Google's mobile search ambitions spur new phone, web store

While handset makers have used Google’s Android software in 20 devices in the past year, “exceeding even our most optimistic expectations … we believe we can accelerate the pace of innovation further,” said Mario Queiroz, the company’s Vice President of Product Management in a company blog.

Google’s new online mobile phone store has only one product so far. The Nexus One is described by Queiroz as a “superphone” and a “convergence point for mobile technology, apps and the Internet.

It represents a first step in Google’s plan to work more closely with hardware partners to showcase Android’s capabilities and to give consumers a “simple, online web store from Google,” Queiroz writes.

The store, located at www.google.com/phone, gives customers one click access to two choices: the unlocked phone for $529, or the same phone along with T-Mobile service in the U.S. for $179.

Google says it will provide access to two other service providers in Spring of 2010. Service in the U.S. will also be available eventually through Verizon Wireless. Europe’s Vodafone service will also be available by Spring.

The screen features a 3.7 inch screen, noise suppression, and a processor which has been used on netbook computers, the 1 Ghz Snapdragon chipset from Qualcomm.