Google's Nexus One is going to be available in the next couple of weeks on Vodafone in the UK and we've already managed to have a play with the Android 2.1 touting handset. 

The new phone, which is solid and well built brings with it a number of new features over and above the previous Android flagship the Motorola Droid/Milestone.

Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset the menu interface was zippy and fast, however it's also worth pointing out that while made by HTC it doesn't and won't feature the company's Sense UI.

The only qualm? A rather strange one - it seems that Google has set the location of where you press, ever so slightly above where you you're actually meant to press it.

The 11.5mm thin Nexus One is an important device for Google, offering flagship specs and performance for the Android platform.

Those high-end specs come in with the 1GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm (previously seen in the Windows Mobile TG01 and HD2 as well as in the just announced Lenovo Skylight) as well as a 3.7-inch AMOLED display and the 2.1, or Eclair, build of the OS.

Features include HSDPA, Wi-Fi, a 5-megapixel camera, compass and GPS, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, noise reduction tech for calls, the option of two lines of engraving on the back, a 4GB microSD card expandable to 32GB, sensors galore with a light and proximity sensor as well as an accelerometer and a multicolour LED-backlit trackball.

As had been rumoured, the Nexus One is to be offered on a SIM-free, handset-only basis in select markets for $529. This price will include a wall charger, USB cable and free shipping in the US.

Google will also ship the unlocked version of the phone to the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Hong Kong at launch for those with a Google Checkout account.

And yes, that interactive wallpaper eats your battery like there is no tomorrow.

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