Reading the Google Nexus One tea leaves
The “Google-Phone” — now officially dubbed the Nexus One — looks to be announced next week in partnership with T-Mobile — the Web is adrift with news and rumors, including look-and-feel, availability and even pricing. Here’s our best take on what this important milestone means:
- Leaked memos seem to confirm T-Mobile being the carrier Google is working with, though the operator will apparently only handle “billing, coverage, features and rate plans” and not the phone itself. The phone hardware (specs of which were leaked on Engadget) show it working only on the T-Mobile network.
- Despite discussions that the phone would be data-only and VoIP-only-powered, it looks like it will be supported with a fairly standard voice-text-data plan starting at $79.99 per month with the phone costing $179 with a two-year contract. An unsubsidized phone will cost you $529 — guess you can run it over wifi.
- Google will announce the Nexus One at a press gathering next week Tuesday, January 5.
I guess we’ll know more than. But it’s hard not to be underwhelmed — or maybe relieved if you’re a mobile operator — that the Nexus One seems to be nothing more than an Android smartphone on a standard contract.
