Screenshots leaked to tech site Gizmodo by an anonymous "tipster" suggest that Google's Nexus One smartphone will retail for $530 — more than twice what many observers were expecting. While the Gizmodo scoop also has the phone available through T-mobile for $180 with a two-year contract, it was the "unlocked" version of the phone (that is, sold free and clear from any provider contracts), which will be available through the Nexus One website, that had gadget afficianados buzzing. In theory, an affordable, no-strings smartphone could revolutionize the wireless industry, which today tends to require long-term locked-in contracts. But will the Nexus One's lofty price tag jeopardize its status as "game-changer" for the wireless industry?
It's still a game-changer: While the price makes it "unlikely" that Google will be selling the Nexus One "in droves," says MG Siegler at Tech Crunch, releasing a "completely unlocked" phone still marks "an important moment in the mobile industry in the U.S." Even at $530, the device "points to a future where the carriers don’t dominate the mobile scene with their ridiculous contracts and lock-in policies. And that’s a good thing."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerousThe Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulusPuzzles and Quizzes
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
