Google's Nexus One: Unlocked and Loaded

I'll admit I'm a little out of my usual element here, writing about the oh-so-freshly released Nexus One smart phone from Google. After all, I usually leave the gadget writing to the gadget experts. In fact, if you want a great rundown of the tech specs, go here. And if you want a good write-up from someone who has been using one for a while, you can try this. Don't like Google particularly? Here's a list of reasons not to buy a Nexus One. Whatever. I am an (almost) complete agnostic when it comes to the tech gear I carry in my utility belt. I roll with a now seemingly ancient Nokia N95 with the Symbian operating system on it. I also have a 16GB iPod Touch, which I constantly use to check my Gmail via whatever wi-fi access I find handy. Why do I lead such a bifurcated (trifurcated?) tech life? My choice, mostly. I'm a funny consumer that way. I like to be able to choose, and I really dislike being tied to plans and contracts, especially when those plans or contracts put me on rickety 3G networks that in no way justify the cost. For all of those reasons, I didn't go for the iPhone. But see, I love the iPod Touch's interface, the number of applications, and the ease of web-surfing. So, here I am, technologically schizoid and with pockets loaded down with stuff.

The big question for me as a consumer? Does the Nexus One offer me an all-in-one solution that will stop me from leading my Jekyll and Hyde tech existence? I'm not sure. I like the reported easy integration with Gmail and especially Google Voice, which is quickly becoming an important communication tool for me. I like the fact that with this new Google phone, I can easily get an unlocked handset (first choice on the Nexus One sales page), pitch up just about anywhere in the world, and stick a SIM card of my choice in it and pay as I go. That's the kind of flexibility most folks around the world get with their cell phones. Of course, on the software side, there aren't as many applications for the Android operating system, the real centerpiece of this new phone. I know, I know -- add "yet" somewhere in that sentence. But in the meantime, could I live without my automatic fart-generator app for the iPhone/Touch? (Joke).

But what about the price of all this unlocked and loaded flexibility? A cool $530. It seems a bunch, until I total up all the costs of the contract that would accompany a cheaper handset. Or compared to my unlocked N95, which at the time set me back three C-notes more than that. Or compared to the unlocked iPhone: $799, unless you've seen it cheaper?

Hmmm...seems like I might be tempted to add yet another piece of gear to the utility belt. And that kind of leads me to my point. It's good, as a consumer, to feel tempted sometimes; to feel that there is something out there that is challenging one player's dominance, and offering us choices. I don't want the Nexus One to be an iPhone killer, or a Symbian killer, or any kind of killer. What I really hope is that the Nexus One and its progeny spur all sorts of new hardware design and software features in mobile devices across the board, thereby giving us better devices and services across the board.

Oh, and I really hope that having a new raft of incredibly popular smart and powerful phones will shake the carriers awake, and get them to actually build out reliable, and affordable, networks. Without the networks, after all, what's the point?