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Head to Head: Google Nexus One vs Apple iPhone 3GS

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By Clare Hopping, 28 Jan 2010

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The Google Nexus One is Google’s first foray into the smartphone arena, but how does it compare to Apple’s iPhone 3GS, the current touchscreen favourite? We put the two devices head to head.

There’s been anticipation surrounding Google’s entry into the smartphone race for quite some time and now the Nexus One is here. This has led to some Apple-hating critics claiming (or rather hoping) it’ll beat the seemingly unbeatable.

Although Google’s Android OS has seen a boom in the past year, the iPhone has still stormed ahead, grasping as much of the market as it possibly can. But as we all know, it takes more than just a good platform to make or break a phone's success. We pit the Google Nexus One and Apple iPhone 3GS against each other in this head to head comparison. Read on to find out which handset giant wins.

Opering system

Apple’s Mac OS has always been like marmite; people love it or hate it. We love it.

When it first appeared, the squeezed down version of Mac OS was the most impressive anyone had ever seen on a smartphone. Now in its third iteration this continues to be the case.

Multi-touch support, an almost-full HTML Safari browser, push notifications and a fantastic push email system all stunned those used to alternative smartphone platforms such as Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.

The introduction of Google Android also amazed those used to the dodgy touch interface of Windows pre-6.5, and BlackBerry’s antiquated interface. Symbian didn’t have a chance.

The Google Nexus One integrates the latest version of Android, 2.1. It adds a load more functionality, including voice-to-text, better-integrated email and an improved weather application.

Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS

Screen

Touch screens have always been a point of debate and contention since they first became mainstream on a sub-£500 phone.

OK, so you’ll struggle to pick the iPhone up for less than £500, but its screen is probably its best feature, apart from its body, applications offering and well, you get the picture.

It is the most amazing touch screen yet – colours are vibrant, crisp and hugely clear, despite its resolution being lower and physical size smaller than on the Google Nexus One (320 x 480 pixels, 3.5in vs. 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7in), but it’s super-sensitive to our every touch.

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3 comments

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Unbiased?

No prizes then for guessing that the writer is a Mac Fangirl. How does the iPhone win in the "OS" section -- it appears to be purely arbitrary. The same goes for the "screen" section when it is obvious to anybody that the Nexus One has a much better screen. In the "storage" section, just because neither device meets the writer's ultimate goal of more built-in storage does not mean that the Nexus One is not a clear winner. Network? A Nexus One can be bought unlocked and sim-free. Clearly, any device with a faster processor has an advantage, but the Android OS has always been a multitasking OS, even on slower handsets. The reason that the iPhone doesn't have a full multitasking OS is to make it appear faster than it actually is. The result then is that the Nexus One is a clear winner. And best of all the Android OS is open. This is a really biased report -- for a more valuable report check this one out [http://bit.ly/bA4rsz]. There are many others.

By 6tricky9 on Friday Jan 29

Real World..?

Most of this review could have been written without seeing or using either phone. It might as well just compare the adverts. I have owned an iPhone, an Android handset (Samsung Galaxy), and one of Nokias best the N97. The iphone is 'nice', it looks nice, it feels nice, it's a shiny toy. What is not mentioned in this review is the poor battery life, the fact that when this battery fails you will need to send it to Apple for replacement, the iPhones ability to grab a signal seemed very poor on mine (which was a 3G, not 3GS). Parts of my house would have no service at all, but both my N97 and Galaxy can make calls anywhere in the house on the same network... maybe the 4Gen iPhone will be better, as you would expect, but I suspect it'll next years 5th generation one that will be the next one to force its way into my collection... Android or Maemo show more promise than a cut down version NeXT. Multi-Tap seems to be held up as an iPhone jewel, but the Android OS supports it, pretty much any capacitive screen can interpret the gestures, and as the law suit suggests, it wasn't actually Apples originally..! ...and don't get me started on the iPantypad..! ;-)

By replica2k on Saturday Feb 6

RE:

Having just traded in my Nexus One for a 3GS I can attest that the iPhone tips this by a margin. No, I'm not a mac fan nor have I ever been but I can recognise the simple fact that, when it comes to an unfussy, effective smartphone the Apple is just better. The keyboard's better, the connectivity's better, the camera, even though it's got a lower pixel count, is also better. I've been an Android user since day one but since my free time is more rare I don't want a phone that demands of me, which Android's certainly do. If you've got the time to administer a device and like to play, it's the better OS but the Nexus One is a flawed example. It suffers from the same nonsense that the 2G iPhone suffered from with the signal being cut off with your palm when you use it - what good's a mobile phone if you black out the signal when you hold it?

By TonyC on Tuesday Mar 9