[UK] Brits can now get their hands on Google’s so-called ‘superphone’ for an upfront cost of “free”. Kinda.
Available from today for pre-order on Vodafone UK, the Android-powered Google Nexus One can be had for £35 per-month on a 2 year contract, including a bundle of minutes and texts, and the much needed 1GB monthly data allowance — this is a Google Phone after all (see TechCrunch review). There are a number of other tariffs available too. Customers who pre-order can expect deliveries to go out on April 30th.
It’s not the first time Brits could get hold of the Nexus One, however. It’s been available for import directly from Google itself, but this is the carrier-subsidised version, sold through Vodafone, both online and in-store, as is the tradition here in the UK. The perception is that a mobile phone should be “free”, albeit with a lengthy contract, or as close to free as possible. In other words, persuading Vodafone to carry the Nexus One will be an important factor in how well the phone, which is manufactured by HTC, will sell.
Nexus One hardware features
* Display: 3.7″ AMOLED 480×800 WVGA display
* Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
* Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz
* Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging
* Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM
* Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB)
* Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc.
* Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control
* Battery: Removable 1400 mAh
* Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone
* Trackball: Tri-colour notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive
Along with the 1GB 3G data allowance, customer get an additional 1GB of data via WiFi at premium BT Openzone hotspots throughout the UK.
The Google Nexus One will also soon be coming to Vodafone in France (SFR), Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.