Google Nexus S

Samsung makes its presence felt

The feel of the phone, and in particular its curved back, thin profile and low weight, make it a pleasure to hold.  Don't be surprised if you think it feels like a toy when you pick it up: you won't be the only one.

One great feature is that the lock switch has moved to within easy reach of your index finger on the side of the phone.  That might not seem like much, but for people who are constantly looking at their mobile, it's a handy change.  Those same people might be used to a flashing LED that alerts them of incoming messages on a lot of other Android phones—and they might also be surprised to discover there isn't one here.  As an alternative, you can download an app from Android Market to simulate that functionality.

With a slightly curving back, the Nexus S is easy to hold

Gingerbread: looks better, runs faster

The new keyboard is easier to use

Multimédia

Everything we've already said about the interface is also true of the Nexus S' multimedia apps, so you'll have to get used to the simple, stripped-back style.  We're sure some users prefer the extra bells and whistles that HTC and Samsung provide on other phones, but it in purely functional terms, the  audio and video players do exactly what they're supposed to, even if the experience on the Nexus S is ultimately less rich.  Google's latest phone, for instance, is lacking both an FM radio and support for DLNA networks.

Browsing the web is fast and smooth

Web browsing is excellent: pages load quickly, the zoom is accurate and even scrolling through large site is smooth.  Of course, having such a big screen is a great help.

The Nexus doesn't (yet) film in HD, so it captures video at 480p with just about satisfactory results, as long you hold still and don't try to film anything that's moving too fast.  There's no native support for DivX or XviD video, something which is available on the Galaxy S.  If you have want to watch them, you'll either have to convert them first or try one of the apps available in Android Market.
 

The great video player is even better on such a big screen

Our audio tests revealed a pleasant surprise: the audio jack is very good (for a phone at least) and the sound it produces is pretty decent.  That's something that smartphones manage to get right so rarely that it's worth pointing out.  The sound produced by the speakers isn't half bad for a mobile either.
 

With a 5 Megapixel camera, the Nexus S does a great job of taking photos.  There's plenty of detail and colours are reproduced accurately.  The photos we took were a little blurrier than those produced by the Galaxy S, and so they captured just a little less detail.

There's a pretty vast choice of options for configuring your photos and making sure you get the perfect shot.  The focus isn't the fastest ever and some people will probably be disappointed by the lack of a real shutter release button (you have to use the screen for everything).  After a while, though, you get used to it.  There's also an LED flash, something that the Galaxy S didn't have, and a front-facing camera for video calls.