Google has unveiled its new smartphone in a direct challenge to the Apple iPhone.
The Nexus One “pushes the limits of what’s possible on a smart phone”. The tech giant billed the Nexus One as a “superphone” and the next step in the evolution of its Android software. Google worked with Taiwanese electronics firm HTC to make the touch-screen device. “I think you will see it pushes the limits of what’s possible on a smart phone” HTC chief executive Peter Chou said. “It is very thin and feels good in your hand.” Google engineer Erick Tseng said the Nexus One handsets are no thicker than pencils and no heavier than a Swiss Army knife keyring. “It is a great marriage of form and function. It is really light”, he said. Tseng added that the new phones are built on the same Android 2.1 software that runs Droid smartphones but feature innovations such as 3D graphics. Google said it is also launching its own online store, from which the Nexus One can be bought “unlocked” for $529 (£330). It will ship devices to buyers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Britain, it said. But if customers in the US buy the handset with a T-Mobile contract, the price starts at $179 (£111). Google said its European customers should be able to use a Nexus One with a Vodafone contract by the middle of the year.
