At the special Android press conference in Mountain View, Google officially confirmed the company’s first phone – the Nexus One.
This HTC-branded device is running Android 2.1 and comes with 3.7" AMOLED 480×800 WVGA display, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, 512MB flash onboard memory and 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB), 5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash and geo tagging, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, compass, GPS, accelerometer and light and proximity sensor.
There is also an option of personalized laser engraving: up to 50 characters on the back of the phone.
Android 2.1, a version of the platform’s Eclair software offers applications like Google Maps Navigation (offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output), Email (multiple Gmail accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support), Phone book (aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook), and Android Market with the access to more than 18,000 applications.
Additionally, it futures voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields and voice-searching.
Nexus One is initially available from the new Google web store in the US without service for $529 or starting at $179 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile USA. It is also coming to Verizon this Spring and Vodafone later this year.
Google will initially take orders from consumers in the US and three other markets – the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
In the coming months Google plans on partnering with additional operators. They also expect to launch more phones with Android handset partners (including Motorola) and to expand the web store to more countries.
"The Nexus One belongs in the emerging class of devices which we call ‘superphones,’ with the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset making it as powerful as your laptop computer of three to four years ago. It’s our way to raise the bar on what’s possible when it comes to creating the best mobile experience for consumers," said Andy Rubin, VP of Engineering.
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