How would you change Google's Nexus One?
By Darren Murph 
posted February 26th 2010 10:29PM
posted February 26th 2010 10:29PM
posted February 26th 2010 10:29PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
The OEM unlock capability is great, and shows Google's support of custom ROM developers, but the fact that doing it voids your warranty (both hardware and software) is not.
@coolbho3000 Helll just fully load It with everything. Cmon HTC and google, cut the BS already
@coolbho3000 Yeah, I'd agree there. Laptops ship with Windows install discs just in case you screw that up or get cold feet about your Linux installation, so why not make the factory default ROM available too?
@coolbho3000
4.3" screen
@coolbho3000 First all, I would like to say this phone is one of the best phone I've ever used (The best android phone there is, in my opinion) I've been using this for 2 months now and perhaps the things that I want to change for nexus one is its customer support.
There has been a lot of times when I want to ask some technical problems (3g coverage, glitch, etc) And I need to enroll on a 3rd party forums just to find the answers (nexus one should have an official forum for this one)
Next will be the OTA updates.. I live outside the USA (asia) and the update didn't reach my country at all, and I needed to do the manual update (thanks to engadget) just to have it, perhaps in the future, the next OTA will be available in any part of this world. I got to say, the nexus one is a phone for everyone.
For technical details, maybe a SUPER AMOLED in the future? and maybe a couple of tweaks in the ROM will be superb. And maybe an answer for this one: http://bit.ly/nexus-one-compiled-disadvantages
Can't wait to see the next big thing about N1 :)
@AlexSanchez
I'm with you but on a broader scope. Enough with the piece meal approach to tech releases.
I want the company that releases the everything tech, the $10k laptop, the $5000 phone. Not with jewels stuck in it but with the edge.
Back in the day, we paid outrageous sums of money for tech, now it's all about cheap, sure make the cheap but where's the gold. Where's the 80 core box or the phone with thin film.
It exists so use it
@lisadiap Agreed. Best cell phone I have ever owned.
@AlexSanchez
Quality of service and value should be the SOLE basis of why a Carrier is chosen OR kept. This is manipulation of consumer decisions by fabricated 'unavailability.' Carrier agreements are bribery of manufactures and should be legally disallowed, In other words, a short term product-monopoly, or 'monopsony'. "We'll pay you xxx amount to NOT sell it on other carriers." This interferes with trade, does NOT benefit it, yet is status quo.
The iPhone has been MONOPSONIZED in the US (not that I care about the phone - it just illustrates the point). That the period of time is assumed to eventually expire is irrelevant, it has been the case and continues to be the case. Review the definition of a monopsony if you think its not the case. Moreover, I would argue that with smart phones and OTA updates, the carrier-phone-monopoly-age we've entered may be WORSE than most other historical versions, as they may even DAMAGE product you OWN for 'misuse' via a contract they know no one reads. How that's legal and hasn't been cause for class action still astonishes me.
Telephone companies in the U.S., along with power companies and other PUBLIC UTILITIES are REGULATED. You pay fees, and therefore deserve the advantages of a regulated market. It is regulated BECAUSE it is too important a service to simply trust such big companies to their good nature. Yet, the market we are under is subject to constant manipulations.
The FCC must stop allowing US cellular carriers to benefit from fragmented technology. Each generation of infrastructure upgrade has offered the carriers choice to converge on a standard, yet none have expressed intent to do so. It has gone on long enough.
Whereas a small market requiring far less investment money could self-correct, there are simply too few enterprise-level-competitors to allow such FALSE MARKETS.
...FCC, look at EU. Take note. Cause the change.
@coolbho3000
Quality of service and value should be the SOLE basis of why a Carrier is chosen OR kept. This is manipulation of consumer decisions by fabricated 'unavailability.' Carrier agreements are bribery of manufactures and should be legally disallowed, In other words, a short term product-monopoly, or 'monopsony'. "We'll pay you xxx amount to NOT sell it on other carriers." This interferes with trade, does NOT benefit it, yet is status quo.
The iPhone has been MONOPSONIZED in the US (not that I care about the phone - it just illustrates the point). That the period of time is assumed to eventually expire is irrelevant, it has been the case and continues to be the case. Review the definition of a monopsony if you think its not the case. Moreover, I would argue that with smart phones and OTA updates, the carrier-phone-monopoly-age we've entered may be WORSE than most other historical versions, as they may even DAMAGE product you OWN for 'misuse' via a contract they know no one reads. How that's legal and hasn't been cause for class action still astonishes me.
Telephone companies in the U.S., along with power companies and other PUBLIC UTILITIES are REGULATED. You pay fees, and therefore deserve the advantages of a regulated market. It is regulated BECAUSE it is too important a service to simply trust such big companies to their good nature. Yet, the market we are under is subject to constant manipulations.
The FCC must stop allowing US cellular carriers to benefit from fragmented technology. Each generation of infrastructure upgrade has offered the carriers choice to converge on a standard, yet none have expressed intent to do so. It has gone on long enough.
Whereas a small market requiring far less investment money could self-correct, there are simply too few enterprise-level-competitors to allow such FALSE MARKETS.
...FCC, look at EU. Take note. Cause the change...
@lisadiap good luck with worldwide OTA updates because, as far as I know, they are sent by the 3G network of your cellphone carrier.
I think the main problem with the N1 is the worldwide availability.
We also need the Verizon and AT&T version ASAP !!!
@HerbieDerb I agree. I absolutely adore the look of the HD2, but I'm not sure if I can stand WM6.5 (maybe WP7, but that's while out).
I wish the N1 looked more like the HD2, but still used A2.1 and Verizon.
However, looks are looks. I'll take an N1 just like it is, any day.
@lisadiap
Google Nexus One Official Help Forums can be reached here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android?utm_source=HC&utm_medium=leftnav&utm_campaign=android
I dont know why you had to install the update manually, I am outside U.S.A, in the country of Panama (Central America), but I got my OTA update via my home WiFi, this was when unboxing my Nexus 1, I bought it last week.
@Xerxesqados
Because it's not possible to brick a PC, you just boot off the CD and fix it. It is possible to brick a phone with crap firmware...
@Xerxesqados The factory default ROM is available, and you can flash back to it anytime you want. However, you cannot re-lock the bootloader - unlocked Nexus Ones will always have the "lock" symbol shown upon boot (you can't re-flash the bootloader or splash screen even on unlocked devices). The problem with the Nexus One is that unlocking the bootloader itself is an irreversible process and kills your warranty completely.
Discover dust under the screen or a dead pixel after unlocking the bootloader? Too bad, the HTC rep won't replace your phone. Power button stopped working? Call HTC and they'll claim it's a software fault related to your bootloader unlocking.
There have been many instances of people getting HTC to make exceptions to the rule, but the policy itself really needs to be changed.
@lisadiap I live in belgium and i received OAT update ^^
@coolbho3000 I don't believe they can just outright void your warranty for modifying your phone, not unless the modification was found to be the cause of failure to component. Case in point, individuals were getting their iPhone warranties voided by apple due to jailbraking when the nature of theIr visit to a apple service center was completely unrelated to the software on their phone. Needless to say that didn't last long. I recommend you review the Magnuson-Moss act, this law protects us consumers from such policies.
@Xerxesqados
that would be bad in a sense of what happened to linux. linux was meant to go the way it did, sure, but having android split off into a mess of new "distros" would be a loss for android as a selling point, and from google's POV where it supports android. It should only have to support one version of android.
@genomecop Have you owned an iPhone? How many people who have bought a Nexus One have previously owned an iPhone?
Make it available in Soviet Canuckistan.. as well as the paid apps on the Android Market.
@alexz
By the time it gets to Holland i will be smitten by another :wave goodbye to my Euros Google:
make navigation work offline
enhance contrast on OLED display, Zune HD has a lot more of it.
make the screen fingerprint resistant.
@creepin
+1 ... yes I agree about the finger print resistant screen
@creepin
and make the screen bigger and add SenseUI and full flash, .avi and DviX support.
And since you are at it buy me a six-pack of Bud too.
@Plexus Do not add Sense UI to something that isn't supposed to have Sense UI! If you like Sense UI, get the Desire.
@creepin
Add DivX and 720p support like on the HTC Desire:
http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2010/02/25/htc-desire-to-receive-divx-playback-support-in-future-update/
@coolbho3000 First, I think the N1 is a great device as it is. I wouldn't change anything, but since you are asking....
Super AMOLED, a tad more ROM and a little improvement in the looks wouldnt hurt, Sense UI would be a sexy addition, (maybe a camera button). But seriously, what keeps this phone from being perfect lies on the Android department, Android is great and all but could use more improvements than the N1.
@Plexus Really? You're getting free beer and you're asking for Bud? :P
@newjaruz
Agreed, the fingerprints are terrible on this. Worse than my old G1.
Navigation offline would be much more usable. Atleast maybe the option for it. Have one version like it is, and the other a big download to the SD card.
And they have already said it, but lets get some more use out of the SD card and stop allocating everything to the measly built in memory.
Boo to Sense garbage
@coolbho3000 The Desire hasn't been announced for the US, most likely BECAUSE of the N1. The 'best' we can hope to get is the N1. Why can't we dream of of a SenseUI enhanced life?
Hardware-wise, it could use the normal improvements that come with time, higher quality OLED, better camera, better battery life, etc, those new 28nm ARM Cortex processors, etc. I think the software side of the OS needs more attention rather than the hardware.
@Luffy I could be wrong, but I think the OS only has a software side. Lol.
Verizon, two months ago.
I'm a hair away from pulling the trigger on a Pre Plus, because I need a new phone now.
@outphase84 cdma N1 cleared FCC. Wait.
@outphase84
I'm in the exact same boat. Why must they make us wait!?!
@alphabuild
Yeah I nearly wet myself when I saw that. And I'm due for an upgrade too!
@outphase84 you can't be Palm Pre desperate. lol. The N1 will be here soon enough!
@outphase84 Do it! Palm ain't goin' nowhere!
@outphase84 I'd go for it, I love mine. And I love that it gets updated with new, enhanced features all the time.
@outphase84 Get the Droid, it's a better phone anyways. And it's available on Verizon RIGHT NOW!
@outphase84 Im in the same exact boat. Anyone have an opinion about this? I'm really diggin' the Palm Pre, I like the form-factor more than the N1 and the Droid. Is the Pre Plus vastly inferior to the Moto Droid and N1, or can I get the Pre Plus and not really lose out of too much?
@Giantenemycrab The biggest drawback is the relatively limited app catalog selection compared to android. The Pre also has a smaller screen, but other than that, no reason to hold back on it.
@outphase84
Droooooiiid
@outphase84 Thanks Outphase. I really think that I will make the plunge into webOS.
@danielstanard
I agree. I have used all three phones too, if only briefly. I use Droid now and it is definitely the winner.
@schammy BWAHAHAHAHAHAA
@Giantenemycrab,
Palm Pre is the only smartphone to offer Flash 10.0!
My Palm Pre has been rock-solid. Plus it comes with a 1 year warranty. I bought two Palm Pre phones for my family back in June 2009. Both phones have been extremely reliable. I use my phone quite a lot, about a few hours each day - mostly listening to recordings and reading. The battery lasts me the whole day; and last even longer – about two days, when I use it moderately.
I bought the Palm Pre which comes with 256MB RAM (i.e. memory) and 8GB of storage. The Palm Pre Plus has an even more solid construction, and you get 512MB of memory and 16GB of storage. You also get the Touchstone back-cover which allows you to charge your phone wirelessly.
With the Palm Pre, you also get Palm’s innovative webOS smartphone operating system, currently the best in the smartphone market – it is intuitive, powerful, and fun-to-use. Ever since its launch in June 2009, Palm has released about 10 updates to webOS. The latest version is webOS 1.4 which became available today. This update makes the Palm Pre the first smartphone to run Adobe’s Flash 10.0. Flash 10.0 works beautifully with webOS; just start typing on your phone and the Palm Pre will automatically search the web. The Palm Pre runs YouTube videos natively using Flash 10.0, without having to launch a special application.
The Palm Pre Plus with webOS supports the OpenGL 3D graphics library to perform hardware acceleration of 3D graphics. The biggest gaming companies like Electronics Arts (EA) have released their top 3D games like “Need for Speed” and “Sims City” for the Palm Pre. In fact, the Palm Pre Plus is so powerful that it was demonstrated recently to run 50 applications simultaneously (i.e. multitasking) while also running the 3D game “Need for Speed” at full acceleration!
Battery life is also very good for a smartphone. I can listen to music for hours, browse the Internet, and my phone still lasts the whole day. With moderate usage, the phone’s battery lasts for about two days. When the phone is not in use, the battery hardly drains, so it can hold its charge for many days.
The Palm Pre Plus feels solid. When you slide to close the keyboard, it locks into place. I also like the keyboard. I have medium size hands and I can regularly type about three lines before hitting the wrong key. The keyboard also has tactile feedback so when you press on the keys, you can feel the click when it makes contact. I recommend this phone.
@danielstanard I still do not get the tons of apps statement. yea tons of apps that do the same thing and none which do what i want. All i would add is an optical trackpad. the ball is dated.
@Thinker
Claiming the touchstone is real wireless charging is a fallacy. It still needs to be touching the dock thing and that my friend has wires. By this logic my nexus 1 dock is wirelessly charging my nexus 1.
Can't wait for witricity to release some consumer products... then we will have true wireless charging.
@danielstanard
I can't help but think that sounds like either a Palm employee speaking or a direct copy and paste from the Palm Pre's press page.
@knightrogen2
haha! I was thinking the same thing as I was reading that. "wow am I reading a brochure or is this a real comment...."