This is the first phone with the brand "Google". Although it first appeared in the market in early 2010, its specification still beats many low-end andriod phones. I had used it for about 2 years and had now given it to my dad. He is very happy with it.

Outloook

The outlook of the phone is quite unisexual and suitable for people of all age groups. There are four virtual buttons at the bottom of the phone together with a trackball. The trackball provides an alternative way to access the phone. It will come in very handy if you are wearing your gloves in the cold weather! However, there is a minor issue in assessing the virtual buttons. You will have to press on it for a little longer to get response.

Monitor

The monitor is relatively small compared to other new phones in the market now (it's only 3.7 inch). However, the quality of the monitor is high compared to ther other lower-end andriod phones in the market.

Camera

There is a 5.0 mega pixels camera available but there is no camera for video conferencing. Given that there are so many video conferencing programmes available in smart phones, it is a bit inconvenient. As for the quality of the photos produced, it is acceptable if you are using the camera to capture a few snapshots and maybe share it on facebook. If you are looking for some high quality photos, take your camera with you. The camera in the phone is no placement to a camera.

Battery

The battery runs out really fast (which is a common problem for all smart phones). Unless you are using your smartphone only as a phone (i.e. you don't go online using your phone for the whole day), it is almost necessary to buy an extra battery so that you don't have to charge your phone during the day.

The system

The phone operates on the andriod system so flash is available. Personally I think that it's a big advantage as most websites still use flast and you can't access those websites using iPhone. Besides, while the phone is a bit old, its specification is still sufficient enough to support many apps developed recently. The RAM and the speed of the processor is good enough to support the new apps.

Transferring files to the phone is easy. You use use the USB line (which comes with the package) to connect the phone to your computer and then drag the files into your phone. If you find it troublesome to use iTunes, then you will love using this phone!

Using it as a phone

It does take me some time to adjust from the mobile phones with "real" buttons to using one with virtual "buttons". However, it wouldn't be that difficult once you get the hang of it. However, you may wish to note that it is difficult to see the "buttons" if you are using it under bright sunlight!

The clarity of the sound is quite satisfactory but I found that it depended more on the network than the phone itself. If you are travelling on the road then you may find that your call will suddenly cut off. However, I encountered the same problem after switching to a new phone so I guess it related more to the network.

If there's one thing to complain, then the sound level of the ring is way too low and you will easily miss your call if you are in a noisy place. You can put your phone on vibration but it is not very strong so you may still miss it if you put it in your pocket!



To sum up, it is a good phone under the "Google" brand name. Its specification is still better than many low-end andriod phones in the market and the performance is definitely good. If you have a limited budget and would like to have an adriod phone, consider getting a Google Nexus One. You won't regret about it.