Despite appearances, I’m not particularly an early adopter. I may be interested in new tech toys, but I generally don’t take the plunge right away. I waited until the iPhone 3G, I don’t have a Kindle or a Blu-Ray player. I barely even paid attention when the announcements of the $500 Google Phone started circulating.
But there are a few key features that the Google Phone offers that my iPhone can’t. And that was enough for me to make the switch, to T-Mobile and Android.
- Google Voice. How often have I written about Google Voice on this blog? I love the service: and the fact that it was previously available to me via an app and then taken away has left me bitter. Obviously, the Google Nexus One phone integrates seamlessly with Google Voice.
- Augmented Reality. Yes, it’s a buzzword, but it’s intriguing. My iPhone 3G lacked the magnetometer that would allow me to ever use any augmented reality app features, and beyond that of course Apple was very controlling in terms of allowing developers to access the requisite functions. I’ve been hearing about Layar and Google Googles and knew I’d need to change to a new device anyway to see what the fuss was about.
- Voice Directions. Colorado recently put into effect a law on the use of mobile devices while in the car. The law itself is written oddly: I believe it calls out “inputting information into a mobile device” so arguably reading is still ok, but the fact that the Nexus One allows for verbal commands and will also speak point-to-point driving directions was another selling point.
Obviously those were just a few highlights that peaked my interest right away. I asked a few questions of other Android users, to ensure I could sync the phone with both my gmail accounts, and then took the plunge! As I get to use the phone more, I anticipate finding many more nice features that were lacking in my last device. And really, that’s to be expected: my iPhone 3G was 18 months old, and the pace at which these applications are developing is astounding.
Will the Nexus One be perfect? No, I know that. But it’s changing the game, possibly in ways we never would have expected. And in another 2 years, it’ll be time to try something new.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It looks like a very cool phone. Have you been able to try out Google Latitude which integrated into the Maps application on Android? I’m looking forward to upgrading my phone to Android 2.1 , the voice input looks like a killer feature which is only implemented at the app level and not a system wide in Android 2.0
Wardell´s last blog post ..Getting to Know Droid
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Andrea,
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Commented: “Why I Switched from an iPhone to the Nexus One | Digital Likeness” ( http://bit.ly/7BsCNT ) #android #nexusone
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