The Google Nexus One could sing, dance and print money but it wouldn’t be a very smart smartphone if it didn’t make calls like a pro. How does it stand up as a blower? Read on and find out in our in-depth review.

We had high hopes for the Google Nexus One’s battery life going in to our test : although its fast 1GHz processor and high screen resolution threaten to suck up juice like a kid drinking Um Bongo, we were counting on the AMOLED screen tech, which is more power efficient than LCD, to cancel it out to some extent.

You’ll be pleased to hear we were just about satisfied then, after putting the Google Nexus One through its paces and multitasking for our lives. While you’re not going to get the same amount of battery life from one charge as a tiny BlackBerry on a 2G network, you shouldn’t have too many complains about battery life if you can get to a plug every night before bed – something we couldn’t say about HTC’s very first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1.

With the Google Nexus One charged to the brim, we just got a full day of heavy usage from the battery, with apps left on in the background, including Gmail, Google Talk and Twitter client Twidroid, Wi-Fi and 3G both turned on, frequent web browsing and the occasional call. Firing up beebPlayer to stream TV will impact on the Google Nexus One’s stamina in a big way, but if you’re not going to watch much video, you can expect it to last from sun rise to bedtime without much fiddling – or worrying.

You don’t have to take our word for it though. What anyone concerned with power consumption will be pleased to see with Android is the battery usage details. Head on over to the Settings option in the menu and you can get a bar graph of what’s drained your Google Nexus One’s battery, in what ratio, and how long it’s been running for from a charge. It’s a useful tool, and should you find yourself unhappy with battery life, will help you solve the problem, whether it’s by turning off Wi-Fi or running fewer apps at a time.

If we were to review call quality separately however, you’d be looking at one fewer star: the Google Nexus One is decidedly average for chatting. Although the Motorola Milestone had some design flaws when it came to turning off the touchscreen when held to your face, its sound quality is superb.

Alas the Google Nexus One can’t compare: we occasionally struggled to hear call recipients, and the speakerphone was mediocre, tinny and muted. If you are planning on hands-free group chats, you’re still better off sticking with the HTC Touch Pro 2, but if you’re using the Google Nexus One for play and not work, it’s not a big deal.

Lastly, the phone dialler itself. Always an importune factor in a touchscreen only phone, here it works as expected with Android. The big 3.7-inch screen means numbers are easy to hit first time, every time, while the tabs across the top of the screen for contacts and call log let you pull up those need to know numbers quickly and easily.

If you’re a work heavy phone user, the Google Nexus One may not be the best actual Android voice telephone kicking around – hat tip to the Milestone – but its other features more than make up for it otherwise.