Comments on: Nexus One: $199 On January 5th?

By: ano

ano — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:40:20 +0000

HTC makes money by selling their devices, they don’t care if it’s to Tmobile, Sprint, or any other carrier. If Google decides to sign a contract to have HTC make lots of phones, Google is taking the financial risk. At $200 without contract, it’s a smart move for google, getting Android to people and then develope their search/advertising market. They outsource the HW specialty to HTC. GSM coming out first also makes sense too, slap on Quad band GSM and 3G and it’s a phone that works on almost all carriers around the world (except CDMA Verizon & Sprint in the U.S).

This is all very likely. The unlikely part would be if carriers would allow data-only plans, that would be hard to believe since their voice plans are so profitable (bad for us customers). But there’s nothing that they can do if someone buys a $199 Nexus One and uses it on their network. It’s better than not having that customer at all.

By: yabesellerone

yabesellerone — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:57:32 +0000

$200 dollars, what is google waiting for.. Release it now and by 5th Jan 2010, they would have sold a well over 100,000 handsets!

By: Fourthletter

Fourthletter — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:25:35 +0000

This will never happen and to be honest the pages of made up crap about the Nexus One is putting me off Phandroid !
HTC will not undercut their carriers for Google, this is a developer phone like the original G1 was, The Nexus One is a top-of-the-line phone, there is no way Google or HTC will undercut every other phone on the market because it will kill HTC’s deals with carriers and Android before it even began.
WAKE UP AND WISE UP PEOPLE !!!!!

By: spe1996

spe1996 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:04:42 +0000

For all the people who say Google wont sell this phone for $199 because its a bad business model should look at the success of Microsoft and Sony. The xbox and Playstations have always been sold at or below the manufacturing cost. The reason they can afford to keep this model is because they make money on the games and accessories. Now take a phone that is $199 and is unlocked for use on hundreds of wireless carriers around the globe. This phone will fly off the shelves by the 1000′s. Now you have more Android phone in the hands of users, more developers start writing apps for android. All those new android users start buying apps which Google gets a percentage of the sale. Now lets say Google opens a Music site site or offers e-books. Give all this its easy to believe that Google would sell a subsidized device.

By: CrPercodani

CrPercodani — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:53:39 +0000

The source of this is unknown and for all we know this is just made up. If they had more facts and some type of proof then I might believe it. $200 bucks is what that phone costs in parts, maybe a tad bit difference but not much. AMOLED screens aren’t cheap, neither are new SoC’s like the Snapdragon, plus HTC’s manufacturing costs and all the other pieces that come together to make this. If they do it then congratulations on changing the game, but I’m not holding my breath or getting my hopes up at all.

By: Chris H.

Chris H. — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:01:35 +0000

I’m skeptical. There’s no such thing as an “unlocked” CDMA phone — all phones on Sprint and Verizon must explicitly be allowed access to their networks. Google could sell an unsubsidized Sprint or Verizon phone but they would still need to get permission from the providers for them to work.

By: Luffy

Luffy — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:18:18 +0000

yeah plans are way different here in the UK. I pay £35 a month, got my HTC Magic (MyTouch)free and just pay £35 a month which includes 600 mins free talktime to mobile and landline numbers oh and 250 free texts. I got it when it was new to the market back in June 09.

In the UK people NEVER …. well maybe sometimes pay anything for actually getting a phone so i don’t know how this would work over here, can’t wait to find out though because i want one!

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:16:04 +0000

The plan and coverage may be an issue to some places in the US but if Google is going international with this.. which is seems like they are.. then the low device cost is what it needs. The plans are going to be different EVERYWHERE.. not much Google can do about that.. A cheap unlocked phone with all the features I’m hearing about sounds amazing.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:35:24 +0000

Plans and coverage.

If my monthly bill is $160… You think I give a crap about a $200 device cost? Or even a $350 ETF?

RATE PLANS AND COVERAGE! That is what it is all about. If google can work some deal to just have AWESOME SERVICE and a GREAT RATE PLAN, well then it all makes sense. If I have to buy the phone then still pay $160 a month to get a signal… Its not that different from just getting it from the service provider. Wanna change to T-Mobile, sweet. go ahead and change over. Use it anywhere but smack in the middle of the city and you will be right back at another carrier with higher rate plans.

By: El Greco

El Greco — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:32:54 +0000

In the US, monopolies aren’t illegal. They’re only illegal if you use monopolistic power to do “bad things”. Google is only a monopoly because we make them so. We’re the ones that are choosing to use Google’s services (usually because they’re superior to the alternatives).

By: phoenix

phoenix — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:28:51 +0000

which, i might add, is illegal.

By: phoenix

phoenix — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:28:33 +0000

“Just had a thought…with the resources GOOGLE has, would it be possible??? Could it be possible??? that GOOGLE could be NOT ONLY THE SUPPLIER, BUT THE PROVIDER AS WELL??? I know that lines are open to all sorts of providers through AT&T, VERIZON, SPRINT, T-MOBILE even though they don’t want you to know…I could/would go for that! ALL IN ONE, CELL PHONE BUILDER/PROVIDER AND SERVICE PROVIDER! Ah is this HEAVEN??”

and that, sir, is what is called a monopoly

By: Amitab M

Amitab M — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:59:22 +0000

People are so ready to fellate Google, but stop and think how far Google is potentially overreaching. They’ve never sold a piece of hardware before, other than some hardware search device to companies. Does Google even have a customer service infrastructure setup to deal with device and service issues? Google has yet to prove they can do anything apart from information aggregation. Google Gears? Google Video? Google Answers? All massive flops, with the latest overhyped mess being Google Wave.

This is a bold move, and potentially a game-changer, but just as easily a gigantic failure too.

By: Ronald G

Ronald G — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:26:52 +0000

Just had a thought…with the resources GOOGLE has, would it be possible??? Could it be possible??? that GOOGLE could be NOT ONLY THE SUPPLIER, BUT THE PROVIDER AS WELL??? I know that lines are open to all sorts of providers through AT&T, VERIZON, SPRINT, T-MOBILE even though they don’t want you to know…I could/would go for that! ALL IN ONE, CELL PHONE BUILDER/PROVIDER AND SERVICE PROVIDER! Ah is this HEAVEN??

By: Ronald G

Ronald G — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:21:53 +0000

I’m in line waiting for the sale! $199??? that’s a drop in the bucket for a product that looks like this one does and is SUPPLIED BY GOOGLE! I’m all over it!! I want it NOW!