Google may have abandoned their online phone store model, but that doesn"t mean they plan to completely exit the self-branded phone market. We know that when previously asked, Google refused to answer any questions about a possible Nexus Two, leading people to believe that there was still a chance of its existence. Well, the rumors are set to storm across the Internet once more.
According to an exclusive report in City AM, the Nexus Two, or whatever Google plans to call it, is real and coming to the UK before the holidays.
THE SECOND Google-branded mobile phone will hit the UK in time for Christmas through an exclusive deal with Carphone Warehouse, City A.M. has learned.
Its predecessor, the Nexus One, is the flagship device for the search giant, which is desperately trying to wrest market share from Apple’s iPhone.
The deal with Carphone represents a major rethink of Google’s sales strategy, with the Nexus One released exclusively in the UK through Vodafone.
An industry source said: “It looks like Google is experimenting with the future of its mobile model in the UK. It tried releasing through a single carrier, now it is trying a single retailer.
“It could be a solution to the problems it experienced when it tried to sell the Nexus One exclusively through its website. People like to be able to go to a store – this solves that."
The article goes on to say that the new phone is expected to run Gingerbread (which will be either Android 2.3 or 3.0), making the new version of the OS an almost-sure thing before year"s end. This new information, combined with the recent addition of the Gingerbread Man at the Googleplex, should have the Android community feeling pretty confident about its imminent release.
Neither Carphone nor Google have issued a comment. It looks like the wait will just have to continue.