Google Nexus One review

Another HTC Android phone, but this one's direct from the search giant

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The definitive Google Nexus One review
The definitive Google Nexus One review

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Google has made some dramatic improvements to the camera features in Android, and the Nexus One takes full advantage of them with its 5MP camera. For starters, shots just looked clean and clear, matching the results of an entry-level digital cam.

The Motorola Milestone, being a heavier and more rugged device, might work better for photography as you can keep the device steady during a photo. The Nexus One is lighter and thinner, so it is a bit harder to get a firm grasp on the phone for a photo. Having said that, pictures were not fuzzy or distorted.

The Nexus One offers some interesting new camera features. Like the Nokia N95 and Nokia N97, you can set white balance either as automated or by lighting conditions - such as sunlight or indoors.

There is a zoom, and the flash can be set for automatic. Oddly, the camera stopped working after using the phone for a few hours. We rebooted the phone and the camera app started working again just fine.

The camera app also lets you select a colour effect (part of the Android 2.0 upgrade), such as solarised or sepia, to add some flare to images, but it is more of a gimmicky feature you might use once or twice. Once you snap photos, you can upload them to services like Facebook or Picasa, or send by email. You can also upload videos to YouTube.

Google nexus one

PICTURE OPTIONS: Pictures on the 5-megapixel camera looked sharp and colourful, with plenty of options for white balance and zoom

Google nexus one

IN FOCUS: Close up shots on the Google Nexus One show clearly, although some detail is lost

Google nexus one

SOLARISE: This option in the camera is a nice touch, although may be a little redundant for day-to-day photography

Google nexus one

NICE CONTRAST: The Google Nexus One handles contrast well, picking out the light and detail here against the bleak background

John Brandon
John Brandon
Contributor

John Brandon has covered gadgets and cars for the past 12 years having published over 12,000 articles and tested nearly 8,000 products. He's nothing if not prolific. Before starting his writing career, he led an Information Design practice at a large consumer electronics retailer in the US. His hobbies include deep sea exploration, complaining about the weather, and engineering a vast multiverse conspiracy.