Google's announcement that its Nexus One phone is now available on AT&T couldn't have been any more understated.
"Starting today, an additional version of the Nexus One is available from the Google web store that is compatible with AT&T’s 3G network," says the Nexus One blog. "This new model can be purchased as an unlocked device without a service plan."
Note that AT&T isn't subsidizing the Nexus One. If you want to use the phone on AT&T's 3G network, you'll have to pay the full price of $529, and the phone still won't be compatible with T-Mobile's 3G network, only the slower 2G/EDGE network. Likewise, if you buy a subsidized by T-Mobile model for $179 with a two-year contract, the phone won't work on AT&T's 3G network. And neither phone works at all with Verizon Wireless or Sprint. This is all due to different frequencies and standards carriers use in the USA, and the phone's inability to support them all on a single device.
The lack of a subsidy could explain why Google isn't making a big deal out of support for AT&T's network, but I think it's also due to AT&T's treatment of Android. To date, there's only one Android phone available on the network, the Motorola Backflip, and it uses Yahoo search instead of Google. It also comes pre-loaded with AT&T bloatware and doesn't let users install applications that don't come from the Android Market.
It's also possible that Google doesn't want to play up the carrier aspect of the Nexus One, as Google's online store was meant to change the way phones are sold by taking the carrier out of the experience. The problem is that each carrier's different frequencies and standards inextricably tie the device itself to the network it's on, so Google's approach of selling online only is more inconvenient than it is revolutionary.
We'll see how Google's response differs when the Nexus One becomes available on Verizon Wireless, which is rumored to happen this month or next.
