Smartphone smackdown: Nokia N900 vs. Google Nexus One

Hi Matthew, Have you done a 3G radio reception comparison between the n900 and the Nexus One? There seems to be quite a number of posts on various forums where people are concerned about the Nexus One 3G radio (No 3G or Fluctuating between 3G & EDGE) in comparison to the G1. Also, have you done any real world comparison in regards to battery life? Thanks, Steve P.

i have both phone, nexus one battery is much better,nokia battery die first with same usage, speed on nokia to the web Phone ***?is much better than nexus, but the multiple app on nexus android, make this one more attractive in many way. will keep testing since I don’t know which one i will keep, but engadget post 2nd firmware updated notice on nokia 900 starting today ota so let see what happen.

Matt

I know your a busy guy but would you have some time to either do a video or blog post about which device RENDERS websites faster and time it? While i agree the N900 is a the superior browsing device it would be interesting to see if say the N900 lags behind the nexus one on average X amount of seconds. Another site does comparisons like this and it’s very helpful when comparing devices.

thanks in advance

[...] Nexus One vs Nokia N900 [...]

I’ve owned both and ended up keeping the N1. But I have to say if the n900 had a capacitive screen and a better CPU I probably would have chosen it. Hopefully Nokia will come out with a n900 2.

Here goes.

This has been the most contentious standoff between competing devices ever for me. I have wanted the N900 for several months; I think rumors of its advent began almost a year ago. Having loved my Nokia E71 like no other device before, the N900 was a shoe-in for my devotion. Then the Nexus One reared it’s gorgeous head, and thus I entered Hell.

That may seem a bit over the top for anyone, even for a phone lover like myself. After all, no matter which one I end up with, it IS only a phone. Right?

Not so fast. Nokia calls the N900 a “mobile computer”, and so it is. And of the Nexus One Google says, “Web meets phone.” And so it does. “Just a phone” is not true in either case.

Not to complicate matters even more, but I haven’t even touched the Nexus One yet. That fact may speak in its favor because, even having the N900 in my greasy paws for a week hasn’t dimmed the candle I hold out for the Nexus One.

The N900 overwhelms with its capabilities. I can probably do anything on the N900 that I do on my Linux desktop, and Nokia’s “Hacking the N900″ campaign highlights the phones very impressive abilities. Maybe that shouldn’t matter to me, since I really do not plan to remote-control airborne cameras with it, nor do I plan to replace my desktop with the N900. But it sets the geek in me to panting.

On the other hand, the Google phone overwhelms with sheer class. I have dreams about the Nexus One. It is beautiful, it’s screen stunning, and it cannot replace my desktop. That last one may not seem like an advantage, but I have to say, the N900 has greatly disrupted the formerly neat hierarchy in my home of desktop-laptop-phone. The Nexus One will fit very neatly into the ‘phone’ part of that trio, and with panache. Then they had to go and make things even worse by enabling multi-touch. ********!

Do I send the N900 back to Amazon (which has a tolerant return policy) and buy the Nexus One from Google (which has a far less tolerant return policy), or do I keep the Nokia and forevermore wax poetic about what might have been with the Nexus One?

Joe Burgwinkle,

I’m from Chile, a country where technology is a bit expensive and here we don’t have as many smartphones, as in other countries, but I don’t want you to think that my country is a **** in tech matters, the only thing is that it is a bit expensive, thats why maybe we don’t have same things/same prices, as you have. I’ve read everything you just said, and honestly I have the same problem that you have, but with an enormous disadvantage… I haven’t get my greasy paws on them, and besides that, here in Chile, 3G network (of both phones) doesn’t work (here the service provider use 1900Mhz and 850 Mhz). I have been reading in different blogs in order to be as informed as possible, and I really think that (for me) the best, between those phones, is the Nokia N900, Maemo it’s just starting, only 1 company, only 1 phone… android market is a way to big, but it started out of something, just as Maemo. I strongly recommend you to do what you think is the best for you, to get the Nexus or keep de N900, but keep in mind the future of both, and for what you are going to use it, and maybe your question will be answer by yourself greettings.

Sorry, but I wrote my post with separated paragraphs, and it doesn’t appeard as I did it… I hope you understand it as it is, and I’m really sorry. (maybe I should have press “enter” two or three times instead of just one xD)

@Joe Burgwinkle: You sound simply like ” I wan’t it all!” You would regrest on either decision let me tell you. What you can do is get both! I know, it will cost you, but your needs demand it, as eating, breathing, etc.

yo tengo un n900 y debo decir q s lo mejor del mundodigo se le puede bajar android, windows 95 mac OS x(pero anda lentisimo) symbian y windows phone lo recomiendo porque ace todo si no me creen consultenlo en internet

tiene 1gb de ram y llega a usar hasta 15 aplicaciones al mismo tiempo con total fluidez

consultenlo en la pag. de nokia

I am having both the phone. Below my observations: N900+ve: It is more capable. .FM receive/transmit .Infrared .Secondary camera .Slide keyboard .Sound volume level N900-ve: .Resistive screen .Smaller screen size .Bulky and thick .Look compared to N1 .CPU Speed and response slower compared to N1 .Screen brightness .Poor email app (displaywise)

N1+ve: .Slick, light and thin .Capacitive screen and AMOLED (best thing to have) .Better camera quality than N900 .Trackball (and multi color) .CPU speed and very responsive N1-ve: .No outlook calendar sync (deciding factor) .No GAL lookup .No secondary camera .No FM so far(althogh got the h/w) .Single flash compared to dual xenon in N900 .very low sound level/quality compared to N900

well i own a n900 and my friend ownes n1.since we both are geeks we love to do crazy stuff with our phones.i’ve used both.my advice?go for n900.u will never regret it.trust me.a slow cpu(thats overclockable) and a small screen size are no problem at all.on the other hand,u have crazy things like controlling ur computer and tv with infrared or an OS that is infinitely customisable.

When it really comes right down to it, it’s a proprietary OS that runs on only one major phone brand right now, just like palm’s new webOS and Ovi is going to only offer what has been developed for it. I was unimpressed with the nuron and I’m equally unimpressed with the n900, realistically it comes down to cost, a n900 is actually more expensive than a top of the line android phone, set aside the nexus one for a second, the 900 actually costs more than an epic, vibrant, Droid 2 and droid x, or Evo. And all of those phones destroy the n900 on all home fronts.

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