Google Makes the Nexus One Official: $529 Through Google, $179 Through T-Mobile

At Google’s much ballyhooed Android press event (ballyhooed as much for the fact that it took place the same week as CES, a show Google is not attending, as for what it might portend), the company officially debuted the Nexus One, the so-called Google Phone that was leaked last month, after Google employees were revealed to be using it.

To confirm (or clarify) all those rumors, the phone has a slimmer shape than the Droid, runs Android 2.1, and will be available either through Google, unlocked, or through T-Mobile, so long as consumers opt for a specific voice/data plan. A Verizon version will follow this Spring. As for AT&T, because the Nexus One is, at launch, a GSM phone, you can bring it to AT&T, but you won’t get 3G coverage.

As leaked, the phone will cost $529 unlocked, which would mean purchasing it directly from Google, or $179 with a two-year contact through T-Mobile. Google’s phone store launches today at www.google.com/phone, and users can purchase either the unlocked version or a subsidized one there. Google says more devices and carrier partners will follow. For now, it’s launching in the U.S. and Google will ship devices to three test markets: the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong. And, here’s a surprise: the phone will come to Verizon in the Spring!

Now, for the phone itself. It’s made by HTC (just like the original “Google Phone,” the G1) and does indeed run Android 2.1, a step even above what the Motorola Droid runs (that would be version 2.0). It runs on a speedy 1-GHz Snapdragon processor, including 512MB RAM and 512MB ROM. It has a 3.7-inch display (480 x 800) and, like the Droid’s, it lacks multi-touch. The camera also has stereo Bluetooth and five-megapixel resolution with an LED flash.

I’ll get more into this in my full review, but it has a thin design, just 11.5mm thin, although the four buttons at the base of the touchscreen are the same you’ll find on the Droid and other Android devices. New, however, is a trackball beneath these touch-sensitive buttons. It doubles as a multi-colored LED indicator, so you can see notifications on the trackball. I’m curious to see how much people will need to use a trackball on a device with such a massive touchscreen.

The main benefits of  Android 2.1 are its eye candy, frankly. The Nexus One has five home screens, and users can add not just widgets and shortcuts, but live wallpapers. For instance, you can have a moving pond with floating leaves as your background (I’m curious to see if this gets distracting). The app launcher now has a 3D look as well: when you scroll through apps you can see the apps disappear at the top of the screen, as if they’re pinned to a 3D scroll wheel. Another flourish that’s new to the device: all text fields will now be voice-enabled (think: spoken tweets).

The Nexus One  is available unlocked and through T-Mobile today. The Verizon version will come in the Spring. Again, it will cost $529 though Google and $179 through T-Mobile. We’re getting our review unit today, so stay tuned for a thorough review. In the meantime, here are some early hands-on photos. More to come: