’re starting the orders today and shipping immediately. That’s what I gathered from the article anyway.

    I’m not sure why but the Nexus One is a phone I’m really excited about. I think it’s very promising. I’m looking into ditching my contract with Three which ends in August and instead moving to Vodafone or T-Mobile (whichever has the best contract) and getting the N1.

  7. Hi,

    I am first time commenting, I would like to see Google take over the Phone market as well. But it would be great if they cover other countries as well. I hope Nexus one will be much more supportive than Iphone.

  8. Hi Matt

    If you can ask about Sweden … I’m sure the answer will be ‘soon’ but I need to get my hands on one of these πŸ˜‰

  9. Matt,

    You are affirming that you have the Nexus One?

    If so, will you completely ditch using your iPhone in parallel like when you had the G1?

    ,Michael Martin

  10. Matt, sorry to send you a link like that again, but you’ve gott to see this:
    A guy made up a bunch on non-existent motorcycle models just to see how they would perform on Google! Sure enough, these made up models are number 1 on search pages. But now this guy is complaining why his other, real models are not ranked all that well…

    This is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen yet!
    http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Webmasters/thread?tid=3e640a919a6f2d0d&hl=en&fid=3e640a919a6f2d0d00047c71b175ee72

  11. xomero, I don’t think there was an official webcast, but I think Robert Scoble streamed it here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/3763271

    Manley, I didn’t tweet or visit Twitter.com; I set up FeedBurner to tweet whenever I do a blog post. πŸ™‚

    Mark, the NexusOne is released as of today. You can buy one in the U.S. from http://www.google.com/phone right now.

    Peter, Ahmad Wali, and Damian, I believe someone could buy the phone unlocked in the U.S. and immediately take it to any country where the 3G matched the radio bands that the Nexus One uses? If the 3G bands in Sweden or wherever match the bands that the Nexus One uses, then I’d check whether any friends in the U.S. would be willing to buy one and send it over?

    Michael Martin, I do have the Nexus One. It’s a great phone. I’ve been carrying both the N1 and an iPhone 3GS in my pocket for the last month or so, but I haven’t used my iPhone in several days.

  12. Ordered the nexus. πŸ™‚

  13. See, I was going to by an iPhone in January, good timing for the rumour mills before xmas though as I held off and I imagine many others did too. Can’t wait to get my hands on it πŸ˜€

  14. Now I’m longing to have a Nexus One. Matt, when will Nexus One be put on sale in China?

  15. I see the big announcement of the β€œdigital cleanse” didn’t last 5 mins. πŸ™‚ You remind me of dieters, they are trying to diet, or dying to try it.

  16. This looks like a great phone, except when I log into my tmobile account it says I can upgrade. Yet when I use the nexus one interface it says sorry and I have to buy it at full price.

    It’s a shame that Google reports different data then tmobile.

    Still looks like a good phone.

    πŸ™‚

  17. Oh, I know that, I am just being a grumpy snow-bound Brit.

  18. thanks for this, I’m not currently using iPhone or Blackberry, using Samsung Omnia, but very interetsed in what the google phone will do

  19. I am a current Blackberry user and I am considering making the switch over to the Nexus One Google phone. I read yesterday in the Wall Street Journal about how this will be an online direct sales only vs. the way current smart phones are sold through the carriers.

    I think taking it direct and selling the phone directly online is a great model. I have always disliked the way the cell phone companies conduct business, with 2 year contracts and termination fees. They always dangle a “new phone upgrade” over your head while in contract.

    Anyway, I look forward to seeing Google really take on the big wireless carriers and change the way the industry does business.

  20. Looks like a great phone, the name would of been cooler if it was something like G-Force, gPhone or just Google Phone ;-). Just got an iphone like 6 months ago. I wish I would of held off a bit. Maybe have to give the wife the iPhone and give Nexus One a spin.

  21. So far what I’ve seen in Google OS phones are very interesting.

    I wish those features were on my iPhone.

  22. Competition is always good, in fact it is great for all of us.

    I have an iPhone and I am happy with it, as most users probably are. I will be interested to see a true, unbiased comparison between the two.
    I just like the fact that N1 has a camera with flash, a la Blackberry.

    I hope the next iPhone does all and more as the N1 and then the N2 does 3x more than the iPhone and then, and then… πŸ™‚

  23. i got this massage “Sorry, the Nexus One phone is not available in your country. ”
    only for USA?

  24. The phone looks great, can’t wait for Verizon to get them.
    Matt, have you had a chance to try the voice search? if so how ell does it work?

  25. Despite the minor niggles, HTC and Google have put together pretty damn good looking and feeling phone; it’s not without faults, but they’re pretty few and far between. 1GHz Snapdragon CPU from Qualcomm (the same processor powering the HD2) — probably is the selling point for me.

    I love the option that Google provides of buying the phone directly without getting tied up with 2 year contracts.

  26. Did you give up your iphone for an android phone Matt? I have both iphone and Motorla droid and I think you guys are catching up although I think iphone still tops specially when it comes to usability.

  27. For Tommy,

    They said they can deliver the phone to the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong. But the T-mobile plan is only for the US.

    A

  28. Matt, I would be interested in seeing more posts about mobile browsing and any difference Google search results might be for mobile users.

  29. Google Nexus one is really getting popular because it based on new Android technology and really providing many useful features on it. According to the IDC report Google Nexus Android may overtakes iPhone by 2013. Thanks for info

  30. I was amaze and thankful at the same time

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