Google held their long-awaited Android Press Event at their campus in Mountain View earlier this morning, here are the important details regarding the announcement:
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Google confirms previously leaked hardware specifications with the caveat that applications can only be installed on flash memory for the time being.
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Custom engraving is available as an option on the lower rear bezel
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The device is running Android 2.1 which features support for active wallpapers and a new 3D framework along with applications currently only found on the Motorola Droid (Maps with Navigation, Search by Voice, Voice Command)
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The new application launcher now consists of icons in a virtual scrollwheel instead of pull down menus
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A new Gallery application which sets photos on a 3D plane and supports the accelerometer for tilting photos to simulate depth as well as automatic sync to Picasa
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Google Earth for Android will debut on the Nexus One with full 3D support
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Google has classed the Nexus One into its own self appointed category which it calls “superphones”
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Google debuts web store with service available from T-Mobile beginning today. Verizon Wireless will provide support for a CDMA version later this Spring.
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Google will officially test market sales to the UK and Singapore through the US webstore with the goal to expand to more carriers and countries
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Google confirms release of Android 2.1 to developers in two days time
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Google confirms Wi-Fi tethering will not be disabled
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Google also confirms Droid Eris is multitouch capable and considering an update to enable it
Christopher Price…. How soon do you speculate that we’ll see either this device or a similar device or version make it to Sprint? Besides the Moment and Hero once they get updated.
Jesse Eastman
well if google holds true to form here we should be able to buy the cdma version direct and activate it on Sprint.
What NO sprint version? If sprint does not get a CDMA version and still refuses to active foreign ESNs that’s bad. Even worse, If verizon does get the iphone this year and sprint does not, and sprint still insists on not activating foreign ESNs then its RIP for sprint.
Sprint will most likely get this phone. Its just a matter of when. Lets hope they get it before verizon or at the same time. Right now verizon has 2 of the best android phones. Sprint only has 1 good one which still doesn’t run 2.1.
Sprint will probably never allow foreign esn’s. They might allow an unlocked phone like the nexxus but we will have to wait and see. I don’t see how this will doom sprint since verizon does the same thing. Either way sprint needs to keep up or stay on the same level of verizon when it comes to releasing new phones or more people will keep defecting.
It looks like the nexxus will be coming to verizon first… check out what google says on their website:
“We are working hard to provide Nexus One phones optimized for the Verizon network – please stay tuned. The Nexus One for Verizon will not be a GSM device, so it will not be compatible with T-Mobile, AT&T, or other GSM networks.”
Sprint better be coming out with something amazing also or its another punch in the face for this wireless service.
Verizon will active foreign MEIDs. You just have to get a rep to add your meid into there system. Many people have done this, its nothing new. Data often does not work though.
Sprint on the other hand, for unknown reasons, refuses to add any foreign meid or esn into there system. Both android phones on sprint dont even compare to the driod. They are both running old arm11 chips.
If verizon is somehow able to coerce apple into releasing a CDMA iphone and if its exclusive to them, sprint will be in even worse shape. The least they can do is let people legally activate a cdma iphone or even a cdma nexus one into their system. Otherwise its a long and painful process doing an esn/meid cloning.
Yeah, Sprint better let us activate the phone, but by the time “Spring 2010” rolls around, who knows what awesome-ness will be available other than N1.
Anyhow, the Google event was a disappointment. Not so much the unlocked price, but the fact it’s nothing new. There are plenty of ways to get unlocked phones sans contract or select between multiple carriers/plans for a particular phone. So, it’s a bit of a let down that Google didn’t have anything else up its sleeve.
P.S. And why the heck is Google, a California company, collecting sales tax for Texas? Even if they have offices in Texas, they should’ve done what Amazon does to avoid sales tax collection.
why does sprint keep itself out of the game all the time??? It drives me nuts cause their data network is the best!!