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Now that the dust has settled it’s relatively clear what the Nexus One is and isn’t. Here’s a sampling of reviews from respected resources:

The Nexus One isn’t quite the game-changer people hoped it would be, though it certainly trumps other phones in performance, display quality, and speed. - Macworld

Now, if you ask us if the Nexus One is the phone for you, we’re not sure. If you’re stepping up from another basic smartphone or regular phone, there is little doubt you’ll be drawn in by the beautiful screen, the oh-so-easy Gmail and Google service integration, and a solidly built handset with amazing phone capabilities. However, if you’re coming from a BlackBerry or iPhone, we’re not sure you’ll be able to ride it out as Android still feels undercooked to us, and while the “openness” definitely shines through, we feel it might be shining a little too bright. - Boy Genius

Industry politics aside, though, the Nexus One is at its core just another Android smartphone. It's a particularly good one, don't get us wrong -- certainly up there with the best of its breed -- but it's not in any way the Earth-shattering, paradigm-skewing device the media and community cheerleaders have built it up to be. It's a good Android phone, but not the last word -- in fact, if we had to choose between this phone or the Droid right now, we would lean towards the latter. - Engadget

It’s impressive how far these Android devices have come in a year. But the software/hardware combination still lacks the refinement of the iPhone. Maybe by this time next year, with Google now taking a more hands-on approach, they’ll have a device that can match Apple’s. But they’ll still likely lack the apps. And the iPhone will still likely lack the best Google apps. But it’s good to have competition. And it’s good to have two companies that can play off each other and push innovation — while at the same time, changing the industry. It’s becoming very clear that Google and Apple will be those two. - TechCrunch

The Droid might retain customers by offering a 'good enough' experience, but the Nexus One will draw them away from other platforms. Even if this particular phone doesn't suit you due to carrier or platform quibbles, techies should cheer it as it sets a very high bar for everyone else to catch up to. And we sure hope that the Pre Plus, the N900, the next iPhone incarnation, and the HD2 will not only match the Nexus One but beat it, because anything that raises the bar like the Nexus One does is good for all of us. - Ars Technica

It’s impressive how far Android has come in a short time, but just as impressive how little Android has improved on the iPhone experience after studying its strengths and weaknesses for several years. As an iPhone user, I’m thrilled Apple has serious competition, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for for future versions.

Two more Nexus reviews:

Uncrate (an amusing video review)

Walt Mossberg (which I excluded because of his embarrassing use of the term ‘Super-Smartphones’)