If you want an unlocked, Android 2.3 powered Nexus S on its December 20 launch date, you’ll have to pay Carphone Warehouse £549 for the thing. That’s quite a lot of money for a telephone. That’s Apple territory.
However, the retailer is planning to bundle the Nexus S with SIM cards connected to and subsidised by Vodafone and T-Mobile, which brings the monthly tariff down to your more usual standard of £35 per month for a 24 month contract.
Initial enthusiasm wearing off now the price has been revealed? Or still MAD for it? Check out CPW’s range of Nexus S tariffs here, if you fancy doing a bit of limited shopping about.
Motorola’s latest flagship dual-core Android monster is a massive, original powerhouse, that’s a big improvement on previous MOTOBLUR mobiles – but still isn’t a total winner.
A slim and glamorous phone from Sony Ericsson, with the sharpest display around. It’s no powerhouse and the screen’s not the biggest out there, but we don’t mind. Because it’s cute.
LG’s first glasses-free 3D phone is a heavy, fat monster, with a clever 3D effect that works rather well. As a smartphone, though, it’s heavy and underwhelming.
A very shiny thing from Sony Ericsson, with a 3.7″ screen and Android 2.3.3 inside. But is it exciting enough to win fans in today’s spec-obsessed market? Can man live on one core alone?
INQ’s Android phone is an interesting “boutique” piece of hardware, packed with unique interface customisations that go far beyond the headline Facebook integration. We like it a lot.
Matt S
/ December 6, 2010Disappointingly high price, no doubt to try to tie people into 18-24 month contracts. I cant justify upgrading my phone for that i’d be lucky to get £150 for my Desire. Shame.
Gary C
/ December 6, 2010The SIM-free price is bit of a shocker. What was the Nexus One available for on direct import? About £440 or so after taxes and everything, wasn’t it?
JiMMaR
/ December 6, 2010wow , phandroid just said that best buy is pricing it for $529 unlocked (337.094 GBP) .. what a bummer >.<
k0zmic
/ December 6, 2010Do you know if the one from Best Buy work in the UK?
JiMMaR
/ December 6, 2010Google said that it’s gonna be unlocked and should work on all carriers
at least I know that the US nexus one worked in my country (kuwait) so I guess it should work on all GSM carriers
k0zmic
/ December 6, 2010Brilliant! I’m going to the US in a couple of weeks so I might pick up a couple.
Matt S
/ December 6, 2010Let us know if you got some going cheap :P
Gary C
/ December 6, 2010Make that three. Can I have a discount if buying the one you had to hide in your pants?
k0zmic
/ December 6, 2010Sure! I’ll be putting one on eBay for less than £550. It all depends on how many I can get in the suitcase though. I might have to put one down my pants!
Meister_Li
/ December 6, 2010That price is way too high for me. I’ll just stick to my Galaxy S and hope Google Provides us with enough open source drivers that we can bring Gingerbread/Cyanogen Mod easyier onto it with them.
Matt S
/ December 6, 2010Bloody hell its even £ than it is $ and thats without taking the conversion into the equation. Nexus S should be £340 over here. Boo profiteering.
Tom Robson
/ December 6, 2010If this phone didn’t have 2.3 on it would be a big fat meh! Once 2.3 starts making it’s way to the custom ROM scene and / or is pre-installed on other handsets, the Nexus S will lose most of it’s appeal. The Samsung Galaxy S2 is the one to watch for desirable hardware.
Bristolboy
/ December 6, 2010That is very expensive. Think CW/Google/Samsung may have shot themselves in the foot with that one!
Gary C
/ December 6, 2010I foresee a Galaxy Tab style PRICE CRASH in the new year.
Tom Robson
/ December 6, 2010Yes, once the dual core chip based handsets are out (Feb 2011) the Nexus S will be selling for <£400
Bristolboy
/ December 6, 2010I am definitely going to wait until the MWC. Remember it was here that the HTC Desire was announced!
The dag
/ December 6, 2010Don’t forget that the US price will be before tax – if buying within the US, a typical sales tax of 9.5% would result in the price being $580 (about £370 – still quite a difference). Direct import into the UK would attract 17.5-20% VAT, so the UK price would work out to about £405 before p&p and credit card currency converson commission (nice bit of alliteration there.) Still a difference of £100+ that you could put towards a plane ticket to the US …
k0zmic
/ December 11, 2010I’ve checked and Sales Tax varies between state to state as far as a I know, so it could be cheaper in some places, e.g. Virginia only charges 5% sales tax.
brypie
/ December 7, 2010No Micro SD slot??
Big mistake if you ask me…