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Despite a detailed page on Wal-Mart's website indicating that the Nexus One phone is "coming soon," Google says it has no plans to distribute the phone anywhere but its own website.
Wal-Mart Stores has created a page on its wireless website featuring the Nexus One. It says the device is coming soon, but does not include pricing information.
"We currently have no plans to distribute the Nexus One through any channel other than our Google-hosted web store,” Google spokeswoman Katie Watson said via email.
The blog AndroidandMe first spotted the page.
Visitors to the main Wal-Mart website who search for "Nexus One" can no longer find the page, indicating that Wal-Mart could be in the process of removing it. Wal-Mart did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The Wal-Mart page offers detailed information about the phones and indicates that the Nexus One may soon become available for use on other networks besides T-Mobile. It said that the phone works on UMTS/HSDPA (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System/High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) as well as 1xRTT and 1xEvDO. That means the phone would operate on the Verizon and Sprint networks.
While Google is selling the phone unlocked to users willing to pay US$530, the phone will only operate on 3G on T-Mobile’s network. Unlocked phones will make and receive phone calls and deliver slower data speeds on AT&T’s network. The current Nexus One phones won’t work on the Verizon or Sprint networks.
When Google introduced the Nexus One in early January, it said that it would be available exclusively through the Google online store initially. The search giant had hoped to jump-start the market for unlocked phones sold without a subsidy. But it quickly became apparent that Google was not prepared to offer the kind of customer support that phone buyers expect.
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