14 DAY TRIAL // This is something many might have expected. The Nexus One by HTC has just been announced as being the official Developer Phone for the Android operating system. After becoming the first mobile phone to be sold via Google's web store (also the last one, for that matter) as well as the first device to come with Android 2.1 on board and the first one to get the Android 2.2 Froyo software update, the Nexus One was announced as being the handset of choice for Android developers.
“We've always offered unlocked phones for direct sale to registered Android Developers. As of today, the Developer Phone is the Nexus One, at a price of $529. To see the details or order a phone, you need to sign in to your Android developer account and click on the 'Development Phones' link,” a recent post on the Android Developers blog reads. The announcement comes shortly after Google closing down its web store, and after T-Mobile G1, the first Android-based device in the world, being discontinued.
Currently, the Nexus One by HTC is available for purchase in various markets around the world via wireless carriers and authorized dealers. Google stopped selling the device via its web store a couple of weeks ago, when it closed the storefront, and announced that users interested in the device should try purchasing it from other sources. Although it registered a slow start, the Nexus One still is one of the nicest Android-based devices on the market.
“The Nexus One combines an up-to-the-minute platform (Android 2.2), modern hardware, and the pure Android software suite. It's a good choice both for people who want to build Android applications using either the SDK or the NDK, and those who want to experiment with modified versions of the Android platform. Note that the Nexus One still ships with Android 2.1 but will download 2.2 soon after you turn it on; make sure you’re near a fast network,” the aforementioned blog post reads.