H
ere comes Nexus One, the Google phone the tech world has been salivating for. Over the weekend Google set off a fury of speculation when employees tweeted they were testing a new Android-based mobile device. Google later ratcheted up the Google phone buzz when in a blog post it confirmed it was testing a handset with “innovative hardware” from one of its partners. Said to be named Nexus One, many critics believe this device will give the iPhone a run for its money.
Following that revealing Google blog post about the Nexus One, it didn’t take long for photos and details about the device to leak. Many of those who claim to be familiar with Google’s plans say the Google phone would be an unlocked GSM device running the Android 2.1 mobile operating system. Google, they claim, would sell directly to customers with no wireless carrier subsidy. The device could go an sale as early as this January.
That’s the basic information, most of which has been reported before. Google has officially confirmed little beyond the devices existence. We are still waiting for Google to officially share more about its phone. In the interim, here is the latest speculation about Google’s purported device.
T-Mobile
The Google phone is believed to be an unlocked device that Google would sell directly to customers. Nevertheless, Google still wants to work with the big mobile carriers, and T-Mobile may have some kind of role in the launch, according to AllThingsD’s Peter Kafka.
Google may also be considering some unconventional ideas for selling the phone. One possible scenario, according to Kafka, would have you select your carrier from a menu when purchasing the phone from Google’s dedicated site.
If Google does offer a menu of phone providers at purchase time, then perhaps T-Mobile will the recommended carrier for U.S. and European customers. This may also suggest that, even though the phone is unlocked, you will still be able to get a subsidized phone with a two-year contract. Unless Google becomes really unconventional and tries to subsidize the phone with advertising.
The Passion of Nexus One
There is still some debate over the name of the supposed Google phone, such as Passion, but all signs are starting to point to Nexus One as the official moniker. Early Monday, Engadget uncovered a compliance report created by HTC for the FCC. The report reveals some details about a quad-band GSM smartphone called the NexusOne. Numerous reports based on unnamed sources have also said that Nexus One will be the name.
