Not content with sporting the latest version of the popular Android operating system, Google Nexus S also boasts a striking appearance along with a host of fun and useful features. All of these points combine to give us one of the most impressive phones of 2011.

There’s very little variation between different smartphone models, mainly due to the obvious limitations of having to pack a large front-facing display into as small a chassis as possible, which doesn’t really leave much room for manoeuvre. So the Nexus S is refreshing in that it sports a slightly curved screen, this is very minimal, but it does enough to make the phone stand out from the crowd. Combine this with the carefully rounded edges and you have a phone as stylish as you are likely to find. At 123.9 x 63 x 10.9mm, the overall size is about what you’d expect from a model with a 4-inch screen, but the weight is impressive at just 129 grams. In practice, this means you’ll barely notice you have the phone with you, but the lightweight plastic body used makes the phone feel cheaper than its similar metal counterparts. The modern display uses the latest Super AMOLED display popular on the Samsung Galaxy S, and since the phone is built by the Korean firm, it’s no wonder great features like this are included. At 480 x 800, the resolution is up there with the best and you can be sure of a vivid and vibrant image in graphics, web pages or media thanks to the wide range of 16 million colors that can be displayed.

Android fans will be delighted that the Google Nexus S comes with the latest version of the operating system pre-installed. Although not much different in terms of usage and design, some minor tweaks have been made to the home page to make it look more visually appealing. The behind-the-scenes programmers have also improved the power management system that the system uses. Your phone constantly monitors which features are open in the background and closes them if they are unnecessary or misbehaving. This effectively improves the life you can expect from the battery, giving you around 428 hours of standby time and approaching 7 hours of 3G talk time.

Google’s Nexus S not only impresses with its looks, but also with its excellent operating system, well backed by a list of features that any phone would be proud to have.