Say what? Who’s got the smartest phone?

You can’t spend any time in today’s business world without knowing about the Apple and Google phone wars. The advertisements in this rivalry touch most everyone — in the ad business or not.

And if you’re anything like me, your cell phone is an extension of your body. It replaced my landline six-plus years ago and is never far from my reach. So, you can imagine my recent despair when I realized that my trusty Chocolate® had found a home in an unidentified snow bank, not to be seen again until the spring thaw. Fortunately, I have a circa-2004 phone I affectionately refer to as my Zach Morris phone and was able to activate it as I started my search for a new device. 

My must-have list for a new phone is pretty basic — phone and text capable with a decent camera — but I also want a real Web-browsing experience. I had narrowed the list down to two finalists when Google threw a wrench into my plan: The announcement of the Nexus One.

Nexus One lobs one back at iPhone
The ‘superphone,’ as Google is calling it, promises to bring together the Web and mobile worlds. Nexus One does bring some cool features to the table:

• Supports key Google properties like Gmail and Google Maps
• Integrates the new Google Goggles
• Is WiFi capable
• Incorporates Facebook and Twitter
• All applications are voice-enabled

Nexus is also built on an open development platform so developers can get creative building their own applications. Check out the Nexus One YouTube channel for all the flashy details.

Waiting for reviews
Thanks to Google’s wrench, I’m putting my phone search on hold for now. I’ll let the early buyers test out the Nexus One superphone then I’ll read their reviews to make an informed decision. If you’ve got a recommendation for me, I’m all ears!

Until then, I’ll be the one standing in the corner trying to blend in with my totally 80s brick-size Zach Morris phone. At least this huge phone has less chance of getting lost in a snow bank.