Google Nexus S

Editor's Review of the Nexus S

The Nexus S is the second phone from Google, who have turned to Samsung for support this time round. Unlike its predecessor, the Nexus S promises to revolutionize the smartphone, and gets to introduce Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) to the world.

Design & Build

All the signs that Google is working with Samsung are firmly in place when it comes to design, as the Nexus S places an all-new emphasis on style. It looks, and feels, similar to the Samsung Galaxy S, and although we would have liked to have seen a HTC-style metallic chassis, the curved, smooth nature of its plastic casing makes up for its lack of a high-end feel. With a weight of just 129g, the Nexus S is relatively light for a phone of its size, sitting nicely in your hand.

Within its glossy black chassis sits a curved WVGA Super AMOLED display, measuring in at 4 inches. Google claims that the concave nature of the screen allows it to sit comfortably against your face, although we didn't notice any difference when making calls. Despite proving itself as a bit of a gimmick, it still looks great.

Underneath the screen sit 4 capacitive keys, and while they're in an order we're not familiar with, their haptic responsiveness proved to be a definite plus.

OS & Interface

The Google Nexus S is the first smartphone to run Android 2.3, which we're happy to reveal, lives up to the hype. Backed up by the handsets 1GHz Hummingbird processor, it's extremely quick, and opening apps seems so much smoother than when using Android 2.2.

Despite Google's promises that Gingerbread would offer a revamped UI, it essentially offers the same Android interface with a couple of tweaks. Still, we like the old Android UI, so the addition of a notifications bar, enhanced graphics and redesigned icons gets a big thumbs up from us.

While not at all useful, we couldn't help falling in love with the handset's "TV Off" style animation for the lock screen, which is sure to be a real crowd pleaser.

With Android 2.3, the handset also comes NFC-ready, which could ultimately lead to using your mobile as an Oyster Card on the London Underground. While not in place yet, Gingerbread also packs the handset with video call support, which we found was a nice touch.

Multimedia & Storage

While not spectacular, the 5 megapixel camera on the Google Nexus S managed to produce decent images. However, it won't be replacing your digital snapper anytime soon, as even in well-lit situations, the images can look a little washed out. On the plus side, the Nexus S camera excels in low-light conditions, thanks to its LED flash.

Video recording on the otherhand, is less impressive. Despite launching as a high-end smartphone, you're restricted to capturing VGA video, with no HD option available.

Video playback on the Google Nexus S however, is one of the handset's stand-out features, thanks to the Super AMOLED display with 800 x 480 resolution. It's bright and vibrant.

Everything Else

The internet browser on Android phones has always impressed us, and when coupled with a 1GHz processor and Android 2.3, our mind has been blown. The Google Nexus S certainly doesn't disappoint in terms of internet-friendliness, and its CPU helped pages and Flash videos to load at rapid speeds. Multi-touch worked smoothly too, and felt even more luxurious on the curved screen of Google's smartphone.

Our excitement at the web was soon let down, with the handset's lack of microSD slot. While 16GB of internal storage should be enough for most consumers, we're sure its lack of storage expansion will be a deal-breaker for some.

Conclusion

In my opinion the Google Nexus S is the best Android phone yet. It may need some tweaks here and there, but thanks to its top-notch hardware, excellent design and Android 2.3 operating system, it has exceeded our expectations.