Google\u2019s first own-brand phone goes on sale tomorrow. But Matt Warman says the Nexus One is just the beginning.<\/p>\n
Google\u2019s first foray into mobile phones was an upsetting affair. The company whose search engine changed the world had been rumoured to be planning something equally revolutionary in a sphere dominated by the iPhone. Rumours had swirled of a phone that was free \u2013 one that would be, like most other Google products, supported by advertising.<\/p>\n
What we got was a slightly clunky new operating system, a regular contract and a brick-like phone, the G1, that sported a slide-out keyboard that was more Red Dwarf than Star Trek. Commentators at the time, including myself in this newspaper, said that it was, if anything, the very gentle lappings of the water at the beginning of a new wave. <\/p>\n
Tomorrow, however, Vodafone launches the Nexus One in Britain. It\u2019s the first handset that Google has designed, and it\u2019s the first that genuinely begins to realise the potential of the company\u2019s operating system, Android. The device offers total integration with email, the web and third-party applications in a way that even the iPhone has yet to offer, especially at this price.<\/p>\n
Indeed, while the iPhone dominates media coverage, it\u2019s only 2 per cent of the market. Just 20 per cent of it has anything that could be called a smartphone, the devices that are basically mini-computers that make phone calls. BlackBerries and iPhones are cutting edge, not mass market.<\/p>\n
Google\u2019s Android, however, is likely to change that. There are around 20 handsets running the system on the market and because the system can be used and adapted freely by any manufacturer, it\u2019s available from Samsung, Sony Ericsson and soon even budget manufacturers such as Alcatel.<\/p>\n
At some point in the next few years, it won\u2019t be a surprise if the majority of all handsets are running a version of Google\u2019s operating system, just as the vast majority of British web searches use Google\u2019s search engine. It\u2019s simply the market at work \u2013 free and effective, Android offers a compelling option for both manufacturers and consumers. It will probably also kill of the satnav market because every phone offers a free Google Maps navigation and turn-by-turn directions.<\/p>\n
There is, however, a problem for the Nexus One \u2013 although Google and the first operator to have it, Vodafone, will give the device an almighty marketing push, Google\u2019s handset is not the best device available with Android. HTC, which has been at the forefront of Android hardware, has already produced the Desire. Essentially, it\u2019s a souped-up Nexus One, offering a nicer screen, a better trackball and a faster processor. That means everything works faster. The Desire is free on a two-year contract at about \u00a330 per month. The Nexus One is only on Vodafone at a similar price.<\/p>\n
So Google\u2019s tanks are on Apple\u2019s lawn. The search giant doesn\u2019t yet offer the eco-system of products and services that makes Apple\u2019s iPhone so ubiquitous because there are too many Android handsets of different shapes and sizes. But make no mistake \u2013 Google will change the bulk of the market, will put the web and music in the majority of people\u2019s pockets, and will probably not charge you a penny for it. There are few products that really make life both easier and cheaper \u2013 but Android is one of them.<\/p>\n
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