The best cell phone out there, without a doubt, is the Nexus One. Yes, I say that even knowing that I’m an Appleholic, and that I was one of the few idiots who overpaid for the first iPhone. Well! I’ve changed my mind.

To me, the key to success in any software system is the perception that the software is intuitive. That means that using the software instantly seems second nature to you.

For example, you don’t have to hunt for an option. You don’t have to poke and prod to try things out. Instead, the interface comes as naturally to you as knowing which end of a shovel to use.

The Nexus One uses the Android operating system. That’s exactly what you’ll find on a lot of other phones, including the popular Motorola Droid and the HTC Incredible. Those are also Google Phones, but the Nexus One is Google’s own phone, which makes it special.

For example, there are lots of tricks and options available on the Nexus One that you won’t find on any other Android phone:

The Nexus One deftly handles three-way calling. It offers you buttons to swap the calls, plus a screen that lets you individually manage callers.

The Nexus One is built to work with Google Voice. It’s difficult to describe Google Voice in a single word, but one of its best features is that its automatically transcribes your voicemail into a text message, which can be texted or emailed to your phone.

The Nexus One features five home screens (two more than the Droid).

The Nexus One is also a light-weight phone, weighing several grams less than the iPhone and much less than the Droid. (The sliding keyboard on the Droid makes it heavy.)

The Nexus One’s dictation features are more thorough than other Android phones.

Oh, I could go on and on!

The only thing that’s potentially sucky about the Nexus One is its carrier. Currently that’s T-Mobile in the US. Originally I had only 2G service in my area, but recently it was upgraded to 3G, which is nice. But I’d rather have a Verizon Nexus One to be honest with you.

Google also mishandled the way the Nexus One was introduced. They kind of surprised everyone. Then the phone was available only online from Google itself. Support was only from Google. (And I’ll admit that the support is good.)

Recent News has that Google has abandoned its exclusivity on selling the Nexus One. That’s good. The cell phone providers do a better job selling the phones, so hopefully others will soon discover how magically fun the Nexus One phone is. I know that I enjoy mine.