Google has begun selling mobile phones directly to consumers, taking on hardware makers like Apple in an effort to dominate the burgeoning mobile internet space.
The company had been testing the Nexus One smartphone with employees through a process it dubbed “dogfooding”, but today it announced the device would be available more broadly through its
web store.
The Nexus One, based on Google's Android platform, will initially only be available to those in the US, Britain, Singapore and Hong Kong.
It will sell for $US529 outright and $US179 on a two-year contract from T-Mobile USA.
A Google spokeswoman said the company wanted to roll out the device “gradually” in order to receive feedback and ensure the ordering process was smooth.
“The Nexus One also had to undergo certification in all countries we sell the phone in, and we wanted to ensure that the import regulations didn't make the phone prohibitively expensive,” she said.
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Comment: Google's quest to take on the world
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The spokeswoman said Google hoped to sell the Nexus One, “and future phones from Google”, to people in other countries such as Australia “soon”.
Rather than a money spinner, Google hopes the Nexus One will serve as a Trojan Horse for its vast array of web services, cementing the company as a leader in mobile search and applications.
The fight for control of the mobile space is seen as so important that even hardware makers - such as Samsung with “Bada” - have developed their own mobile phone software platforms.
“The Nexus One belongs in the emerging class of devices which we call 'superphones', with the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor making it as powerful as your laptop computer of three to four years ago,” said Andy Rubin, Google's VP of engineering.
“It's our way to raise the bar on what's possible when it comes to creating the best mobile experience for consumers
“We look forward to working with handset manufacturer and operators to bring more phones to market through this channel worldwide.”
The timing of the announcement was designed to deliberately overshadow the Consumer Electronics Show, which runs this week in Las Vegas. It comes 24 hours ahead of a keynote speech by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Apple is also expected to expand its portable offerings late this month with the launch of its much-vaunted tablet computer.
The Nexus One was designed in partnership with Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, which made a number of the first Android-based phones to go on sale worldwide.
These have not been a runaway hit with Australian consumers as the early devices, such as the HTC Dream, lacked the stylish design, array of apps and solid marketing campaign of other platforms.
The Nexus One runs a new version of Android that includes built in Google Maps Navigation (with turn-by-turn driving directions), a voice-enabled keyboard, five home screen panels, interactive “live” wallpapers and the ability to operate the phone just by speaking into it.
It supports multiple work and personal email addresses and the ability to easily switch between regular communications and social networking apps such as Facebook.
Over 18,000 apps are available to download from the Android Market.
The name Nexus One was inspired by the film Blade Runner, and the family of author Philip K Dick has threatened to
sue Google over the matter.
Specifications
• Display: 3.7" AMOLED 480x800 WVGA display
• Thickness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
• Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) 8250 processor, with 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-color notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive
Source : http://www.smh.com.au
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