The unveiling of Google’s first official smartphone is expected to tomorrow at the search giant’s headquarters in Mountain View, California.
The Nexus One branded phone, which has been the subject of much speculation over the last few months uses Google’s Android mobile phone operating system, and will be produced by Taiwanese-based manufacturer HTC.
"With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we've seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation. And this is just the beginning of what's possible," the Google press invite for the “Android press event” reads.
Speculation and early leaks suggest that Google will adopt an online retail strategy, selling the unlocked phone at around $530 (€370) and allow consumers to choose their own network supplier. Media reports have also suggested that T-Mobile in the US and UK and Vodafone in the UK have been approached to sell a subsidized version for $180 with a two-year service contract.
The launch will end the flurry of unconfirmed media reports, blogs and leaked videos of the device in action. The device itself, according to the leaks, resembles the iPhone, has a Qualcomm chop, features the Android 2.1 operating system, a 3.7-inch display, 512 MB of RAM and comes with a 4-GB microSD card.
It features a light sensor, proximity sensor and accelerometer and comes with a 5-megapixel camera, stereo bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.