Battle Royale: iPhone Vs. Nexus One

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Battle Royale: iPhone Vs. Nexus One

Rahul Srinivas, Jan 06, 2010 1700 hrs IST

Find out what makes the Nexus One so remarkable

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Imaging

This was a grey area in the iPhones armour during the time of the 2G and the 3G iterations of the device. In the company of the 3.2 and 5 megapixels of the world, the iPhones 2 megapixel camera was simply outdated. It did not have autofocus or flash and some even termed it a bad job at making a pinhole camera. To add insult to injury, it was incapable of capturing videos unless you jailbreak the phone and defy Apple's command. With the arrival of the 3GS in 2009, Apple played catch-up with the world and managed to cram in a 3.2 megapixel camera. This took far better pictures and supported video recording as well, that too at a very decent VGA resolution.

The first generation Nexus One already boasts of a 5 megapixel camera, with LED flash and autofocus and at least on paper should take far better pictures than the iPhone. The video recording too is better (not by much though). The Nexus One is capable of recording videos in D1 (720x480) resolution at 20FPS. While we are yet to see how the videos turn out, this is still better than what the 3GS can do now.

Operating System

To start with, this is not an iPhone OS Vs Android battle but why the Nexus One is simply a more open platform as compared to the OSX platform of the iPhone. Apple's policy of not allowing developers to make apps that mimic the core functionality of their own existing apps viz. the calendar, browser and even an e-mail client is not applicable to Android. This throws in a lot of options for the consumer. I don't need 200 different apps to fart online! Give me a better e-mail client or at least the choice to switch between the applications of my choice.

Similar is the case with browsers. Who wouldn't love to see Opera Mobile run on an iPhone? Yes, the existing browser on the iPhone is quite capable, but then, all we are asking for is a choice! Apart from this, from what we hear from primary reports, the Nexus One seems to work a lot faster than the iPhone - even with the phone multitasking. While this might be attributed to the higher Clock speed of the Snapdragon processor inside the Nexus One, we should not forget hat the iPhone 3GS too is powered by a very competent ARM Cortex A8 processor, which by no means is a laggard.

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Discussion Board

(44) Comments

Anonymous

,samon, on Feb 10, 2010 06:10 PM

No matter what you say, cant beat apple.

Anonymous

,, on Feb 02, 2010 09:32 PM

max cole

,uk, on Jan 30, 2010 08:07 PM

Hello i saw your item posted i will like to know if still available with the final asking price and i would love to see couple of pictures of the item get back at as soon as you can. Regards. Mr max cole +447024026029

Dr.yogesh khadt

,pune, on Jan 17, 2010 10:31 AM

hey we should accept that iphone most revolutionary gadget of this decade.Stop comparing with any of the new gadget.............bze i phone is best phone tile this date.... but it has sm drawback it will fullfill in next generation i phone..............they will

rohan

,mum, on Jan 13, 2010 03:58 PM

cool thts nice news

yas

,bangalore, on Jan 12, 2010 06:34 PM

What a Waste SONY ERICSSON X10 is the best.... hey its my taste .....!!!!!!!!

krizanand

,hyderabad, on Jan 10, 2010 04:44 PM

Comparison between Applie Iphone and any other phone in the world should be only Looks and design, Let me tell you Iphone has become a style statement than a smartphone comeon apple multitasking is a basic feature a smartphone should and MUST do, bluetooth OBEX is not supported by Iphone you got to be kidding me, Iphone doesnt even have the option of delivery reports of messages a 1000 rs phone can do that, camera doesnt have flash and the height og arrogance is the battery is not replaceable or removable no one except steve jobs knows how the iphone battery looks like Now people call Iphone as a Smartphone, please we are not in stone age And techtree and all other reviwers out there i have no idea why people compare Iphone with all other smartphones produced in the World, Please do comparison betweem SMARTPHONE to SMARTPHONE not EYE CANDY to SMARTPHONE My rant is over thanks for reading :-)

Rishi

,Dayton, on Jan 09, 2010 12:35 AM

Dude You Forgot to mention the most awesome thing about the Nexus one. the Google Navigator. And i don't mean Google maps, the Google Navigator is like a standalone GPS software like Tomtom on the iphone. Only difference is Tomtom a $100 app for the iphone whereas the Google navigator is free.

tarlok

,mumbai, on Jan 09, 2010 01:44 PM

ya i missed this point too...anyways open source is always better.iphone has bound to hav more apps than andriod based phones since it is selling from a few years now...its a matter of time and we shall hav lots of em....

tarlok

,mumbai, on Jan 08, 2010 02:45 PM

Gr8 article Rahul..keep it up..I dont understand why ppl r saying it is a review..( retards) this is not an article but an overview regarding the 2 beasts..guys plz dnt compare the speed of the phone with the net speed ( how fast a web page loads...) Jez how dumb.do ur homework before u talk crap..

rshad

,District of Columbia, on Jan 06, 2010 10:13 PM

Did u get paid to write this article?

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Jan 07, 2010 08:26 AM

I hope either Google or Apple (or both) send me a cheque.

Nitin

,Mumbai, on Jan 07, 2010 04:17 PM

Do u think they work for free, dumbo?

pvgk

,hyd, on Jan 07, 2010 11:09 AM

dear google, please release unlocked version of nexus one asap in india so that even prepais customer can take advantage of nexus!!! while releasing phone in india, please donot tie up with an operator like iphone because it defeats the main flexibilty of experiencing the power of nexus one with different operators with post paid as well as prepaid!!!

Tom A

,Fresno, on Jan 07, 2010 10:35 AM

My boss has the droid and used it to take pictures of a discolored product to file a waranty claim. The discoloration was not nearly as noticeable as when I took the picture with my iPhone 3gs. There's a long history of Apple getting slammed for having lower specs on their hardware because the advantages aren't so apparent on paper.

Danesh

,Chennai, on Jan 06, 2010 11:00 PM

It maybe better to move this article off to some other section, other than the "reviews" section. It is really misleading as you have not actually reviewed the Nexus but are going by product specs and past experience. Also, for some reason, I am unable to go beyond the first page - tried clicking the arrow link and the drop down but no luck

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Jan 07, 2010 08:37 AM

The navigation issue has been fixed now @Danesh.

jack west

,brisbane, on Jan 06, 2010 06:52 PM

personally I have an iphone 3GS, and i'll wait until the nexus 2 hits the market, then jump ship. i should be out of contract then as well.... but there are two specific reasons as to why i am excited by the nexus one. firstly, the potential for a more open architecture which will allow 3rd party developers more leeway. I cant customise my message tones, wall paper, or ring tone (to a degree) on the iphone, which is just downright...primative. i believe this article mentioned the nexus one wont interact with exchange? if the app submission process is as open as i have been led to believe, this wontt be an issue. if there is a need, there will be an app...unlike certain other platforms. secondly, I use igoogle and rely heavily on google's cloud presence to allow me a common workstation across multiple platforms (for example google docs, google calendar...). I have strong hopes that a google phone will integrate will with the cloud apps much more effectively than my iphone, and will allow me real, effective, mobile computing across multiple platforms.

Carlito

,Belize City, on Jan 06, 2010 07:03 PM

In fact, if you had a Mac, and you have Garageband, you could customize your ringtone in there, and then share it to itunes. I do it all the time. I take a song and then do what I want with it, then when I am satisfied, I send the end product to iTunes, and the next time I synchronise my phone, it recognizes and adds the new ringtone. If you can, try it. As to your comments about iGoogle and Google Apps, it would be the same complaint that I would have, in not being able to effectively use MobileMe on the Nexus. Apple has never claimed to be fully open. They have only claimed to do things their way. I submit that both the Nexus One and the iPhone are VERY competent systems, and will have their followings. At the end of the day, they must be units that help your productivity. That is the bottomline.

bap

,Fort Lauderdale, on Jan 07, 2010 08:36 AM

I have an iPhone 3GS and it is OK, I thought my older iPhone was faster, but I am a media junky and my 32G is maxed most of the time. I have Soundstudio and have used it to create over 350 ringtones, which are all on my phone. A ringtone is simply a ≤ 30 sec m4a file renamed m4r. I am an Apple partial fanboy, but want good competition to force Apple to upgrade and drop prices. I would consider switching for a device that does not lock me into AT&weep. I was at a football game this weekend and could not access 3G to check other scores - pathetic. However, i had AT&T before the iPhone and it was worse with my prior two Moto's. I like my Apps, though they eat up much of my free time, but the ability to use the iPhone as a fully operational and bigger screened iPod replacement is my favorite feature. The 3GS is a bit buggy though. I am a Doc and cannot use cloud stuff due to HIPAA requirements - remember Google reserves the right to look at your stuff.

Phantom

,Anchorage, on Jan 07, 2010 02:37 AM

Slightly better camera and talk time features (and slightly bigger screen size and a resolution that amounts to nothing if it's not 10.1" or bigger) does not make it less of an iPhone clone. To me, the memory capacity is a deal breaker. 512MB isn't going to get you very far with high resolution pictures and video. Add music to that mix and you'd have no choice but to rely on constantly buying memory sticks each time they come out with higher capacity. Apple was smart enough to start out with 4GB and go up from there. I also find the apps extremely useful in my iPhone to conduct business, such as processing credit cards while on the go. That affects some of the memory. Like I said, what takes away the allure slightly is the fact that it's another iPhone clone. Sure, it's got better features in some regards... and poorer features in others, but Apple was the first to put out something that other companies later copied. Even Blackberry seemed so different compared to the iPhone. Now, I didn't say that all iPhone clones can't succeed in against the iPhone. I'm just saying that these companies are going to have to stop going, "Oh, we've got some better features, but crappier ones as well!" and just make something they can proudly say, "It has EVERYTHING the iPhone has, but better and without compromise!"

Nock4Six

,Toronto, on Jan 07, 2010 01:42 AM

Wow. If I may be so bold to say: You sound like you already had your decision made BEFORE the Nexus One even hit the market.

I love Tech

,Manchester, UK, on Jan 06, 2010 05:56 PM

Finally we have a true competitor to the over priced I phone. Do not get me wrong. I phone is the daddy of all phones. However, Google have introduced a handset that has everything you want and more. Also, the price is amazing. Google, you not just my home page anymore. You are in my life too.. One question, Is Google street view available on the nexus one??

Louie

,Oakland, on Jan 06, 2010 10:08 PM

yes, street view is available

Charles Szasz

,Elkview, on Jan 06, 2010 08:48 PM

I find it absurd that you do a "review' without actual using a product! So, I quit reading after the second page. I have found such "reviews" as being unreliable and a waste of my time.

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Jan 06, 2010 09:08 PM

To make it clear, it is in just in the reviews section. A CMS limitation caused it to land here. This is NOT a review. I do not claim it to be one because it indeed isn't one. No one is disagreeing. Our reviews are accompanied with ratings and a pros and cos section. This one doesn't have that. :)

Kevin Wright

,London, on Jan 06, 2010 08:28 PM

Struggling to comment on this crazy article?

Kevin Wright

,London, on Jan 06, 2010 08:30 PM

I am sorry but this is a very poor "review". In fact, come on, it really is NOT a review is it? You can not review a phone (properly) without USING it!! This is why you have written silly things, like: 1. Screen. OK, the Nexus has better res so it must be better right? Wrong. Take a look at the video on Engadget and tell me the screen colour on the Nexus One is nice? Its RED all over and looks terrible next to the iPhone and Droid. 2. Speed. Keep watching that Video, see how the iPhone loads the Engadget website in around 10 seconds and the Nexus One takes almost 6 times longer? As for making comments like this camera is 5mp so it must take better photos than the iPhone camera at 3.2mp. First of all that is rubbish, do people still think MP is the measure of a good photo? Next, if you can not even get the size of the iPhone MP right after all this time (it has a 3mp camera NOT 3.2mp) why would we believe anything else you right, please do some research in future. Dissapointing. Kev

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Jan 06, 2010 08:47 PM

Dear Kev, No, it's not a review. It is just in the reviews section. If it as a review, there would have been a rating and pros and cpns section. Nowhere do we claim it is one. Also, if you notice, the language used is clear enough for the reader to judge we haven't used the phone yet. Responding to your points. 1. Screen: Apart from having better resolution, it is also AMOLED which is know to produce way better blacks, contrast and overall richness.Who is talking about just the resolution here? Use the Omnia HD to know what I am talking about 2) Is speed all about loading websites on the browser? In fact when I talked abut speed, it was about the menu transition and the UI. I didn't mention the browser ever once. The fact rgarding the UI speed has been confirmed by people who have used the Nexus and the iPhone both. 3> True, more megapixels doesnt necessarily mean better pics, but not having a flash in 2010 is lame. Do you, like Applethink we all live in well lit offices 24/7? Thanks for your comments! :)

David

,Toronto, on Jan 06, 2010 07:05 PM

What a completely biased and farcical 'comparison'. Let me tell you a few other things in a nutshell where the Nexus One falls over: 1) It has a trackball, in 2010. Moving parts? How quaint. 2) The storage is a whopping 512MB. Oh wait. That's not even enough to keep a movie on. MicroSD cards? Wow. I'd love to have to remember to bring the right ones with me and swap them around all the time. Brilliant. 3) There's no killer app. All it does is everything the iPhone did a long time ago. Oh, whoopdeedoo, the backdrops are interactive. *yawn* 4) Say what you like about App store 'fascism', what that leads to is quality control. Now, I know there are plenty of gimicky toy apps out there, but just you wait and see all the random crap gets provided for the N1 by all the unchecked masses. There's a reason Google's share price dropped nearly $4 yesterday since the great unveiling. I'm not the only one completely unimpressed by a mediocre product.

bvindh

,qwerqwe, on Jan 06, 2010 07:36 PM

@David, "App store 'fascism', what that leads to is quality control"..??? do you remember the main reason Microsoft trashed Apple and Jobs was left with money pit of a monolithic project?...well, you should

mani

,dubai, on Jan 06, 2010 06:10 PM

i need all types of i phone prices in middle east & special features

bob

,London, on Jan 06, 2010 06:55 PM

Good for you

nexusOne

,pune, on Jan 06, 2010 06:53 PM

@cydia : Hey its like talking about who invented the wheel.No one cares about who and when ,what matters now how cheap it is & what is the best .Nexus is a perfect teaser to all the "oh I love iPhone" followers .

taiwan

,ol, on Jan 06, 2010 06:46 PM

Hero

Ryan H.

,Vegas, on Jan 06, 2010 06:18 PM

The Nexus one is also a 32gb media player too, what on earth are you talking about. "Nexus one's physical design, home screen, home button, etc. mimic the iPhone." Um...honey, the iphone has only one physical button where on earth do you think iphone capitalized on physical design and buttons? Personally Open Source and non fascist app store is far more important and revolutionary than people give it credit for.

kevwright

,London, on Jan 06, 2010 06:33 PM

Using the word fascist when talking about an APP store is a little ridiculous don't you think?

juwon

,lagos, on Jan 06, 2010 06:24 PM

when u map on i-phone what do you get? GOOGLE nexus one thumbs up.

Oscar

,Atlanta, on Jan 06, 2010 06:18 PM

Unfortunately, this article is so bent on the Nexus One that I recommend you find a more realistic review. I am not defending the iPhone, but watch out for the language in this one.

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Jan 06, 2010 06:22 PM

I have tried to be as "neutral" as I could be.. but then, since the Nexus One is the "IN" Thing, there might be undue stress on the same. :) The iPhone was revolutionary, he Nexus One isn't. That is the whole point.

vishwas

,bangalore, on Jan 06, 2010 06:19 PM

I believe multi-touch feature has been patented by Apple, so Nexus One cannot have it even though it has the hardware and software capable of it. (evil Apple?)

vishwa

,bangalore, on Jan 06, 2010 06:15 PM

whats the power of these batteries of these 2 phones, we want to know that. rather just replacing, more detail on apps too. :(

cydia

,bombay, on Jan 06, 2010 05:52 PM

You forget that the iphone 3GS is also a 32GB iPOD!!!! and a superb GPS device!!! not to mention the fact that the Nexus one's physical design, home screen, home button, etc. mimic the iPhone. The iPhone is the original REVOLUTIONARY phone and STILL the best by far!

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Jan 06, 2010 05:54 PM

Wholeheartedly agree with you there! I will add that bit as well! :) Give me a bit.

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