Connectivity

Media

Sensors

Additional features

Like a number of other Nextel handsets, the i1 features a sturdy design and meets Military Specifications 810f so it can withstand dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, fog, and more. To really drive home the idea of the phone’s ruggedness, Moto and Sprint invited Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” to introduce the Motorola i1. Rowe’s show takes a look at some of the toughest and dirtiest jobs in the nation; jobs in which people need rugged phones.

The phone indeed feels strong, and we’re thrilled to see an iDEN device that offers a sleeker design and such advanced features as a touch screen, a decent Web browser, and a 5-megapixel camera. Of course, we wish it was running something a little more than Android 1.5. That said, we also have to wonder, will the Motorola i1 be too much for the traditional Nextel customers?

Motorola i1

The Motorola i1 is the first ruggedized Android device.  Equipped with Push-to-Talk functions, this is also their first iDEN radio for Nextel customers.  Other key features include WiFi, 5MP camera with video capture and LED flash. 

Like a number of other Nextel handsets, the i1 features a sturdy design and meets Military Specifications 810f so it can withstand dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, fog, and more. To really drive home the idea of the phone’s ruggedness, Moto and Sprint invited Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” to introduce the Motorola i1. Rowe’s show takes a look at some of the toughest and dirtiest jobs in the nation; jobs in which people need rugged phones.

The phone indeed feels strong, and we’re thrilled to see an iDEN device that offers a sleeker design and such advanced features as a touch screen, a decent Web browser, and a 5-megapixel camera. Of course, we wish it was running something a little more than Android 1.5. That said, we also have to wonder, will the Motorola i1 be too much for the traditional Nextel customers?

The bad: Sluggish at times and spontaneously rebooted once during our review period; device is only running Android 1.5; small screen; keyboard’s durability in question since it’s exposed on the back.

The bottom line: The Motorola Backflip offers a unique design, but it’s rather lackluster in the features and performance department. It’s a decent choice if you’re upgrading from a feature phone, but anyone looking for speed and power should look elsewhere.

We can’t say this was a complete surprise, but AT&T made it official in February and introduced the Motorola Backflip as its first Google Android device. The Backflip made its grand debut at CES 2010, where we awarded the smartphone with our Best of CES award in the cell phones and smartphones category for its unique design, which includes a rear-facing QWERTY keyboard and a trackpad behind the display.

Unfortunately, after now spending some time with the device, this seems to be the only real highlight of the phone. The Backflip suffers from performance issues and runs Android 1.5, making it a rather disappointing Android debut for AT&T. It’s OK if you’re upgrading from a feature phone, but with four other Android devices expected in the coming months, we’d wait to see what else is out there.

Design

The most memorable thing about the Motorola Backflip is its design. You wouldn’t necessarily know it by looking at the phone straight on, since it doesn’t have any notable traits. In fact, it largely resembles the Motorola Dext with a rectangular shape and rounded edges, but with a slightly smaller footprint at 108 x 53 x 15.3mm.

Unlike the Dext, however, the Backflip is a flip phone instead of a slider and this is where it gets interesting. When closed, the keyboard is actually located on the back of the phone, so when you swing it open, the keyboard sits right beneath the display. The layout makes sense and the hinge is strong but we just worry about the long-term durability of the keyboard. Though Motorola says the keyboard is rugged enough to withstand the exposure, we’re curious to see what condition the phone will be in after an extended amount of time placing it down on a surface or mixing and mingling with other objects, like keys, in a pants pocket or bag.

As far as the keyboard itself, we found it quite good. It’s spacious and the square buttons are a good size, minimizing mispresses, but we do wish they were a bit more domed like the Dext’s keyboard. The keys provide a nice springy feedback. The number and symbol keys (marked in blue) are doubled up with the letters (marked in white), and a nice, bright backlight makes it easy to see whether you’re in a dark room or outdoors. There are a handful of shortcuts along the bottom row and left side for quick access to the Web, search, messages, as well as to the home and menu screens. Also, tucked away into the corner of the keyboard is the camera lens and flash.

Flipping back to the front of the phone, you’ll find a 3.1-inch HVGA (320 x 480) capacitive touchscreen. It displays 256,000 colors, but lacks the vibrancy and sharpness of some of the other Android devices, such as the Motorola Milestone and Nexus One. The Backflip’s screen is also on the smaller size, so it’s a bit of strain on the eyes when viewing emails and Web pages.

There is no pinch-to-zoom support, but you can double-tap the screen to quickly zoom in on a point. The screen also has a built-in accelerometer that works in certain applications, such as the browser and maps, so you can get a wider picture in landscape mode. However, there can sometimes be a noticeable lag, including when you open and close the phone, and scrolling through lists stutters occasionally. The delays aren’t crippling but you also get the feeling that the Backflip is underpowered (see Performance for more).

That said, you don’t always have to rely on the touchscreen to navigate. Behind the display you will find what Moto calls the Backtrack navigation pad. It works just like a trackpad, letting you move between home screens and photos and scroll through lists and apps with the swipe of a finger. The idea is that using the Backtrack gives you an unobstructed view of the display, since your fingers are out of the way. Frankly, we don’t find this to be a huge issue; you swipe to your destination, tap to launch, and remove your hand. Done. That’s the whole purpose of having a touchscreen in the first place, right?

The Backtrack isn’t a bad idea. It works as advertised and at times it offers smoother scrolling experience. Ultimately, though, it doesn’t really add a ton of value to the device. Part of the problem may be the location of the trackpad. Having it behind the display makes it a bit awkward to reach and use, but perhaps we just need more time with it. We definitely give Moto props for trying something different, but maybe it tried a bit too hard to be different.

Some final notes about the phone’s design: There’s a volume rocker, a micro-USB port, and a camera activation/capture button on the right side. On top, you will find the 3.5mm headphone jack and power/lock button, while below the display, there are touch-sensitive controls for the menu, home screen, and back button. The microSD expansion slot (supports up to 32GB cards) is located behind the battery door, which sits opposite to the Backtrack.

AT&T includes only the essentials in the sales package: An AC adapter, a USB cable, and reference material. One accessory you probably won’t have to get is a desktop dock. Opening the Backflip to a 90-degree angle sends the phone into media mode much like the Milestone when it’s docked into the multimedia station, so it will display the date and time, weather, and alarm clock. You can also launch a slideshow and have the Backflip act like a digital photo frame. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and home page.

Features

Similar to the Dext and the Motorola Devour, the Backflip uses Motoblur software, which helps merge contact information from various email accounts and social networking sites, including Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Exchange, Twitter, and Picasa, into a master list. In addition, emails (aside from Gmail) are combined into a universal in-box and appointments are also combined into one calendar.

To help you distinguish between accounts, a small icon is displayed next to each message indicating which account it came from and calendar entries are color-coded. We had no problems syncing up our Exchange (via Outlook Web Access), Gmail, Yahoo, Facebook, and Twitter accounts to the Backflip. Gmail messages arrived almost instantaneously, though appointments took a few minutes to show up on the phone. Outlook messages were retrieved every 15 minutes, just as we programmed it to do.

Motoblur goes beyond contact management, though. It also offers various widgets that can be added to the phone’s five home screens that show new status updates, messages, and other happenings. It’s definitely overwhelming at first, but once you learn to customize it to your needs, it can be a great resource. You can read more about Motoblur in our full review of the Motorola Dext.

Beyond Motoblur, the Backflip doesn’t hold many surprises in the features department. In fact, it’s a bit behind the times since it’s only running Android 1.5, so you’re not even getting some of the benefits of 1.6. Motorola said the Backflip will be upgradeable to Android 2.1 and supports over-the-air updates, but would not comment on release details at this time.

For now, you get all the Android staples–Android Webkit HTML browser, Android Market, Amazon MP3 Store, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Maps, and YouTube. Interestingly, the default search engine on the Backflip is Yahoo instead of Google, and from what we could see, there’s no way to change it back to Google. The QuickOffice suite allows you to view but not edit or create Microsoft Office documents.

As an AT&T phone, the Backflip also ships with a number of the carrier’s services and other extras, including AT&T Music and Video, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots, AllSport GPS, Yellow Pages Mobile, and Mobile Banking. In addition, to quad-band world roaming, the Backflip features voice dialing, a speakerphone, noise reduction technology, and 3G support. The Backflip is also outfitted with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and aGPS.

For more of an entry-level phone, we were pleasantly surprised to see that the Backflip was equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. Unfortunately, some of that enthusiasm faded when we saw how it performed. Not only was picture quality a bit hazy and washed out, there was also quite a bit of lag when starting the camera, and it also caused the phone to spontaneously reboot at one point during our testing period.

Performance

We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; WCDMA 950/1900/2100) Motorola Backflip in New York using AT&T service and call quality was mixed. On our end, we enjoyed crisp, clear audio with no trace of background noise or voice distortion, and we had no problem using an airline’s voice-automated response system. Unfortunately, the same didn’t hold true for our callers, as they reported static on their end but only during lulls in the conversation. Surprisingly, the speakerphone provided even better sound quality on both sides of the conversation. There was no hollowness to the calls and voices sounded rich and full. Friends also praised the speakerphone audio for being pristine. Finally, we had no problems pairing the Backflip with the Logitech Mobile Traveller and Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones.

AT&T’s 3G network provided reliable and speedy coverage throughout Manhattan. CNET’s full site loaded in an impressive 19 seconds, while CNN and ESPN’s mobile sites loaded in 8 seconds and 7 seconds, respectively. YouTube and AT&T Videos buffered in just a couple of seconds. YouTube video quality varied, but clips from AT&T Video were almost unwatchable since the picture was so murky. We had better luck with an MPEG4 movie trailer, as the image was smooth and we nearly fell out of our chair after hearing the blaring audio. The Backflip has one of the most powerful speakers we’ve ever heard on a phone, and we’re not just talking volume. The sound is rich and full, not tinny, and it’s the same whether you’re listening through the phone or through a pair of headphones.

The Backflip is equipped with a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7201A processor and it just doesn’t have the stamina to keep up. The smartphone lagged and struggled at times with even the simplest tasks, such as switching screen orientation or merely pulling up an email. As we mentioned earlier, the camera app also crashed our phone. Though we’d like to see Android 2.1 on this device, we’re wondering if the Backflip can even handle it.

The Backflip ships with a 1,400mAh lithium-ion battery with a rated talk time of 6 hours and up to 13.5 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests but will update this section as soon as we have final results. According to FCC radiation tests, the Backflip has a digital SAR rating of 1.37 watts per kilogram. 

Design

The most memorable thing about the Motorola Backflip is its design. You wouldn’t necessarily know it by looking at the phone straight on, since it doesn’t have any notable traits. In fact, it largely resembles the Motorola Dext with a rectangular shape and rounded edges, but with a slightly smaller footprint at 108 x 53 x 15.3mm.

Unlike the Dext, however, the Backflip is a flip phone instead of a slider and this is where it gets interesting. When closed, the keyboard is actually located on the back of the phone, so when you swing it open, the keyboard sits right beneath the display. The layout makes sense and the hinge is strong but we just worry about the long-term durability of the keyboard. Though Motorola says the keyboard is rugged enough to withstand the exposure, we’re curious to see what condition the phone will be in after an extended amount of time placing it down on a surface or mixing and mingling with other objects, like keys, in a pants pocket or bag.

The Motorola Backflip features a unique flip design where the keyboard is located on the back.

As far as the keyboard itself, we found it quite good. It’s spacious and the square buttons are a good size, minimizing mispresses, but we do wish they were a bit more domed like the Dext’s keyboard. The keys provide a nice springy feedback. The number and symbol keys (marked in blue) are doubled up with the letters (marked in white), and a nice, bright backlight makes it easy to see whether you’re in a dark room or outdoors. There are a handful of shortcuts along the bottom row and left side for quick access to the Web, search, messages, as well as to the home and menu screens. Also, tucked away into the corner of the keyboard is the camera lens and flash.

Flipping back to the front of the phone, you’ll find a 3.1-inch HVGA (320 x 480) capacitive touchscreen. It displays 256,000 colors, but lacks the vibrancy and sharpness of some of the other Android devices, such as the Motorola Milestone and Nexus One. The Backflip’s screen is also on the smaller size, so it’s a bit of strain on the eyes when viewing emails and Web pages.

There is no pinch-to-zoom support, but you can double-tap the screen to quickly zoom in on a point. The screen also has a built-in accelerometer that works in certain applications, such as the browser and maps, so you can get a wider picture in landscape mode. However, there can sometimes be a noticeable lag, including when you open and close the phone, and scrolling through lists stutters occasionally. The delays aren’t crippling but you also get the feeling that the Backflip is underpowered (see Performance for more).

The Backtrack sits behind the display and acts as a trackpad. We’re not completely convinced of its usefulness.

That said, you don’t always have to rely on the touchscreen to navigate. Behind the display you will find what Moto calls the Backtrack navigation pad. It works just like a trackpad, letting you move between home screens and photos and scroll through lists and apps with the swipe of a finger. The idea is that using the Backtrack gives you an unobstructed view of the display, since your fingers are out of the way. Frankly, we don’t find this to be a huge issue; you swipe to your destination, tap to launch, and remove your hand. Done. That’s the whole purpose of having a touchscreen in the first place, right?

The Backtrack isn’t a bad idea. It works as advertised and at times it offers smoother scrolling experience. Ultimately, though, it doesn’t really add a ton of value to the device. Part of the problem may be the location of the trackpad. Having it behind the display makes it a bit awkward to reach and use, but perhaps we just need more time with it. We definitely give Moto props for trying something different, but maybe it tried a bit too hard to be different.

Some final notes about the phone’s design: There’s a volume rocker, a micro-USB port, and a camera activation/capture button on the right side. On top, you will find the 3.5mm headphone jack and power/lock button, while below the display, there are touch-sensitive controls for the menu, home screen, and back button. The microSD expansion slot (supports up to 32GB cards) is located behind the battery door, which sits opposite to the Backtrack.

AT&T includes only the essentials in the sales package: An AC adapter, a USB cable, and reference material. One accessory you probably won’t have to get is a desktop dock. Opening the Backflip to a 90-degree angle sends the phone into media mode much like the Milestone when it’s docked into the multimedia station, so it will display the date and time, weather, and alarm clock. You can also launch a slideshow and have the Backflip act like a digital photo frame. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and home page.

Features

Similar to the Dext and the Motorola Devour, the Backflip uses Motoblur software, which helps merge contact information from various email accounts and social networking sites, including Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Exchange, Twitter, and Picasa, into a master list. In addition, emails (aside from Gmail) are combined into a universal in-box and appointments are also combined into one calendar.

To help you distinguish between accounts, a small icon is displayed next to each message indicating which account it came from and calendar entries are color-coded. We had no problems syncing up our Exchange (via Outlook Web Access), Gmail, Yahoo, Facebook, and Twitter accounts to the Backflip. Gmail messages arrived almost instantaneously, though appointments took a few minutes to show up on the phone. Outlook messages were retrieved every 15 minutes, just as we programmed it to do.

Motoblur’s software allows you to stream content, such as status updates and RSS newsfeeds, right to your home screen.

Motoblur goes beyond contact management, though. It also offers various widgets that can be added to the phone’s five home screens that show new status updates, messages, and other happenings. It’s definitely overwhelming at first, but once you learn to customize it to your needs, it can be a great resource. You can read more about Motoblur in our full review of the Motorola Dext.

Beyond Motoblur, the Backflip doesn’t hold many surprises in the features department. In fact, it’s a bit behind the times since it’s only running Android 1.5, so you’re not even getting some of the benefits of 1.6. Motorola said the Backflip will be upgradeable to Android 2.1 and supports over-the-air updates, but would not comment on release details at this time.

For now, you get all the Android staples–Android Webkit HTML browser, Android Market, Amazon MP3 Store, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Maps, and YouTube. Interestingly, the default search engine on the Backflip is Yahoo instead of Google, and from what we could see, there’s no way to change it back to Google. The QuickOffice suite allows you to view but not edit or create Microsoft Office documents.

As an AT&T phone, the Backflip also ships with a number of the carrier’s services and other extras, including AT&T Music and Video, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots, AllSport GPS, Yellow Pages Mobile, and Mobile Banking. In addition, to quad-band world roaming, the Backflip features voice dialing, a speakerphone, noise reduction technology, and 3G support. The Backflip is also outfitted with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and aGPS.

Picture quality wasn’t all that great, and the camera app is quite sluggish.

For more of an entry-level phone, we were pleasantly surprised to see that the Backflip was equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. Unfortunately, some of that enthusiasm faded when we saw how it performed. Not only was picture quality a bit hazy and washed out, there was also quite a bit of lag when starting the camera, and it also caused the phone to spontaneously reboot at one point during our testing period.

Performance

We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; WCDMA 950/1900/2100) Motorola Backflip in New York using AT&T service and call quality was mixed. On our end, we enjoyed crisp, clear audio with no trace of background noise or voice distortion, and we had no problem using an airline’s voice-automated response system. Unfortunately, the same didn’t hold true for our callers, as they reported static on their end but only during lulls in the conversation. Surprisingly, the speakerphone provided even better sound quality on both sides of the conversation. There was no hollowness to the calls and voices sounded rich and full. Friends also praised the speakerphone audio for being pristine. Finally, we had no problems pairing the Backflip with the Logitech Mobile Traveller and Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones.

AT&T’s 3G network provided reliable and speedy coverage throughout Manhattan. CNET’s full site loaded in an impressive 19 seconds, while CNN and ESPN’s mobile sites loaded in 8 seconds and 7 seconds, respectively. YouTube and AT&T Videos buffered in just a couple of seconds. YouTube video quality varied, but clips from AT&T Video were almost unwatchable since the picture was so murky. We had better luck with an MPEG4 movie trailer, as the image was smooth and we nearly fell out of our chair after hearing the blaring audio. The Backflip has one of the most powerful speakers we’ve ever heard on a phone, and we’re not just talking volume. The sound is rich and full, not tinny, and it’s the same whether you’re listening through the phone or through a pair of headphones.

The Backflip is equipped with a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7201A processor and it just doesn’t have the stamina to keep up. The smartphone lagged and struggled at times with even the simplest tasks, such as switching screen orientation or merely pulling up an email. As we mentioned earlier, the camera app also crashed our phone. Though we’d like to see Android 2.1 on this device, we’re wondering if the Backflip can even handle it.

The Backflip ships with a 1,400mAh lithium-ion battery with a rated talk time of 6 hours and up to 13.5 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests but will update this section as soon as we have final results. According to FCC radiation tests, the Backflip has a digital SAR rating of 1.37 watts per kilogram.

Motorola Backflip

The Motorola Backflip, announced at CES 2010, and now available through AT&T (see below for prices), is an unusual design for a cell phone.  It has a full physical flip out keyboard, but unlike most phones with keyboards, when the two halves of the phone are folded together, the screen is exposed on one side, the keyboard on the other.

The keyboard can flip all the way over so that it is usable below the screen.  When used that way, the appearance is similar to the Motorola Droid, which uses a slide out keyboard.  Most observers prefer the feel of the Backflip keyboard, believing that it feels sturdier.

What the Backflip provides that the Droid does not, is that the half with the keyboard can be held in place partially opened.  This allows the keyboard half to serve as a stand for the phone.  The phone can be placed on a flat surface, and the screen used as an alarm clock, or as a viewer for videos, photos, or monitoring of incoming messages and e-mail.

Which brings us to another feature of the Backflip.  Motorola’s MOTOBLUR.  This provides a streaming service for your e-mail and social networking sites.  E-mails and social site updates are immediately displayed on your Backflip screen.  Information delivered this way is always backed up on a MOTOBLUR secure server, providing security that your information will not be lost.

The Motorola Backflip will use Google’s Android operating system, version 1.5.  Updates to the newest version, 2.1, have been promised by Motorola.  Android is a relatively new cell phone operating system, positioned by Google as a competitor to Apple’s iPhone.  Android brings with it the significant advantages of being an open platform, that is being widely supported by third party developers, resulting in a rapidly growing body of available applications.  Google hosts an “app store” where these can be easily obtained.

Other Google services to be included include Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Talk.

The Backflip comes standard with WiFi, Blutooth, and a 5 megapixel camera.  A 2 GB memory card is also standard.  Up to a 32 GB hard drive is available   To some, the screen’s 320 x 480 3.1 inch screen seems a little crowded for the sophisticated interface.

AT&T is offering the Backflip without any service contract for $349, or for $199 with a new 2 year contract for $199 and a $100 mail-in rebate bringing the cost to only $99.   A $30/month data plan is required with the Backflip, as is common for many smart phones, including the iPhone.

Now with the release of the Motorola Backflip, AT&T has a foot in all of the major camps when it comes to smart phones.  If the advantages of the Android platform is appealing, along with a keyboard, the Backflip may be the phone for you.

I’ve been using the Nexus One with TMobile since mid-December as my primary mobile phone. This is the best Android powered phone to date. It’s also the fastest and most elegant smartphone on the market today, solidly beating the iPhone in most ways. In this rapidly evolving market there is sure to be something better just around the corner. But if you are looking to buy a high end smartphone right now, this is the phone for you. The Nexus One is the Android signature device.

Our complete review is below.

Nexus One: The Big Picture

The phone looks more like the iPhone than any other phone on the market. There is no physical keyboard like the Android-powered Motorola Droid, and the tradeoff is a much slimmer design. The phone is 11.5 mm deep, slightly thinner than the iPhone 3GS at 12.3 mm. It is also slightly lighter than the iPhone 130 grams v. 135 grams). The package comes with the phone, a removable battery, 4 GB Micro SD storage card (expandable to 32 GB), USB charger and microphone headset.

The Nexus one has four functional touch buttons at the bottom of the screen (back, menu, home, search) and a navigation trackball pointing device. It also has physical power and volume controls. But most of your interaction with the phone will be through the gorgeous 3.7 inch 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touchscreen. This is the best mobile phone display on the market today, blowing away the iPhone’s 480 x 320 display. The screen is bright and alive, and an absolute pleasure to use.

This phone is also powered by the Snapdragon 1 GHz core processor, which is more than able to handle the Nexus One’s 3D graphics, multiple applications running in the background and heavy browser use simultaneously. Unlike previous Android phones, there is no slowdown or lag when you push the phone’s performance, and less of a need to kill applications to keep the device humming.

On the downside: all this hardware bling is an energy hog. The screen will self adjust brightness and Google is smart about turning down the processor when it’s not being used. But I’ve found battery life to be woefully brief, even by iPhone standards. Officially the phone has up to 7 hours talk time, 250 hours standby, 5 hours of 3G Internet use, 7 hours of video playback and 20 hours of audio playback. Unofficially, I was able to kill the fully charged battery with 1.5 hours of continuous gameplay (Robo Defense) on the full-brightness screen. Be prepared to keep this phone near a charger at all times. You can easily view what’s using the battery, though (the screen is 71% of my current usage), and then adjust the hardware or software usage to maximize battery life.

Overall the Android is a superior mobile device, particularly when paired with Google Voice. Google is calling this the first of the Super Phones. And they may not be exaggerating all that much.

Price And Availability

The Nexus One is available “in large quantities” starting today at Google.com/phone. An unlocked GSM version of the phone that will work in most countries is $529.

Google is also offering a subsidized version of the phone – also unlocked – through T-Mobile for $179. The service plan offered by Google is 500 minutes/unlimited SMS/unlimited data for $80/month. T-Mobile’s termination fee is $200, and some users might be tempted to buy the T-Mobile version and terminate immediately, paying just $379 for the unlocked phone. Google says that users terminating too soon will be charged the full price of the phone, however. But even the T-Mobile version of the phone can be used overseas on trips by slipping in a different SIM.

Google will ship the unlocked version of the phone to customers in the U.S., U.K., Hong Kong and Singapore. In the Spring they say they’ll add a CDMA version of the phone through Verizon, and set up a European store with a carrier plan via Vodafone.

U.S. users can also use the unlocked phone with AT&T, although the phone’s radio isn’t able to use AT&T’s 3G network.

Notable Software Features

The Nexus One, which runs the new Android 2.1, has a number of notable software features that make the phone a pleasure to use.

First, Google Voice is deeply integrated with the phone, as it is with all Android phones. That means you can assign your Google Voice number to the phone, and use it to make all outbound calls and text messages. In my opinion this is the single biggest selling point for Android phones, and why I won’t switch away from the platform any time soon.

Google’s Voice Keyboard is amazing. It goes way beyond the Voice Search application that was launched in 2009. Every text field in the device is now voice enabled. In most apps you can choose the microphone button and talk into the phone, which then converts your speech to text. I’ve found it to be around 90% accurate with no background noise (dropping to around 70% accuracy in a moving car). It’s easy to then go in and edit out errors. It’s a massive time-saving feature of the phone.

The Live Wallpaper feature is pure eye candy, and fun. You can choose a variety of wallpaper settings like Grass (blades of grass wave gently in front of a day or night sky), Magic Smoke (my favorite, draws smoke, clouds, water and plasmas in eye popping colors), Water (touch it and it ripples), and a Polar Clock (presents the date and time as clockwise arcs).

The new clock application, which runs automatically in the charger doc, shows the time, local weather and has easy access buttons to the alarm, pictures and music. Keep a charger next to your bed and toss out that alarm clock.

Google will also offer a Settings Backup service that backs up profile, application, ringtone and other settings to the cloud. Setting up a new Android phone after using the backup service is a breeze. Even without it I was able to set up the phone in about ten minutes with my Google contact, calendar, email and important applications.

Finally, Google has added a lot of nice graphical touches, including 3D scrolling of apps, and a new way of viewing photos using the CoolIris technology. Photos dip into the plane as it there is depth. Tipping the phone trips the accelerometer and the photos dip in the same way.

Notable Hardware Features

The most obvious hardware feature of the phone is the 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touch screen. Combined with the Snapdragon chipset the phone is a real workhorse. But Google has also included other more-than-nice touches.

The noise cancellation feature is particularly useful. The device has a second microphone on the back that monitors inbound noise and automatically cancels it out (anyone who’s used Bose noise cancellation headphones on a long flight will appreciate this). It does a great job of canceling out machinery and wind noise on the other end of the call. In my testing, call recipients noticed a substantial increase in call quality on this phone v. either the Droid of the iPhone. Look for other phones to quickly add this feature, it’s a must have.

On the downside, the phone’s primary microphone is located on the bottom of the device, to the left. I noticed that on calls, when I cradle the phone between my neck and shoulder without using my hand, my voice is often muted and can’t be heard. This is a design error that should be changed in future versions.

The phone’s camera really shines. It has a large footprint on the back of the device, larger than on most phones. It’s a 5 megapixel camera with a flash, but that description doesn’t do it justice. The macro and low light features are top notch for a mobile phone. I took the picture to the right in low light with no flash in our conference room at TechCrunch HQ.

The phone has two available docks. Both charge the device via frictionless touch points. The normal charger turns on the phone’s clock feature, as described above. The car charger turns on Google Navigation, a killer Android application that turns the phone into a connected navigation device.

Google, Purveyor Of The Nexus One Smartphone

The Nexus One is an important milestone in the smartphone market. This is a software company, frustrated with making compromises with hardware manufacturers, that has taken the product bull by the horns. HTC makes the phone, but the branding is mostly Google and it’s clear that they directed every aspect of the development of this phone. It’s Google’s vision of the perfect Android device, from the huge and beautiful screen and massively fast Snapdragon processor to the software elegance of Google Navigation, Live Wallpaper and the Voice Keyboard. When combined with Google Voice there is no phone on the market today that can touch the Nexus One.

Unlike previous Android phones, and I’ve used most of them, the Nexus One has no obvious flaws or compromises. The phone is the state of the art in mobile, and I will use it happily. Until, as I always say, something better comes along.