Loosely-Coupled Nexus One Mobile Ecosystem Creates Problems

Some problems are predictable; some aren't. It was predictable that as owners of unlocked Nexus One devices began to experience problems, they'd have to run the gauntlet of fingerpointing one often sees when ecosystems are loosely coupled.

Reporting connectivity issues, some users have been told by T-Mobile USA that it is "an HTC problem," while some users communicating with HTC have been told "it's a T-Mobile problem."

Other problems are echoes of what has been seen in the recent and immediate past, namely complaints about the quality of the 3G networks. Some users complain that 3G coverage is weak or non-existent. Some report that their devices are switching from 3G to 2G networks. Again, it might be a handset issue, but switching from a 3G to a 2G network is what happens when a 3G network gets congested.

In other cases, the error modes suggest there is a software or hardware problem. At least some users say an active HTC device, when sitting right next to a Nexus One, gets great signal while the Nexus One gets a weak signal. It's hard to blame that particular circumstance on network issues.

All that is known right now is that there is some problem using the Nexus One on the T-Mobile network.

The loosely-coupled ecosystem (open devices sold independently of service) is bound to create customer service issues, irrespective of the merits of either a network or handset.