Indeed it has been interesting to see all the hype surrounding the official release of the Nexus One smartphone (aka. The Google Phone). Based on the Android mobile OS, this isn’t the first Android phone by any means, however, it is the first, true, Google phone, supporting tight Google integration, the Android Platform 2.1 (Eclair) and most interesting, available for sale directly from Google.

I was interested in a reader’s comments how the sales model is not new by any means, this regarding the idea of selling an unlocked device (ie. not locked to a particular carrier), however, what is new here is the fact that Google will be selling and marketing this device themselves… indeed a great move. The carriers have long been criticized in the mobile space for monopolizing the sales channels and basically having the device maker and customer “by the nuts” (sorry for the language!) Google’s move to sell the Nexus One via their online shop is a bold move and maybe it will kick-start a new, acceptable means for purchasing mobile devices. The Nexus One is being sold for about $529 directly from Google (sans contract), however, T-Mobile customers will also have the opportunity to grab a device via their sales channels for just $179 with a 2 year contract commitment.

I have to wonder when will consumers maybe start thinking about ditching the voice contract and even forget about traditional voice calling all together - I know voice apps are the least used services on my mobile, hell, there’s months that go by where I use less than 30 minutes or voice air time! Why not simply use the smartphone without voice, taking advantage of WiFi connectivity and services like Google Voice and Skype if voice services are needed? When you consider that a typical voice+data contract for a smartphone runs about $85 per month + taxes and fees do we really need all the fluffy stuff? Perhaps people will move towards keeping 2 devices, one with a cheap voice contract or a pre-paid service, and a Nexus One in the other pocket for data access, web connectivity, messaging etc… indeed all the pieces are in place. Mobile maps, email, search, docs etc.. all available via Google web services, messaging can be handled via Twitter apps, and VoIp calling over WiFi is easily accessible.. heck, we won’t even have to deal with roaming fees and long distance calling rates. If I was a carrier rep I’d be watching this one closely! See more on the Nexus One HERE or jump to http://www.google.com/phone

Some Specs:

• 5 megapixel camera (no front camera for video calling)
• Video (720×480)
• 512 MB RAM
• Support for 32 GB memory via MicroSD
• UMTS Band 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900)
• HSDPA 7.2Mbps
• HSUPA 2Mbps
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• A2DP stereo Bluetooth