The Nexus One handles notifications beautifully: a status bar at the top of the screen shows icons related to activity, and a simple swipe of the fingers shows received emails, texts or tweets, missed calls, and other status items. You can click directly on any of the items to be pulled into that application, or clear the list.
This ability to run apps in the background and show the user a quick view of the status is great; no need to manually launch an app just to check a status. Although the iPhone has push notifications, the feature pales in comparison to the Android notifications, which often would flag an incoming email quicker than my Notify desktop app.
This quick view is particularly useful when checking the phone after a period of non-use, to get caught up on activities. It struck me that this is important for the Nexus One, because I don’t feel the same compulsion to be on it that I do with the iPhone. There is something simply enjoyable about using the iPhone, which is why you so often see folks simply playing with them. The Nexus One is much more utilitarian, in its use and feel. It’s a powerhouse, but I never felt the same draw to check it continuously. So the Nexus One needs to provide those notifications, to let you know what was going on while you were off doing something else.
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