Google's Nexus One phone may have been a disappointment in the marketplace, but that hasn't stopped the company from taking a hands-on approach with another Android smartphone.
On Monday, Google unveiled the Nexus S, the latest smartphone to be developed and branded by the company.
The Nexus S, which goes on sale Dec. 16, will sell for $529 as an unlocked phone without a contract. It will also be available for $199 with a two-year service agreement with T-Mobile.
Google worked with Samsung to develop the Nexus S, which is also outfitted with Android 2.3, the latest version of Google's Android operating system, nicknamed Gingerbread, which the company says is speedier than previous iterations.
The phone features a 1-gigahertz processor, 16 gigabytes of internal memory and a sleek new contoured display designed to curve alongside its owner's face. The screen comes with a special coating to minimize smudging and fingerprints. In addition, the phone includes both a front-facing camera to facilitate video-chatting and a 5-megapixel camera on the back for conventional snapshots. The phone and the latest version of Android also include near-field communication technology, which allows people to swipe their phones across compatible sensors and do things like make a mobile payment.
"Nexus S delivers what we call a 'pure Google' experience: unlocked, unfiltered access to the best Google mobile services and the latest and greatest Android releases and updates," the company wrote in a blog post.
The Nexus One, which Google sold directly to consumers, was plagued by weak sales and customer complaints. But Google's sustained interest may be a sign that the company is still trying to broaden the appeal of Android's technology and ensure its competitiveness with rivals like Apple, Microsoft and Research in Motion.
Perhaps in an effort to learn from past mistakes, Google is taking a slightly different strategy with the Nexus S. Instead of attempting to sell the device directly to consumers, and deal with having to provide customer support for the devices, the company teamed up with Best Buy to sell the new phone in both its physical and online stores.