Z-OMG! Just when we’re about to call this day complete then a leaked document answering the biggest questions for the Nexus One device has surfaced the net. “What’s the price of the Google Phone?” A benevolent tipster from gizmodo manages to send this screenshot of what it appears to be the landing page of the future ‘google.com/phone’ site.
Along the brochure comes the price, and I must say the dear hopes of the users having this Droid killer a.k.a so-called potential iPhone killer phone was clearly dismantled. Price is not cheap, in fact the minty $300 predicted price isn’t even close to this 530 USD worth of android phone unlocked, $180 if you’ll buy it subsidize with T-mobile (tied on a 2 year contract) (click to enlarge)
- There’s only one rate plan: $39.99 Even More + Text + Web for $79.99 total
- Existing customers cannot keep their plan if they want a subsidized phone; they have to change to the one plan, and this only applies to accounts with one single line
- If that doesn’t fly with you, you have to buy the $530 unlocked version—this actually might save you money over two years if you already have a cheap plan
- Family plans, Flexpay, SmartAccess and KidConnect subscribers must buy the phone unlocked and unsubsidized for $530
- You can only buy five Nexus One phones per Google account and there is language in the agreement of shipping outside the US
- Google will sell it at google.com/phone
- Google will still call it the Nexus One apparently, and not the Google Phone
Punchline:
- If you cancel your plan before 120 days, you have to pay the subsidy difference between what you paid and the unsubsidized price, so $350 in this case. Or you can return the phone to Google. You also authorize them to charge this directly to your credit card.
Oddly, you can notice that the manufacturer for this phone is HTC and not Google. Which begs the question “Is Big G’s capability to create its own devices is still out of reach?”
Wrap-up:
All the while it made me realize that perhaps Google can’t really put the price of this creation really low because it’ll start a revolution between the droid buyers who put their asses on the line buying a messiah android phone worth 120 USD (already discounted) with a 2 year contract — Thinking it’s the best smartphone for android then all of a sudden they will found out that a better phone (in terms of specs) sprouted just after two months and is now selling cheaper and can be bought unlocked?
This one will line up with the opinion on how Big G can hurt the android economy and be a big-jerk with other android smartphones.
All I hope is that when Nexus one is released, Goog wouldn’t abruptly unveil another Nexus model (rumored to be Nexus 2) only half the price of its predecessor, we don’t want to see another revolution don’t we, you know the one that’s called the iPhone Revolt?
Looking at the brighter side: A unlock phone not being limited only by one carrier (iphone = AT&T epic tale) can bring a real game-changer to places that haven’t been blessed with a competent smartphone like in the USA. I’m talking about Asia, South America and other part of this world who haven’t had the opportunity to know what it feels like to have a real android smartphone in their hands. Judging the frequency, Nexus one’s band is virtually compatible almost in any countries. Remember, T-mobile is a GSM — It won’t take long before this one can be substituted by a local SIM card to fit the needs of any telcom of a certain country.
It appears Google had really compiled all the strengths and weakness of the iPhone. I have a feeling this is one of the things we should look forward to on Google’s countdown.
Hopefully on January 5, there will be a more enligtening theory about this strange pricing of Nexus One.
Trivia: the price of an unlock iPhone 3GS is currently averaging of 580-600 USD via ebay
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Tags: google phone cost, google phone price, google phone unlock, google phone unlock price, how much is nexus one?, nexus one cost, nexus one price, nexus one tmobile, nexus one unlock price
textbook marketing plan execution. I wonder if google has a set date for release or just waiting for certain level of market hype. Also obvious that engadget has an agreement with google; nexus one gets front page coverage every few days, engadget ‘coincidentally’ was looking at a random url when google revealed its support page. Just hurry up and get the phone out google (tell them for me engadget)
Just got off the phone with T-Mobile. True, you have to sign up with the specified plan, but you may immediately shift to a pretty goodmulti-line family plan (at least for folks switching from AT&T) at a better price than AT&T) offers.