Wired says Google will begin to sell its own reference Android 2.1 handset, designed by Google, made by hardware partner HTC. Engadget has pictures and a brief description.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google will offer the phone, dubbed the Nexus One, cheaper to T-Mobile carrier’s subscribers. Google will partner with T-Mobile to help sell the Nexus One through Google’s Web site for $199. T-Mobile would pay Google for helping sign up new customers. The phone will be sold online by Google itself as early as January 5.
Phone Scoop says the FCC recently approved a new device manufactured by HTC that is called the Nexus One.
The FCC confirms that this device has 850/1900 GSM bands, and supports T-Mobile’s 1700MHz 3G network. It has a hearing-aid rating, support for microSD cards, Bluetooth, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. The FCC has additional specs (pdf), although the processor is unknown.
Below is T-Mobile’s coverage map. The dark red is their 3G (AWS) coverage.
T-Mobile’s other Android phones, the myTouch, Dash and G1 also feature AWS connectivity.
Buying an unsubsidized and unlocked phone direct from Google would likely be more expensive (in the $500 range), but it would likely include Google Voice (for Voice over IP) and One number (with a single phone number that rings all your phones).
