14 DAY TRIAL // Nexus S, the first smartphone to come to the market with Google's new Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, is expected to become available for purchase in the UK via two retailers, namely Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse, starting with December 20th.
The mobile phone was developed in partnership with Samsung, Google announced officially on Monday, adding that it would be launched in the UK in with a limited release before Christmas only at The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy UK.
The official announcement also unveiled the fact that Nexus S would be available for free upon the signing of 24-month contract agreements on £35 per month plans (with Vodafone, it seems), and that it would be priced at £549.95 if purchased SIM free.
While the contract price tag seems pretty appealing, the off contract cost is higher than one might have expected, at around $864, when compared to the $529 cost it would sport in the US.
“Nexus S from Google represents a giant leap forward for Smartphones,” Andrew Harrison, Chief Operating Officer of The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy UK, said.
“It’s the most sophisticated Android phone to date and will make a big impression with its speed, advanced features and beautiful curved design. I’m absolutely delighted that The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy are working with Google to offer such a strong product exclusively to our customers.”
Nexus S comes to the market with a wide range of great features, including a 1GHz application processor, complemented by 16 GB of internal memory providing plenty of space for music, games and other apps.
Moreover, the device runs under the new Android platform, version 2.3 (aka Gingerbread), and sports Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, Flash and HTML5 technology, and a large 4” display.
The features list of this device includes:
- Improved motion gesture sensors for enhanced quality gaming and location tracking without requiring GPS; - Back and front-facing cameras for face-to-face video chats (requires installation of a 3rd party application from Android Market or elsewhere) and; - A ‘pure Google’ Smartphone experience, in which users will be the first to receive software upgrades and new applications as they become available.
The new Android mobile phone can be seen at Carphone Warehouse here.