Nexus None
Last weekend I was helping somebody brainstorm gift ideas. A question arose: What would be a good smartphone to give somebody who is on T-Mobile and not planning on getting out of the contract? We talked about a second-hand jailbroken/unlocked iPhone 3G, which, everybody agreed, is a solid choice in terms of price and functionality (even if it has scratches on the back). Are there any good alternatives? Nexus One, anybody?
According to reports, it has a gorgeous screen; slim, sexy lines; and fast, responsive Android OS behind the scenes. On the flip side, it has shortcomings - enough of them, in fact, for Engadget to call it “just another Android smartphone”. Hmm…
We got to the point where a solid hands-on performance would be required to tip the scales toward a “yes, lets get it” decision. This discussion was happening in a restaurant not far from a T-Mobile store. We walked there, looked over a bunch of other Android phones, failed to locate Nexus One, and were finally approached by a sales guy: “Can I help you with anything?”. Us: “Hi, do you guys have Nexus One we can look at?”. Sales guy: “Uhmmm… We don’t carry those in the stores - but you can order them online via Google”.
Bummer. Yes, Google told us how innovative their new “order your phone online” thing is going to be, but what they failed to mention is that now, instead of being able to play with the actual device in a store before buying it, we had to take somebody’s word for how good it is (or locate and corner that ever elusive “friend that has one”).
That sales strategy might work on those of us that are inside of the semi-religious early-adopter-filled tech-centric echoblog chamber. But what about mere mortals? What about people that need to “see and touch” to believe? They don’t know who Arrington is - how will they know that they are supposed to like Nexus One? Even more importantly, what percentage of those of us that lack the “early adopter” gene will buy this thing after reading the aforementioned bad reviews AND being denied a chance to fall in love with the supposedly awesome screen, sexy body and a 5-megapixel camera?
I call it the “Kindle problem”, and here is why: 90% of people that ask about my Kindle on the subway follow it up with “I was wondering whether to get one or not, but needed to see it in person first”. That’s right: when it comes to expensive electronics that claim to break the mold, most humans need every bit of persuasion they can get, and hands-on experience is one of the best persuasion techniques when it comes to good products, and one of the strongest turn-offs for crappy ones.
I’d love to see one in person.
