Just as expected, the Google event which took place yesterday did indeed unveil the Nexus One.  Google are justly proud of the device and aside from the flashy launch at their offices in California, they claim the Nexus One is the first ‘superphone’ and not simply a smartphone.  So what’s the story?

The majority of the information leaked over the last few weeks has proved correct and the Nexus One does have an enviable specification:

• A 3.7″ AMOLED touchscreen with a 800×480 pixel WVGA resolution.
• The Qualcomm Snapdragon 1Ghz processor with 512MB RAM.
• A 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus and video capability.
• GPS and a digital compass
• 3G with HSDPA, HSUPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1.
• The latest Android 2.1 operating system.

The Nexus One has a top of the range feature list, plus a wealth of other technology such as dual microphones for excellent call quality, haptic feedback, proximity and light sensors and the Teflon coating previously seen on the Hero to minimise unsightly fingerprints.

Built by HTC, what makes the Nexus One unusual is the way it’s to be sold.  Instead of in stores, you’ll buy the phone from Google themselves.  As predicted, the unlocked cost will be $529 or £330 at today’s exchange rate, and Google will ship it to the UK, although you’ll have to pay extra for both this and a UK-spec charger unit, plus the inevitable import charges.  In the USA, customers have the chance to take the Nexus One with a two-year T-Mobile contract which drops the price of the phone to $179/£111 .  Google have said that Vodafone will be offering the Nexus One with a contract in Europe from Spring this year.

The Nexus One is the first in a series of phones which will be sold through Google’s online store, plus other countries where they will ship the phones to will be added at a later date.  To us, although the phone is very impressive indeed, it’s perhaps not the revolution it was predicted to be.  Google’s decision to sell the phone themselves is interesting though.  Let us know your thoughts on the Nexus One, and no matter what you think,  we can all agree that 2010 has got off to a great start!