Nexus One vs iPhone saga reaches new heights
Google has announced the availability of its new version of the Nexus One smartphone on AT&T, in direct competition with Apple’s iPhone.
The new version of Nexus One became available on Tuesday and supports AT&T’s frequencies for 3G. Previously, the original version of Nexus One also worked on 3G supported by other carriers in Europe and USA, this according to Wall Street Journal.
Apple’s iPhone also runs on AT&T’s 3G version, deepening the competition between the two companies.
Since the iPhone-AT&T exclusivity is expected to end one day, the carrier is now placing its bets on the Nexus One and Google’s Android OS.
“We’ll accept a compatible device on our network”, commented AT&T spokesman Fletcher Cook, without referring directly to Google’s Nexus One though.
Google has reportedly told media about “sharing our plans and progress with AT&T for several weeks”, adding it would include Verizon and Vodafone in their strategy.
However, Google will sell Nexus One on AT&T’s network at its full price, $529, more than the $179 price for a Nexus One subsidized by T-Mobile or the $99 starting price of an iPhone subsidized by AT&T.
Earlier this month, Apple sued HTC, Nexus One manufacturer, for patent infringement. Although Google’s name wasn’t mentioned in the lawsuit, analysts believe the case continues to underline the fierce competition between the iPhone maker and Google.
It seems pretty silly to suggest that AT&T “is now placing its bets on the Nexus One and Google’s Android OS” when AT&T is not subsidizing it, not selling it through its retail outlets (online or brick and mortar), and is suing the manufacturer. AT&T simply has a bring-your-own phone policy under which AT&T will activate virtually ANY compatible handset, including the new Nexus One (and the older Nexus One that was compatible only with AT&T’s Edge). To the extent you want to argue that AT&T is “betting” on the Android OS, you might want to focus more on the other Android handsets AT&T sells and actually supports. In this regard, it is probably more accurate to say that AT&T is further diversifying its portfolio of handset operating systems, not “betting” on any one of them.