/Big Question/ Qu'est-ce que c'est?
02/02/2010 | Filed under Discover > Big Question
Do we finally have an iPhone killer in the Nexus One?
Hosting guru
Dominic Monkhouse
PEER 1
Google (renowned for free usage) used to be the good guys. Everyone loved them because they weren’t Microsoft – who were hated because you had to PAY for stuff. But is Google’s brand better for a phone than Apple’s? The Apple was successful even when it was rubbish as a phone. Now if the Google phone could roam across networks and Wi-Fi seamlessly ... that would be interesting.
Dominic Monkhouse is UK MD at PEER 1
Business leader
Dean Wood
NeoMedia
Google’s Nexus One is definitely the real deal – and by that, I mean it’s ready to go head to head with the iPhone on both technical features and customer experience. Critical hardware features like the touchscreen, GPS, advanced camera, sound and video are integrated with search, navigation, social networks, and media content. That makes Nexus One a contender for smartphone market share, but not by any means an iPhone killer. The real breakthrough is Nexus One’s impact on the mobile marketing and advertising ecosystem. Google’s entry into the smartphone business opens up the ecosystem to richer, more innovative mobile communication between brands and consumers. Nexus One and its successors provide an open mobile channel for brands to deliver sponsored content, whether that comes through mobile barcode campaigns, video, music, TV or some new combination of all these options. I think that’s a great development for the mobile industry as a whole – including Apple.
Dean Wood is VP of global business development at NeoMedia
Creative guru
Marc Peter
on-IDLE
Nexus One is simply a great improvement on the user interface of the first Android phone, as opposed to being a real innovation as was the case with the first iPhone. The Nexus One does not bring anything new to the smartphone marketplace that isn’t already there when comparing smartphones such as the PalmPre, Blackberry Storm or Nokia N/E devices apart from full integration with Google Voice. Although I’m impressed by the HTC product design and SnapDragon 1GHz core processor, the Nexus One is a long way off from being an iPhone killer.
The phone’s design itself is attractive, distinctly HTC with Google design flourishes, lightweight, small and elegant, in particular if comparing to the chunkier Blackberry Storm 2. The touchscreen’s 480x800 OLED beats the iPhone’s 480x320 display as well as being brighter and more alive, but I do have concerns about seeing anything on the screen in bright daylight. The iPhone’s screen is however starting to show its age and needs an urgent upgrade. The ‘noise cancellation’ second microphone feature is something that all mobiles should have. The trackball and 4 dedicated buttons should make moving between applications and scrolling long documents easier than on the iPhone and any longer battery life is only to be welcomed, although hard to believe as such a large screen and powerful processor is bound to gobble juice.
On the software side, this is how Google Voice should be integrated with all text fields voice-enabled and an excellent voice keyboard. The image gallery is much improved, but the much-hyped Android 2.1 OS (Operating System) is almost a carbon copy of Droid (Motorola). The upgrade to five home screens and update to the main Home will make navigating around the phone’s features easier too. The main downfall against the iPhone is that the Nexus One default apps apparently don’t support ‘multitouch’ on a touchscreen device. You can’t pinch-to-zoom, for example, Google Maps, which will be a nightmare for browsing and gaming. On the gaming and gadget side of things, there’s much work to be done to match iPhone Apps.
The Nexus One is certainly a best of breed Android phone, and by all accounts from users, a better phone than the iPhone, but without the backbone of iTunes (apps and gadgets); I’m not getting rid of my iPhone just yet.
Marc Peter is creative director at on-IDLE
Activist
Oxblood Ruffin
Hactivismo
In the short term I doubt that Apple will feel any pain. Although Android is gaining market share, it – and Nexus – has a problem. The brand is schizophrenic. There are x-number of Android hardware options, including Google’s, and no central marketing plan; Steve Jobs has another way of doing things. There’s also that Apple tablet thingy we keep hearing about. If it’s announced as soon as expected, the Nexus One will be about as relevant as a Newton.
Oxblood Ruffin is the founder of human rights pressure group Hacktivismo
Marketing expert
Benn Achilleas
Neoco
A real missed opportunity for Google to move the market forwards. Instead they just release a ‘me too’ product. Yeah, it looks all right but it’s no iPhone. Better camera but that’s about it. Where’s the power? Where’s the wow factor?
What they needed to do was release something that made my iPhone-hugging ass think about how I could dump this crappy O2 contract and get me a sweet new Nexus. Instead it’s just another failed opportunity. Another failed launch of an iPhone killer. Everyone, including us iPhone owners, wants to see an iPhone killer and set the industry and consumer wars on fire, but so far, no one has delivered. And here we have the central problem with the mobile industry: its failure to deliver on promise. How long has everyone waited for Year of the Mobile... year after year since the early noughties.
The iPhone finally kicked things off and now we’re back to the waiting game. The only good thing about the Nexus is that it’s (just) enough to keep things ticking over until the real iPhone killer gets unveiled later in the year – the iPhone 4.0/4G.
Benn is co-founder and director at digital marketing agency Neoco
Creative expert
Mark Walls
Neoco
Google’s Nexus One is a promising device with some interesting features and what seems to be a very fast processor, ticking all the boxes it needs to be competitive. It appears to include enough innovative features to keep the industry on its toes and along with the huge amount of publicity it’s already receiving, it should serve to boost the entire mobile content market.
It seems that every new ‘iPhone killer’ becomes a victim of the hype ahead of its launch. Apple achieved the positioning and marketing spot-on for the product. I suspect consumers are quite confused with Android, with fragmented messages from operators and handset manufacturers, but now there’s a ‘hero’ device that marketing can be built around. It will be interesting to see if Google commits to marketing it properly, on the scale of Google Chrome, for example.
Only time will tell how it stacks up against the competition once other manufacturers start using Android 2.1. I’m sure each of these will be positioned as the next iPhone killer!
Google’s decision to sell the phone directly to consumers could shake up the traditional retail model. It’s the difference between making a decision about an operator first then a handset, and choosing a phone before your operator.
Mark Walls is co-founder and creative director at digital marketing agency Neoco
Hosting guru
Andrew Saunders
Zen Internet
As an “IPhone killer”, Google’s Nexus One has a major job on its hand – bigger than even the challenge of getting to work in the UK when it snows! The iPhone has massive first-mover advantage, is an excellent and award winning product and has generated massive, almost cult like loyalty amongst users of the 21million units shipped globally. The iPhone is much more than a smartphone; it’s a fashion statement and lifestyle choice for the connected generation, which leaves Nexus One as potentially the “best of the rest” smartphone but not an “iPhone killer”.
I have neither an iPhone nor a Nexus One, but having read many reviews of both, it seems to be a swings and roundabouts choice in terms of the technical specs for the two products. As we might expect, the number of Android apps currently available is way behind that of iPhone and has nothing like the sophistication of iTunes. However, what really matters is how well it works and well it’s supported. Google have chosen a solid partner in HTC but there are bound to be teething problems and with Google’s web-only distribution there are early reports of users being unclear how to get the best support.
I still miss my Nokia 6310 from years ago, but when I eventually take the smartphone plunge it will be with an iPhone.
Andrew is head of product management & marketing at Zen Internet
Social media and comms expert
Rachel Hawkes
Elemental Communications
We’re not just talking about the handsets here, we’re talking about the whole consumer experience, which includes the app store, payment and customer services, and developer support.
There’s a rush of developers creating content for the platform. However, some reports say that up to 70+ per cent of the apps are for free, and developers are perhaps going to struggle to generate revenue from the app store, as consumers will expect content to be for free.
There’s also the quality issue, Google are doing minimal testing and basically allowing self-certification for apps, whereas there’s a reasonably thorough test and screening process (too thorough?) for the Apple app store. This could have a negative impact on the chance of repeat purchase for consumers.
Apple has a very strong brand, though a significant number of consumers are finding the iPhone too “mainstream” and are looking for some individuality, and the Nexus One may be able to take advantage of this.
One of the most important questions, though, is one consumer price point, and how Google manage the network operator relationships. Some leaks have priced in at $530 without contract, and with a T-mobile US contract it’s supposed to be at $180. Though these figures have not been confirmed, this is significantly more expensive than the iPhone.
The price point and the app developer proposition aren’t yet where they need to be, but I can’t see Google sitting on their laurels.
Rachel is account director at Elemental Communications
Media & PR expert
Tim Gibbon
Elemental Communications
There always has to be a ‘killer’ device or software these days and when it’s billed as such (normally by the media), it more often than not falls far short of expectations. However, the Nexus One device is a collaboration between HTC and Google, and although Google have only been involved in the mobile space over the last few years, its involvement has been well received.
It’s no secret that Apple and Google are moving away from symbiotic relationships and into a position where they would more directly compete with each other. This was highlighted more recently with the Google Voice v iTunes dispute. This current move (the Nexus One) is yet another step further away from the strong relationship the two once held to a more competitive setting. There’s no doubt that there’ll be more handsets that use the Android platform (such as Sony Ericsson), but it remains to be seen whether they can capture the imagination of consumers beyond the marketing ploys that are available.
The Nexus One doesn’t look like anything exciting, but ultimately, it’s what’s under the hood that counts. This device is unlikely to be an iPhone killer, but certainly a refreshing to see it going on sale directly from Google and not locked into a network. If it can repeat the magic it brought to search, the mobile industry will become a very interesting space indeed; and we all know how Google can shake things up.
Tim is director of Elemental Communications
Hosting specialist
Neil Barton
Hostway, UK
Since its launch, the iPhone has certainly shaken up the mobile phone market. Where once we were talking about voice minutes and texts, we’re now talking about operating systems and applications. So in this respect Nexus One isn’t a revolutionary device, but it certainly appears to be the strongest indication yet of Google’s mobile intentions and plans for its Android operating system.
While other handsets have been running Android for the last 18 months or so, Google must see the Nexus One as the real deal as it’s its first officially branded handset. Certainly, it has some great selling points such as true voice recognition, OLED screen and the capability to run multiple applications at once, but it will still have a difficult job ‘killing’ the iPhone.
If you actually look at the iPhone from a purely hardware point of view it hasn’t changed that much in its three iterations to date. But where it has made great strides is in the evolution of its operating system and the sheer number of applications now available to users. There are now over 100,000 applications in the Apple Apps Store compared to only 20,000 in the Android marketplace. That, coupled with its integration with services such as iTunes, still makes the iPhone a very attractive proposition to most consumers. The Nexus One won’t topple the iPhone. However, if the Android platform continues to evolve and more application developers come on board due to its ‘open’ nature, there is every chance that Google’s Nexus ‘Two’ could give the iPhone a run for its money.
Neil is the director of Hostway UK
Business specialist
Dickie Armour
Fibranet Services Ltd
I switched to the iPhone in November through Orange, and it’s without doubt the best mobile phone I’ve ever owned. It meets all the hype head on and still surpasses it!
I’ve seen videos of the Nexus One and it does look good. I’m not a fan of flip-out keyboards, so it’s nice to see that it doesn’t use one and so is able to keep ultra-slim. The voice to text function seems good but I can imagine it all getting a bit messy with badly pronounced words, and most people (especially the Generation Ys) are mega-speedy typists. I for one wouldn’t be swayed just by the voice to type function.
I think there are some plus points on both phones. The multi-touch of the iPhone is great and I’m surprised Nexus One hasn’t got this function. The iPhone’s applications are where it’s still streets ahead, but Apple’s controlling way of approving all apps before release could see Google catch up, as it has a more open policy with apps.
The iPhone/iPod integration is also a huge plus for Apple. The screen resolution looks better on the Nexus One and it has a more powerful processor but it lacks in the memory stakes. Google says it will be sorting out the memory card limits on the Nexus One soon.
Overall, I think the Nexus One looks good and could be the real deal, giving the iPhone a run for its money. But I spoke to a sales rep in a Vodaphone store at the weekend and he says they won’t be getting them until March/April time. Plus, people are tied into UK phone contracts on the iPhone and I for one won’t be breaking my contract to switch from the iPhone.
Dickie Armour is general manager of Fibranet Services
Ecommerce expert
Ben Dyer
Actinic
I hate the term “iPhone killer” - it’s far too easy a label to attach to any smart phone launched within the last two years. However, this time around I think the boys in Cupertino have a real threat on their hands. Apple has had a pretty easy ride up till now; the closest competitors have been the various Android devices but even Google is happy to admit it has been slowly testing the water. Nexus One however is a major step forward for Android and I am hoping the various nips and tucks in the latest OS will really make it stand out from the smart, sorry, super phone group.
There are a ton of devices hitting the streets this year and they all have their own unique features. I have a Nexus One on order but the rumours about Windows 7 mobile and the Sony Android phones are also pretty exciting. However, in my opinion the biggest threat to the iPhone is Apple itself.
Let’s not forget the OS and hardware is now about three years old, that’s an age in tech terms. Yes it’s getting huge market adoption but I think it’s looking like a fairly tired piece of kit. Apple will need to refresh the line this year, and with strong competition from almost every corner of this crowded market it’s going to have to be something special.
Ben Dyer is director of product development at Actinic
Software specialist
Simm Vips
Modera
The phone’s big advantage is its app store and developers community that it has created and built, probably at the envy of telecom and devices creators alike. Most other ‘iPhone killers’ don’t have the potential to excel in this space mainly due to these reasons. Google on the other hand has huge community, brand kudos and publicity of its Android platform.
In addition to this Google has an advantage over Apple due to the suite of in-house of applications that can be used on Nexus One (email, Chrome, maps, Office apps etc). As an iPhone user and software developer, I will be looking closely at the opportunities provided by Nexus One because only time will tell if it significantly gains ground in such a competitive space.
Simm Vips is founder and CEO of Modera
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