Android!

[Trippy]

Those were my assumptions.  Now Verizon needs to move chop chop like.  I wonder how much this will cost me to leave my contract months early and canceling my family plan and opening a new one.

The Nexus One is a GSM phone. Verizon ain't getting that particular phone EVER. Someday Google may ask HTC to build a CDMA equivalent.

[schild]

Heh.

[JWIV]

Those were my assumptions.  Now Verizon needs to move chop chop like.  I wonder how much this will cost me to leave my contract months early and canceling my family plan and opening a new one.

The Nexus One is a GSM phone. Verizon ain't getting that particular phone EVER. Someday Google may ask HTC to build a CDMA equivalent.

Google swears they're doing a CDMA variant for Spring 2010.  Supposedly though, it's only going to be a direct order item (through Google) as opposed to being able to buy it in a VZ store.

[Trippy]

Those were my assumptions.  Now Verizon needs to move chop chop like.  I wonder how much this will cost me to leave my contract months early and canceling my family plan and opening a new one.

The Nexus One is a GSM phone. Verizon ain't getting that particular phone EVER. Someday Google may ask HTC to build a CDMA equivalent.

Google swears they're doing a CDMA variant for Spring 2010.  Supposedly though, it's only going to be a direct order item (through Google) as opposed to being able to buy it in a VZ store.

That's a little odd considering CDMA phones are tied to a specific provider (they don't use a swappable cards like GSM phones do, well okay some CDMA phones can now but not in the US AFAIK) so they would be in effect selling a Verizon phone that Verizon itself can't sell but it sort of matches how they effectively tied the Nexus One to T-Mobile here in the US by leaving out support for AT&Ts 3G band (it will work on AT&T EDGE network).

[KallDrexx]

Yeah but Google confirmed the Verizon version in Spring 2010 so it's not just a rumor.  It's even listed on the Nexus One purchase page.

[Quinton]

Those were my assumptions.  Now Verizon needs to move chop chop like.  I wonder how much this will cost me to leave my contract months early and canceling my family plan and opening a new one.

The Nexus One is a GSM phone. Verizon ain't getting that particular phone EVER. Someday Google may ask HTC to build a CDMA equivalent.

I've been using a CDMA spin of N1 on Verizon for a week or two now.  Somebody's got to get the software wrapped up so the online store guys can un-gray-out the "BUY NOW FOR VERIZON" button on google.com/phone.

Goddamn, Verizon's data network is fast.

Sorry about the lack of butans, schild.

[Draegan]

Goddamn, Verizon's data network is fast.

This is why I'm going back to Verizon.  TMobile is ok, but not good in NJ.

[schild]

Ironically, the opposite is true in Austin. T-Mobiles network smokes Verizon's here. On that note, the Nexus One loaded up CNET this morning 4x faster than a droid I had next to it on my desk. I didn't think it was reasonable until every webpage I tried (mostly newspapers and mediarich sites) all loaded that much faster than the Droid.

[Quinton]

That's a little odd considering CDMA phones are tied to a specific provider (they don't use a swappable cards like GSM phones do, well okay some CDMA phones can now but not in the US AFAIK) so they would be in effect selling a Verizon phone that Verizon itself can't sell but it sort of matches how they effectively tied the Nexus One to T-Mobile here in the US by leaving out support for AT&Ts 3G band (it will work on AT&T EDGE network).

Thin is popular.  Making the device 2mm thicker to support an antenna that could also handle AT&T's weird band selection (probably the FCC's fault, but who knows...) would have impacted ID.  Of course one could probably build a version with the right power amps and antenna for AT&T easier than one could build a CDMA version...

[Draegan]

Ironically, the opposite is true in Austin. T-Mobiles network smokes Verizon's here. On that note, the Nexus One loaded up CNET this morning 4x faster than a droid I had next to it on my desk. I didn't think it was reasonable until every webpage I tried (mostly newspapers and mediarich sites) all loaded that much faster than the Droid.

Jersey has spotty 3G coverage for TMobile for whatever reason.  Verizon is almost always getting a 3G signal.

[Quinton]

Yeah coverage is really what matters.  TMO is crap at my house but fine at the office.  AT&T is the other way around.  VZW seems to be slightly faster than either in both locations.

Too bad building devices that talk on *all* networks is a pain (impacts cost, ID, software, etc...)

[Ingmar]

Just to triple super confirm it, my Verizon NexusOne eval phone is coming in April, we already asked for it.

[TripleDES]

For christ's sake, get Google to sell it to elsewhere in Europe but UK.

[Trippy]

The phone is unlocked. Can't you just drive to France and buy one there?

[Teleku]

The phone is unlocked. Can't you just drive to France and buy one there?

Dude, he's English.  He'd NEVER stoop to that!

[schild]

Started making Nexus One wallpapers, all properly formatted already.

http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/39720/1/nexus%20one?h=ed90fb

[bhodi]

Just to triple super confirm it, my Verizon NexusOne eval phone is coming in April, we already asked for it.

April? AAHHHHHH that's MONTHS away! I need it NowWwwwWwwww

[AutomaticZen]

Wait, does this mean the Verizon version with work with Sprint?

[JWIV]

Just to triple super confirm it, my Verizon NexusOne eval phone is coming in April, we already asked for it.

April? AAHHHHHH that's MONTHS away! I need it NowWwwwWwwww

Waiting for tech is such a sucker's game, but now I'm torn.  I was planning on picking up a Droid come mid-March or so, but waiting a week or three for the Nexus One seems fairly trivial.   Course, I need to get my hands on a Nexus One to play with and see if I even like it.

[schild]

The Nexus One is embarrassingly faster and battery friendly than the Droid.

I do miss the shit out of a keyboard though.

[Trippy]

Wait, does this mean the Verizon version with work with Sprint?

Traditionally, no. Unlike with GSM phones where you just need to unlock the phone (and the GSM Nexus One comes unlocked) to use another provider's SIM, with CDMA phones the provider needs to "unlock" it (which they don't traditionally do) and then the new provider has to activate it (which they don't traditionally do) assuming the phone actually can work on both networks (which isn't always the case). It's basically a collusion agreement between the major providers -- "we won't allow your users to switch to our network if you don't let our users switch to yours."

It's possible Google will have some sort of deal in place with Verizon and Sprint to allow transfer of the phone between providers but I wouldn't count on it.

Edit: I forgot to mention there are also compatibility issues with GSM phones as well (different providers may use frequencies that a phone doesn't support) so it's not a guarantee an unlocked GSM phone will work properly with all GSM providers.

[Quinton]

Edit: I forgot to mention there are also compatibility issues with GSM phones as well (different providers may use frequencies that a phone doesn't support) so it's not a guarantee an unlocked GSM phone will work properly with all GSM providers.

Generally this is only an issue in the US.  In the rest of the civilized world, a GSM/UMTS phone "Just Works" pretty much all the time.  AT&T and TMO in the US both use some slightly quirky bands for 3G which makes building one device that works on both those networks as well as everywhere else difficult.

[Ingmar]

Looks like AT&T is getting the Nexus One or an equivalent as well:

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/01/30/att-friendly-nexus-one-passes-through-the-fcc/

No dates or anything yet.

[Oban]

Wait, does this mean the Verizon version with work with Sprint?

Traditionally, no. Unlike with GSM phones where you just need to unlock the phone (and the GSM Nexus One comes unlocked) to use another provider's SIM, with CDMA phones the provider needs to "unlock" it (which they don't traditionally do) and then the new provider has to activate it (which they don't traditionally do) assuming the phone actually can work on both networks (which isn't always the case). It's basically a collusion agreement between the major providers -- "we won't allow your users to switch to our network if you don't let our users switch to yours."

Apologies in advance for offending the   crowd, but it is not a collusion issue on the carriers part.  The primary issue for swapping handsets between CDMA providers is the custom software loads that Verizon, Sprint, Bell, Telus, Claro and so on put on to their handsets.  These custom software loads are considered a marketing advantage and pushed as such by Qualcomm (primarily) to their carrier customers.  So, while you could technically put a different software load on to a handset, it would have to be the specific proprietary software load for the network you want to switch to and specific to the handset version you have.  From there you get in to issues of having customer support people and end-users communicating ESN and/or IMEI numbers back and forth with out errors.  Oh, and most operations, maintenance, administration and provisioning platforms have severe issues with entering out of range ESN and IMEI numbers.  Plus you would have to push out a new preferred roaming list and scrub the old one.  If anything is even slightly off, from the entering in of the data, to the questionable handset software load, to the PRL list, to the switch vendor's database then you will get dropped calls, no ring and a thousand other potential troubleshooting issues. Aye ya... it is an operational nightmare.  

SIM cards make life so much easier for everyone.

[Trippy]

Edit: I forgot to mention there are also compatibility issues with GSM phones as well (different providers may use frequencies that a phone doesn't support) so it's not a guarantee an unlocked GSM phone will work properly with all GSM providers.

Generally this is only an issue in the US.  In the rest of the civilized world, a GSM/UMTS phone "Just Works" pretty much all the time.  AT&T and TMO in the US both use some slightly quirky bands for 3G which makes building one device that works on both those networks as well as everywhere else difficult.

That's not quite true for voice calls. If you have a "tri-band" GSM phone, in some countries you may only be connecting to one frequency for voice instead of the normal two frequencies. I.e. your coverage may be limited if your phone can't connect to both frequencies. If you have a "quad-band' you are fine. 3G/data stuff is another issue.

[Oban]

That's not quite true for voice calls. If you have a "tri-band" GSM phone, in some countries you may only be connecting able to connect to one frequency for voice instead of the normal two out of the multiple potential frequencies a carrier may be using for mobile services. I.e. your coverage may be limited if your phone can't connect to both all available frequencies. If you have a "quad-band' you are fine in the US and Canada. 3G/data stuff is another issue.

fify

[Trippy]

Are there still places that use a GSM voice band other than 850, 900, 1800, and 1900?

[Ingmar]

The uneven Exchange support on the Droid is really starting to be annoying. Got a new eval one in, tested that attachments are now working correctly (yay), but discovered a new problem. It doesn't support remote wipe (can only block the device, or delete the relationship), nor does it support the 'require a PIN' policy that you can turn on in Exchange.

[Oban]

Are there still places that use a GSM voice band other than 850, 900, 1800, and 1900?

Yes, and don't forget that there is not a "voice" band in GSM.  All frequencies carry voice, data and signaling traffic. 

CDMA, the retarded step-child of global communications, does actually support separate frequencies for mixed traffic and data only uses.

UMTS, 3G GSM, can use either legacy GSM frequency bands or new bands (2100 most commonly or fucking stupid 1700/2100 AWS).

LTE, 4G GSM (...and sure 4G CDMA, gack), can use either legacy GSM, UMTS or new bands (woo, 700!).

[TripleDES]

The phone is unlocked. Can't you just drive to France and buy one there?

They sell it in France already? Wat?

Dude, he's English.

[Trippy]

The phone is unlocked. Can't you just drive to France and buy one there?

They sell it in France already? Wat?

Not yet. Or you could just order it from Google directly right now.

[TripleDES]

Not yet. Or you could just order it from Google directly right now.

[NiX]

Not yet. Or you could just order it from Google directly right now.

Going to google.com/phone presents a nice "Sorry, the Nexu One phone is not available in your country" message and I'm in Canada. Apparently they aren't selling them internationally despite them saying the condition was paying the import fees.

[Trippy]

Not yet. Or you could just order it from Google directly right now.

K we're back to driving into France, then, when it's available there (this quarter sometime).

[schild]

Nexus One just got multitouch and such. Now I just have to figure out how to update mine since OTA doesn't seem to be working.