It's $529, and it is unlocked in the sense of not being fixed to a carrier, yes. In fact you get your choice of a phone that works best with T-Mobile or with AT&T, since the 3G bands they use differ slightly. If you were going with T-Mobile that might be a good idea for you, Matt, since you can get a significantly lower monthly rate with no commitment if you don't have them subsidize your phone. However, I don't have any reason to think that this phone, as shipped, is unlocked in the sense of being able to install a customized OS. That requires root access, which can be easily had on any Nexus One via publicly available methods.
-- Derek Monner Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Computer Science Language Science IGERT Fellow University of Maryland, College Park On Sat, Jun 12, 2010 at 6:24 PM, Justin Walker <che...@gmail.com> wrote: > It's my understanding that if you buy a Nexus One direct from google > (and pay $600), you get a fully unlocked phone. > > - Justin > > On 12 June 2010 18:11, Derek Monner <dmon...@gmail.com> wrote: >> If you want it to work overseas, it should, as I understand the >> situation, be GSM and not CDMA. That means Sprint and Verizon are out >> for US carriers. AT&T's Android selection is pretty weak, and the >> highest-end phone on T-Mobile is the Nexus One >> (http://google.com/phone); you could also use this guy on AT&T >> apparently, but you can't get a discount when you sign up. Going with >> this one will also net you timely OS upgrades; it's going to be among >> the first devices to get Android 2.2 in the coming months. No phone >> that you buy from a US carrier is going to be completely unlocked >> ("rooted"), but there are many methods available for rooting the Nexus >> One if you search the internet, and many custom OS ROMs as well. I >> have never owned one, but I know a couple people who are very >> satisfied. >> >> Not needing European compatibility in the foreseeable future, I just >> invested in a HTC Evo with Sprint. Long live Android! >> >> -- >> Derek Monner >> Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Computer Science >> Language Science IGERT Fellow >> University of Maryland, College Park >> >> >> >> On Sat, Jun 12, 2010 at 5:38 PM, Richard Matthew McCutchen >> <rmccu...@umd.edu> wrote: >>> UMLUG folks, >>> >>> I am looking to buy an Android smartphone that is fully unlocked (i.e., >>> permits installation of a customized OS) and will work in the US and >>> overseas. I expect to keep the phone for at least 4 years, so I'm >>> willing to pay more for better or future-proof features. Can anyone >>> suggest a device they've been happy with or a good place to shop for >>> such a smartphone? >>> >>> -- >>> Thanks, >>> Matt >>> >> >
