Google’s Nexus One smartphone makes an impact: but is it a good one?

Less than a week after the release of its Nexus One smartphone, Google’s foray into the rapidly growing handset arena has made a definitive impact on the industry and users alike. Whether that impact is good or bad for the California based company remains to be seen, with generally positive reviews of the phone being somewhat negated by reports of problems and frustration with Google’s customer service.

While the Nexus One, which is manufactured by HTC and runs the latest version of Google’s Android operating system, has been well received by users and the media alike, the consensus appears to be that the phone is no threat in its current form to the industry leader, Apple’s iPhone.

But the news isn’t all positive for Google’s new smartphone. Early adopters of the $529 unlocked Nexus One have reportedly run into numerous problems in attempting to obtain customer support from the manufacturer, which is selling the phone directly through their online store rather than retailers or conventional brick-and-mortar stores.

So, just how this latest technology from the search engine giant will affect the smartphone market – a market which is predicted to grow by 55% in 2010 – only time will tell.