[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] Jonathon Grigg:
My Dream Nexus

Okay, well I have been thinking about this for a while now, what I would like in a phone, not necessarily a Nexus, and this is what I have come up with. Please understand that I haven't used an Android phone (although I am getting a Galaxy S for Christmas, have found them cheap on eBay from people giving them up for Nexus S' :p) so some of this may be irrelevant.

1)

Well, to be honest, I don't care who makes it, as long as it is reliable and sturdy. I love the design of the HTC 1 (concept by Andrew Kim, Google it, I can't post links or pictures unfortunately), and it seems to fit HTC's recent designs, so I may as well go with HTC, having played with a Desire and Wildfire, I can't fault the quality.

2)

In my mind, I can't see much technology that could be incorporated into a new device that isn't out currently. I think an 8MP camera (large sensor size of course) is about as much as most people will need. A choice of 32/64 GB internal storage seems reasonable, with the option of using a MicroSDHC card up to 32GB. As for processors, I would probably choose that tri-core processor I heard about a while ago (can't remember it's name for the life of me) that had 2 multimedia/powerful cores and one lower clocked core for other tasks, paired with 1GB of RAM, allowing for the future, because with all of this, hopefully it would be at the top for a long time. A screen size of about 4 inches seems perfect, having used an iPod Touch and tested out a Galaxy S and a HD2, preferably with SuperAMOLED(2?). A front facing camera (1.3mp), and all the current sensors would be included. As for connectivity, Wireless N is standard, but you could get this phone in several versions, a HSPA+ version, LTE or WiMAX, to cater for your network of choice, and at a stretch, combine them all into one to have a mega-worldwide phone :D. Now, the biggest improvement area: batteries. I would definitely have a large capacity battery, at least 1500ma, but possibly even using new technology to make it last longer, such as using Tobacco Mosaic Virus to boost battery life 10x (I read this on Gizmodo today). Thats about all I can think of for hardware, with all of that, you really need decent software, and that's where the fun really begins.

Software is a tricky area in my mind for the Nexus line, being more of a developer type of phone, it should be easy to root and customise everything, installing new ROMs should be painless, and safe, with no risk, similar in a way to an iOS jailbreak (just hit restore in iTunes etc). But, as Andrew Kim mentioned when he did his HTC 1 concept, hardware and software need to be unified. This is where a Nexus could excell, being a Google phone and running stock Android. But to do that, I think the UI needs to become more consistent, much more consistent. Go and look at the HTC 1 concept now on the Design Fabulous website/blog, and find the messaging app mockup. It uses similar shades of grey and black to the phone itself, making it appear seemless, and even beautiful. Yes this would mean giving Android a completely different look, like going from WM6.x to WP7. And remove those buttons, for crying out loud, you have a beautiful touchscreen just there, it should be used! Have 2 buttons, a Home and Menu, integrate the Back option into the UI like in iOS, search could be accessed by holding down/double tapping Home and then the Menu key could be used for the next major shift.

(EDIT: Can't post images, sorry, but please search Google Images for 'windows phone 7 app associated press' and it should be the first image there)

Yes, this is a picture of an app in WP7, but that's not the point. I tried out WP7 the other day, and I found it a refreshing way of using a device. It looked good and was consistent. But I am drifting off, the Menu key. Look at the picture above, look to the left, and see the categories. Imagine that as all the app's options/menu, like pressing the Menu key currently does, as well as anything else. You could swipe through the different screens to get to it (using the screen, like I went on about before), or, similar to getting back to the first page of apps on iOS, press the Menu key to zoom back there. Simple and elegant in my opinion. Implement a similar look and feel across the whole system, and you have some mighty fine software indeed, but for those who wouldn't like it, with the option of installing one of the many ROMs available without any risk.

3)

Why? Well, we are a consumer society, with many phones getting replaced in a year or less, and sometimes just being thrown out, we waste so many materials. By providing solid, useful and top of the line hardware, the need to upgrade becomes less as it would take longer to become outdated. I believe software is the key to a platform, and I am not alone in thinking that. That is where the real innovation comes from, so with a standardised Nexus there could be so much innovation coming from users such as the people here at XDA. Most of the hardware is probably available today, if not in the near future, so it is more an evolutionary step, but I will say that the tri-core processor is for more battery life and more power when needed, and the RAM allowing for better multitasking and futureproofing. And I would just love to own a phone looking like the HTC 1 concept, it is awesome and many friends I have shown it to think the same (they aren't techies either).

4)

Why can't we have it? Well, I don't actually know why. The only things I can think of which probably isn't in production are: a) the tri-core processor, but dual-cores are in production now or in the next few weeks I imagine, b) SuperAMOLED(2?), mainly because it's Samsung's tech and this would be built by HTC and c) the multiple connectivity radio with HSPA+, LTE and WiMAX probably isn't being developed as of now, maybe not for another year until these networks become more common.

It is the software side of things which puzzles me, but I'm sure it is coming. Someone just has to take this idea with them, and go for gold. I would like to do that personally, but I need to learn how to code better, a lot better. (I joined XDA for inspiration :) ) I think this UI would work well, and be powerful, elegant and simple at the same time, helping to bring Android into the public as being easy to use and better than Apple's offerings (a tough task, but I would like to think it possible, note I am not an Android fanboy, neither do I hate Apple, but change is good).

Wow, that is a lot of writing... I hope this is acceptable, I would love to have a device like this myself, I think it would be possible in the next 6 months maybe? I am curious to see what others would like, bring on more ideas!