If you buy the Google Nexus One with a T-Mobile contract and then decide you don’t want it before 121 days of use have arrived, you’ll be paying a lot more in ETF’s than just the typical $200 charged by T-Mobile Wireless.

That’s because Google has announced that they’ll be charging their own $350 charge to recoup the subsidized charge they passed the unit along to customers for. The fee, known as an “Equipment Recovery Fee” would make the device more expensive for those users than if they had just chosen to buy the phone outright for $550 unlocked.

It’s a move that was popularized by Verizon Wireless, so it’s not like we’re being thrown a curveball that we didn’t see coming, now it’s just time to decide if you want to tempt fate with a cheap $179.99 phone or just go all out and pay $550. We personally, like to test fate…

Google Nexus One Gets $550 In Early Equipment/Termination Fees is a post from: The Inquisitr

We don’t know at this point if the leaked Nexus One page is in fact the real deal or a cheap ripoff, but the offers seem to be in line with other unlocked devices, including subsidized pricing from T-Mobile USA. We’ll more than likely find out if it’s the real deal on January 5th during the Google Press Conference, in the meantime here’s the info.

Apparently the device, unlocked and without a carrier attached will go for $529.99, putting it in line with other HTC devices in terms of pricing, a good fact considering HTC manufacturers the unlocked phone. Customers can also choose to pick up the phone with a two-year T-Mobile contract for $179.99, but only if their willing to switch over to a Nexus One plan with 500 minutes talk time, unlimited text and data and mobile to mobile for $79.99. Gizmodo is also stating that customers who cancel their contacts before 120 days runs up will be forced to cough up an additional $350 to keep the device, or they’ll have to return it to Google, a move Verizon customers are accustomed to dealing with.

The page also reveals a few add-ons that many users will probably want to look into, including the $39.99 desktop docking station and the $49.99 Car dock.

Like I said, still no confirmation from Google about the leaked page and it’s authenticity, but at $179.99 even with a two year contract, it would make the unit an even more attractive iPhone competitor.

Google Nexus One Order Page Gets Leaked, Unconfirmed is a post from: The Inquisitr

The FCC just received model number PB99100 built by manufacturer HTC, or as we like to refer to it the NexusOne “Google Phone.” Along with that arrival has come some insight into the phones specs, include 3G bands which should prove to be a huge win for T-Mobile USA and other carriers around the world.

The filing shows MicroSDHC card support for the device, which at the current moment provides up to 16GB expandable memory, while also featuring WiFi 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.1 with enhanced data rates.

However, the real news sits within the phones 3G capabilities and according to FCC tests the unit offers a quad-band GSM/GPRS/Edge setup with UMTS/HSUPA for 2Mbps and 7.1Mbps speed capabilities. According to Engadget the device will offer HSPA 900 / 1700 / 2100mhz abilities which gives 3G to T-Mobile but leaves AT&T with Edge speeds, a move that could be seen as a slap in the face to the exclusive Apple iPhone carrier.

As reported the NexusOne will come completely unlocked for worldwide use, will feature Google Android 2.1 and also comes with a Google created user interface that has been heralded by early critics as an ‘iPhone type experience on steroids.”

More to follow as more info becomes available…

NexusOne “Google Phone” Gets Spec’d During FCC Approval is a post from: The Inquisitr

So the news is all over the tech blogosphere – Google does have a Google Phone (you can read our reporting of it by Kim over here) and everyone is slapping good old Michael Arrington for the incredible investigative skills required to be the one who broke the news.

There’s only one problem with that scenario - it’s bullshit. Pure.And.Simple.

I know this because unlike all the rest of the tech blogosphere I have a memory and I believe that credit should go to the person who actually deserves it. Which in the case of the Google Phone we need to go back to 2007 and Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins breaking the news, based on an inside source, that Google was indeed working on a branded phone.

This was a post that was widely quoted right across the tech blogosphere and if I recall correctly he also received a lot of flack over. It was also the same news that apparently CrunchGear thought enough of to link to as a related item.

I realize that for the most part the tech blogosphere has the memory of an amoeba where remembering anything past the last Twitter message is a stretch but that doesn’t make it right. The truth of the matter is that Mark deserves all credit for being the person who got this story right and it shouldn’t take him having to post a “I told you so” post to get the fact straight.

So Michael while it is great that you, and the whole *Crunch crew are patting you and themselves on the back for getting this so-called breaking news maybe you should take a view precious lines and acknowledge the person who actually broke the story almost three years before you.

As for the rest of the tech blogosphere perhaps you should maybe take the time to actually do some research on who said what and when instead of being a bunch of lazy asses and giving credit where it isn’t due. Not to mention that there are some of you who owe Mark a big apology but chances are that won’t happen which says a lot about the people in this business.

The Google Phone: Let’s clear up some facts about who really ‘called it’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

A few tweets from Google employees have sent tech blogs and re-tweeters into a speculation loop about the whens and whats of the Google phone. (Googlephone?)

Apparently, they’re in the wild. One of the more popular re-tweetable rumors started with a Google employee who simply said:

Stuck in mass of traffic leaving work post last all hands of 2009. ZOMG we had fireworks and we all got the new Google phone. It’s beautiful

Fireworks and Google phones? At my last work Christmas function we got lukewarm Chicken Parm and a gift bag of lens cleaning cloths. User Great White Snark originated the other widely-quoted tweet about the Google phone, saying first:

A friend from Google showed me the new Android 2.1 phone from HTC coming out in Jan. A sexy beast. Like an iPhone on beautifying steroids.

And then:

I might have made out with it a little bit. Maybe.

It’s interesting that the stickiest soundbites about the Google phone are related to aesthetics. The one area Apple products have the clearest advantage is looks, and that would be a big hurdle in luring loyal iPhone users. So we hear it’s performance enhanced pretty. Anything else? A Computer World post has description of a CNet writer’s brief encounter with the Google phone:

I was given the phone for a very limited time from a Google employee. It resembled an HTC Hero to my eyes, though a tiny bit smaller and DEFINITELY thinner. I kept looking over at the guy using it, thinking to myself that it WAS a Hero, but when I asked, he spilled the beans. Google employees were handed the phones today. He reiterated that there would probably be a decent amount of information hitting the tubes this weekend. With my limited time with the device, I saw it running Android 2.1. The home screen had this animated background image that looked nifty with red and blue lasers shooting across it. The gray bar at the bottom of the home screen was replaced with the “house” line art used on the face of most Android phones that takes you to the home screen. Looked sleeker. Super light phone too.

So what we know might be true is that they’re sexy, they shoot lasers, they might be hitting in January and more speculation should be coming down the pike soon. If they were handed out en masse at Google HQ, it’s surprising that more info hasn’t been leaked yet. One last bit of speculation from the CW post:

The real killer feature of these phones would be that they are sold open, without a carrier.  And, if they have Wifi and VoIP you might be able to *gulp* skip the carrier part of the equation.  Or just get a Mifi.

We’ll post more information when and if it becomes available.

Google phone rumored to be in the wild is a post from: The Inquisitr

For the best part of the last decade Google has been rumored to be developing a fabled Google Phone, and a new report claims that phone may be on its way.

The Street claims that Google is working with a smartphone manufacturer to have a Google-branded phone available this year through retailers and not through telcos. The report goes on to say that “The move would fulfill Google’s pledge to bring a new generation of open-standard mobile Internet devices to consumers. By bypassing the carriers, who keep tight controls over the features and applications that are allowed on phones, Google will presumably offer a device that lets users determine the functions.”

Notably the report comes from the same analyst who also said that the iPhone wasn’t selling well in China, despite it not having gone on sale when the claim was made.

It’s not impossible that Google may be working on a Google Phone, but it would be surprising. Google has been taking a more hands on approach with phone makers who are using Google’s Android Operating System, notably working with Verizon and Motorola in the development of the Droid. That they’d then turn around and offer a phone that competes with their partners would be more than a little interesting, and a departure from their current strategy of offering the OS, not the handset.

Report claims fabled Google Phone on its way is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Phone

The phone itself, as had previously been rumored, combines an iPhone-style touchscreen with pull-out QWERTY keyboard and a BlackBerry-like trackball. It’s not nearly as ugly as some of the early leaked shots had suggested, either (click images to enlarge):

The Music

Some of the strongest criticism against the G1 phone has included its lack of iTunes support compared to, you know, that other phone on the market. To counter that, Google has built-in integrated Amazon MP3 options. Instead of iTunes, you can conduct one-click ordering through Amazon’s music service and then use the Android music player to listen. It has integrated Google and YouTube “more information” options for any playing song, too.

The Network

The iPhone, of course, has come under fire for its 3G-related problems. How will T-Mobile stack up? The company says its newly built network will be live in 22 U.S. markets — all the major metropolitan areas, it says — by the time the G1 launches. The phone will also have support for T-Mobile’s EDGEnetwork and regular WiFi. As far as comparative reliability, though, only time will tell.

The Price

The G1 comes a bit cheaper than its competitor, with initial prices at $179 (with a two-year T-Mobile contract). Data plans run either $25 a month for limited messaging and unlimited Internet or $35 a month for unlimited of both. Though the savings there seem significant over AT&T’s iPhone options, note that you are required to sign up separately for a T-Mobile voice plan.

(The phone, by the way, will be in U.S. stores on October 22, with pre-ordering available soon for current T-Mobile customers. The G1 is expected to hit the U.K. in early November and then spread throughout Europe early next year.)

The Programs

The Android OS comes with a number of unique options from Google. As you might expect, services such as Google Maps, Google search, and YouTube are integrated throughout the platform. There’s a dedicated Google search button on the keypad. The most interesting option, though, is the Street View compass mode. That lets you get a real-time, moving image on street level that’s matched with your own location.

More from the Google team:

Other programs built into the phone include instant messaging (Google Talk, AOL, Yahoo, and Windows Live), a Chrome-like browser optimized for mobile use, and Gmail synchronization. Microsoft Exchange options are not offered by default; however, third-party apps are expected to cover that soon.

More on the WebKit browser:

The Apps

Android has some pluses and some minuses compared to Apple when it comes to apps. As of now, Apple’s App Store certainly has a wider offering, given the newness of the Android platform. Where Android gains points, though, is in its open system. The Android Market, as it’s being called, will let developers sign up and upload programs in a matter of minutes — no involved approval process required. What’s more, uploaded apps will appear instantly and will be ranked based solely on user ratings. Given all the anger surrounding Apple’s banning of apps lately, this may prove to be a strong positive for Android. Reps insist the companies will never moderate or ban any programs from the store.

As for availability, you can get an idea of some of the early offerings at the Android Developer Challenge Gallery. We won’t really see the full scope of what could come for several more weeks, though.

The Killer Question

So will the G1 be an iPhone killer? The Inquisitr’s Duncan Riley predicts no, and he may be right. Apple has built quite an empire with its brand, and it’s not about to be toppled in an instant. At the same time, though, I’ve gotta say that the first Android offering has an awful lot of appeal. It looks to be a pretty cool device with some intriguing and unique options. The inclusion of the QWERTY keyboard along with the touchscreen is a big plus for me, personally, and I’d be just as satisfied with an Amazon-based music option as I would with iTunes. The built-in Google functionality will be a strong selling point, and the lower pricing won’t hurt, either. The open nature of both the OS and the app store are also pleasing to me on both a principle level and a practical level, with the increased innovation that could result down the road.

So for me, yeah — from what I know so far, I’d consider a G1 before I’d consider an iPhone. Will everyone else? Of course not. And hoards of iPhone users likely won’t jump ship on October 22. But all together, Android’s first offering is a decently impressive package with the potential to provide the iPhone some real competition. It may not have the power to make an immediate kill, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it make a good-sized splash — and as it expands over the coming years, that splash could just grow into a fairly fierce wave.

Android’s First Offering: The Full Scoop on G1 is a post from: The Inquisitr