Speaking at the CTIA Wireless conference in Las Vagas, HTC Chief Executive Peter Chou heralded the Nexus One as a ‘halo’ device which will draw more customers to HTC and increase awareness of Android regardless of sales volumes.
We can quickly leverage that credit to show that we are the top Android brand. Google’s goal with the Nexus One was to really show how good Android can be. In that regard, I think it has been an achievement.
Sprint issues a press release confirming that the Nexus One will be available on their network in the US. Pricing and availability to be announced soon.
Google on Nexus One sales asserting that the company’s primary interest is in overall Android handset sales rather than sales of any individual handset.
We’re pleased with our sales volumes and with how well the Nexus One has been received by our customers. The Nexus One is one of a fast growing number of Android handsets which have been brought to market through the open Android ecosystem. Our partners are shipping more than 60,000 Android handsets each day compared with 30,000 just three months ago.
that the Android Market now boasts 30,000 applications, almost double the 16,000 apps that it contained 3 months ago in December 2009. Impressive growth.
HTC issues a stating that it intends to fully defend itself against Apple’s . Good news for Android.
thinks that Apple’s lawsuit against HTC is a bluff. Here’s reason 6 from 8 reasons why Apple is suing HTC and not Google:
The patent claims are likely not as sure as they appear. Since most of the claims are really about Android, Google is the more sensible target of any lawsuit. If Apple lawyers were truly confident of winning against Google — and in reasonable timeframe, they would file a lawsuit against the search giant.
The is worth a read for those following the Apple vs HTC case.
DigiTimes is reporting that first shipments of the CDMA version of the Nexus One have left HTC’s factory bound for the US. The handset is rumoured to be launching on the Verizon network on 23rd March and will available to buy direct from Google’s phone store.
Opera Mini 5 beta - now available to download from the Android Market. Ultra-fast thanks to the fact that it compresses pages server-side before sending them down to your phone, but still seems to have some minor rendering issues to iron out from our time with it so far.
Tim Bray joins Google as an Android Developer Advocate and straightaway confirms his reputation for controversy with bashing Apple’s vision of the mobile internet. Interesting reading, but when you join a company which claims to do no-evil, it’s maybe not the best idea to badmouth your competitors on the very first day.
portrays a delayed Nexus One Vodafone launch as a major setback. Google have always maintained that the device will launch with Vodafone in Spring 2010 so an April launch is not a huge delay but it makes good headlines. It is in Google’s interests to get the Nexus One rolled out across more carriers and in more territories as quickly as possible though, and negotiations with carriers are frustratingly slow for those eager to get their hands on the device. The article also states that the Nexus One will be free to anyone willing to sign up for a £35 monthly contract, the first substantial rumour so far on a possible UK price.
Google filed an application for the Nexus One trademark back on 10th December 2009 for use in connection with mobile phones. It would appear however that whoever handled the filing didn’t spend a lot of time on the initial conflict search report, as the Trademark Office has recently issued a notice of refusal:
SECTION 2(d) REFUSAL – LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION
Registration of the applied-for mark is refused because of a likelihood of confusion with the mark in U.S. Registration No. 3554195.
The refusal has been issued on the grounds that the mark could conflict with an existing NEXUS trademark (3554195) granted on December 30, 2008 to Integra Telecom under the same class with a description which includes the provision of telecommunication services and the transmission of voice and data. The refusal goes on to explain the Trademark Office’s objections:
In this case, the following factors are the most relevant: similarity of the marks, similarity of the goods and/or services, and similarity of trade channels of the goods and/or services.
The goods and/or services of the parties need not be identical or directly competitive to find a likelihood of confusion.
The applied-for mark encompasses the registered mark. Likelihood of confusion is often found where the entirety of one mark is incorporated within another.
No doubt Google will be contesting this refusal, which they are entitled to do under the trademark registration procedure. I’m by no means an expert on trademark law so can’t comment on how likely Google are to overcome this hurdle but will be watching this one closely.
Recently reported rumours of the Nexus One coming to Vodafone UK in April are now looking more likely than ever with the phone appearing in the section on Vodafone’s website. It’s still not absolutely certain that Google will to continue to sell the phone exclusively through their online store, there have been hints that Vodafone may also sell the device to customers, but then that would be a departure from Google’s direct sales model. The Vodafone UK launch will be interesting as it will give more indication of exactly how Google intends to partner with carriers as the company rolls out its phone store in other countries.
![Android’s US market share more than doubled between October 2009 and January 2010 up from 2.8% to 7.1% according to yesterdays report from comScore. Whilst Google’s Android platform is still a relatively small player in the market it continues to enjoy the most rapid growth. RIM and Apple, who currently control around 60% of the US smartphone market saw slight increases with both Microsoft and Palm loosing ground over the same 3 month period. [Gizmodo]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz4fwdiSSS1qay3dyo1_r1_500.jpg)
Android’s US market share more than doubled between October 2009 and January 2010 up from 2.8% to 7.1% according to yesterdays report from comScore. Whilst Google’s Android platform is still a relatively small player in the market it continues to enjoy the most rapid growth. RIM and Apple, who currently control around 60% of the US smartphone market saw slight increases with both Microsoft and Palm loosing ground over the same 3 month period. [Gizmodo]
Apple yesterday issued a statement announcing a lawsuit against Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC for iPhone patent infringements. HTC was the first company to produce phones which ran the Android operating system and recently partnered with Google to produce the Nexus One.
This is a fairly unprecedented move by Apple and to our knowledge the first time that they have initiated a direct lawsuit against a major competitor. Although Apple have chosen to serve HTC it would seem that it is Google’s Android operating system that is the real target here.
We’ve known for a while that a CDMA compatible version of the Nexus One would be available in the Spring, and it looks like this very same handset, bearing the model number PB99300, has just been approved by the FCC. Now that it has cleared regulator approval it will be heading to the Verizon network, as announced by Google at the Nexus One launch, and to also Sprint according to a recent report. We still don’t have an official launch date but progress through the FCC indicates that things are still on target for a launch this Spring.
Adding this to what we know from another recent FCC filing it seems that there are so far three Nexus One variants:
PB99100 - The handset which premiered on 5th January, currently the only model available to buy from Google’s phone store.
PB99110 - Recently spotted passing though the FCC. Adds support for WCDMA bands II and V meaning that it will work with AT&T’s 3G Network in the US.
PB99300 - The CDMA version of the phone which has just received FCC approval. Available in Spring 2010.
It’s possible that the PB99110 could be replacement for the current Nexus One, rather than addition to the range, as it has all the same capabilities but also supports AT&T 3G (plus other networks who use the WCDMA II and V bands).
This would things fairly simple for Nexus One customers who would have the choice of buying either the ‘300 Verizon/Sprint CDMA version or the ‘110, which is likely to work on all other major networks across the world.
A couple of days after we Google has officially announced the new Android application on their mobile blog. Showcased on the Nexus One the software will also be available for other devices running Android 2.1 or later versions.
As we hinted at last month, we knew Nexus One was going to be a great platform to showcase the rich (and technically demanding!) features of Google Earth. With a 1GHz processor, advanced 3D graphics, and Android 2.1, Nexus One packs a lot of performance in a thin package. Ever since we got our hands on one, we have been putting it through its paces, drawing complex scenes of 3D imagery, terrain, roads, and other layers, and Nexus One never misses a beat. Now that we have put the final touches on the app, we are happy to announce that the latest member of our family is ready for the world — Google Earth for Android. This is our fastest mobile version of Google Earth yet, with a smooth framerate and a beautiful 800 x 480 screen.
Full announcement on Google’s .
Google Earth has just appeared in the Android Market, and it looks for the moment like it’s Nexus One only. There’s been nothing from Google yet on their mobile blog about the release but with the application first being demoed at the Nexus One launch this would make sense. So Nexus One owners can now fly around the planet with the swipe of the finger, with the same 3D imagery available in the desktop version. It’s also possible to search by voice for cities places and businesses and browse all the layers of geo information Google has embedded into their Earth data.
A leaked firmware update for the Nexus One, carrying a build number of ERE36B, has been posted over at xda-developers.com. Whilst not yet ready for over-the-air distribution the software contains improved radio firmware, evidence that Google is still working on fixing issues with Nexus One 3G performance.
The software actually contains an earlier version of Google Maps, indicating that the update is still in development, but the new radio firmware has been reported to improve 3G performance by forum members who have been brave enough to install it. The leaked ROM was posted without a change-log, but a comparison with the current build reveals that it includes the following changes:
Google recently issued a software update aimed at fixing issues which some users have been experiencing on T-Mobile’s 3G network in the US.
It seems however that the problems are persisting for some users even after installing the update. Jordan Hall has that he still has issues and Google’s support forums are showing that other users have found the software update to be ineffective. Engadget have also posted a video from a user demonstrating that 3G connectivity can be affected by covering the bottom portion of the handset.
We’re hoping that this really is a problem which can be fixed via a software update as a hardware problem would be more difficult for Google to address. We’d be interested in hearing from anyone who’s had similar problems as it’s not yet clear how widespread this issue still is.
It’s been no secret that customer support for the Nexus One was , and an area which Google readily admitted needed some improvement. The company must have been hoping that their new online-only sales model could extend to online-only customer support, but it’s quickly become apparent that people would rather pick up the phone and talk to a real person than spend time browsing support forums for answers to their queries.
Google has responded by making it possible for customers to for answers to order status and shipping queries. They’ve also provided a telephone support number to HTC for repairs, returns and technical support.
Whilst not a total surprise, this is a fairly new territory for Google who haven’t until now offered such a direct line of contact for support queries. TechCrunch have published an official response from Google explaining the change:
By design, we focused initially on providing the best possible customer support through our on-line channel, and our experience in the four weeks since the Nexus One launch enabled us to significantly enhance that on-line support offering. We have been able to address a large majority of customers’ inquiries successfully through on-line support, in combination with phone support from our partners, HTC and T-Mobile. That said, our approach with our new consumer channel is to learn fast and continue to improve, and we have, therefore, also been developing our capabilities to provide a number from Google, 888-48-NEXUS (63987) for live phone support for the Nexus One. Live phone support from Google, combined with an optimized on-line support experience, enables a superior Nexus One customer experience.
Well known for improving their software offerings through continuous iteration and ever better versions it looks as though Google is taking the same approach with their new consumer phone store. ‘Learning fast and continuing to improve’ is something Google have shown themselves extremely capable of with their software offerings and direct phone support will be a welcome upgrade for Nexus One customers.
Google will be releasing an over-the-air software update for the Nexus One intended to fix 3G issues which have been reported by some users, but which will also include some additional updates which are bound to please the wider Android community.
The software update will provide support for multi-touch gestures in the Browser, Maps and Photo applications, a feature which Google hasn’t supported in their native apps until now. It will also include Google Googles by default and add suggestions and a dedicated night mode to the Maps application.
Google is and hopes to have it out to all users by the end of this week. You’ll know when it becomes available via a message in the notification bar. It’s a smart move on Google’s part as lack of multi-touch on the Nexus One has been the subject of considerable debate amongst users. The company hasn’t been all that forthcoming about their plans to support the functionality so far, but it looks like this answers the question that we’ve all been asking.
Update: How to manually install the update
Update: with the new pinch and zoom funtionality
Following a recent FCC filing we know already that we’re likely to see a version of the Nexus One announced soon which will support AT&T’s 3G network, as well as other international carriers who use the same WCDMA I, II and V Bands.
Google have also indicated that a CDMA compatible version of the handset will be available in the spring for use on the Verizon network, and it now seems that Sprint will also support the phone. Gizmodo have posted a response to a recent enquiry from Sprint Customer Solutions which indicates that the Nexus One will also be coming to the Sprint network.
Thank you for contacting Sprint regarding the Nexus One. Unfortunately, this handset model is not on offer as of now.
Once it is launched, you will see promotional campaigns related to the launch date, cost and the features of the handset on our Web site and other promotional media.
Thank you for showing interest in our products & services. Please let us know if you would like us to assist you with anything else.
It seems that Google really is planning to make the Nexus One available on as many networks as possible, as there is now a strong likelihood that it will soon be compatible with all major US carriers, and by implication, most major international networks. Launch dates and data plans are still to be announced as Google continues discussions with network operators but it looks like the will be offering a comprehensive list of carriers for customers to choose from.