by Bruce Tyson

Created on: March 29, 2010

Long touted as the best Android phone to date, the Nexus One has arrived on Verizon with much fanfare. Users are eager to use Skype on the Nexus One and Google Voice on the most powerful smartphone released to date. Of course, Google is marketing the Nexus One as a superphone, a device that is much more powerful than what we recognize as a smartphone at this time. Whether the new category designation will stick is something only time will tell.

The Nexus One features a 3.7” 800x400 display and is powered by a 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU with 512 MB of memory it’s touch screen, Bluetooth compatibility, 3G connectivity, and 5 megapixel camera are just a few of the features that combine with its slim 11.5 mm profile to make it one of the most sought after phones on the market today.

Phone service

Although the Nexus One has been operating on AT&T’s network for some time, the CDMA version that runs on Verizon’s network has only become available in the spring of 2010, with availability on Sprint’s network coming even later in 2010. Many are speculating that cellular carriers are giving up hope for offering the iPhone and are looking to superphones like Nexus One to give them enough power and features to compete.

Pricing Availability

The Nexus One phone for Verizon is available only through Google, the maker of the Android operating system that runs it. This version of the Nexus One had spotty availability at best through the end of March 2010. What we know is the cost of the phone is $199 with contract, slightly higher than its price with other carriers. Right now, the cost for the phone itself (without contract) is not known, although Verizon customers with contracts are hoping to have it soon. The GSM version of the Nexus One has been selling for $529 without a contract.

Getting the best deal

While the Nexus One phone is one of the hottest smartphones right now and its debut on Verizon is expected to generate a very high demand for it, don’t get your hopes up for any really good deals on it for some time. In fact, the best deal you’ll be able to hope for is actually getting a Nexus One phone anytime soon.

Other than that, the way to the best deal to a new Nexus One on Verizon will be to sign up for a new contract. The anticipated $500+ cost for the phone without a contract is a bit steep and may be prohibitive for all but the most enthusiastic users.

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