Google Nexus One review roundup

The idea of a "Google phone" percolated even before Android emerged in 2007. Back then, many wondered if Google would dive into the smart-phone market. As we now know, the search-engine giant waded in – releasing an operating system for others to play with – but didn't go too deep. Yesterday, Google prepared to cannonball.

The Nexus One not only runs Android, but is the first "Google phone" to grow up and remain in-house. While built by HTC, the Nexus One is available through google.com/phone, may be purchased without a carrier, reflects the company's design aesthetic, and sports the newest version of Android. The phone marks a surprising step for Google, even if reviewers aren't blown away by the device itself. Most agree the new phone is great, but so are many of its rivals. Here's what the early reviews say about the Nexus One.

The shape:

"The phone shape finds itself somewhere between the iPhone and Palm Pre -- taking the Pre's curved, stone-like shape and stretching it into something resembling a more standard touchscreen device," writes Gizmodo. "Still, the shape and size of the phone is absolutely fantastic; even though the surface of the device houses a 3.7-inch display, the handset generally feels trimmer and more svelte than an iPhone, Hero, and certainly the Droid. HTC has managed to get the thickness of the phone down to just 11.5mm, and it measures just 59.8mm and 119mm across and up and down -- kind of a feat when you consider the guts of this thing."

The hardware:

"The Nexus one has four functional touch buttons at the bottom of the screen (back, menu, home, search) and a navigation trackball pointing device," gushes TechCrunch. 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."

The new Android:

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