There’s a still a whole load of controversy (well, not controversy, but you know what I mean), about the Nexus One, with just as many people saying it is the Googlephone as are saying it’s simply a developer phone. Well, we know a bit more, today, thanks to Engadget Mobile, as it’s now being reported that prices and terms of sale, etc, have been spotted online.
The surprising thing for me is that Google will be selling it either as a sim-free deal, or with a T-Mobile contract, through their own site.
That is a bit of a surprise, but the pricing, to me, still seems to reinforce that it’s a dev phone, or at the very least, not a phone for mass market consumption, since it is, to say the least, a bit pricey. Basically, you’re looking at $530 for it sim-free, or $180 on a 2 year T-Mobile contract. Ah, but yes, there’s the other thing. Those prices are in American money, as there’s no indication as to when, or even if, the Nexus One will appear on these shores.
I also have to wonder what effect it’s going to have on the current Android ecosystem. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, even if this wasn’t going on sale to the public, I’d hate to be releasing an Android phone in the next couple of months.
You can guarantee it’s going to get compared to the Nexus One…
So, I have to wonder how upcoming phones like the Motorola Milestone and the Sony Ericsson X10 will fair. The Open Handset Alliance could get a bit frosty if Google release a phone that’s more talked about than all their hardware partners’ phones. Could be interesting, anyway…
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December 30th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
There are a lot of disappointed people over @ nexusoneforum.net with regards to the pricing. It sounds to me like Google lost alot of good will with such a high unsubsidized price.
Discussion here: http://www.nexusoneforum.net/forum/nexus-one-google-phone-news/100-price-point-leak-530-unsubsodized-180-t-mobile.html