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Jan. 5, 2010

Earlier today, Google has unveiled its new Nexus One smartphone running on its own Android operating system.

Google is now ready to plunge into the already crowded smartphone segment of the wireless industry.

Google's Mario Queiroz said "Nexus One is where the Internet meets the phone."

The announcement places Google in direct competition with the darling of the smartphone market, Apple's iPhone.

In the last few days, previous press leaks suggested that Google's Nexus One would be a global-system device with a 3.7-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, an accelerometer and a compass.

Nexus One is expected to run the latest version of Google's Android operating system, Android version 2.1, which also runs on other smartphones as well.

As early as mid-December, Google had already released a few phones for use by some of its employees, leading to the inevitable appearance of certain videos and unofficial reviews online.

The move has prompted online chatter about an "iPhone killer," a phrase bandied about before every major smartphone debut. But reviewers who have seen the phone's pre-release had more modest expectations at the time.

"I personally don't think that anything is an iPhone killer," said Kevin Burden, a mobile industry analyst with New York-based ABI Research.

"Was the iPhone a Blackberry killer? It's never going to be that one, single device that was promised to us more than 10 years ago."

So now it's not just a rumor anymore but a 'fait accompli'. It will be interesting to see if Apple in the next couple of weeks dosen't come out with a 'refreshed' version of its venerable iPhone 3G S. Will it be the 3G T?

We don't know for now but the excitement certainly is in the air.

Last week, some reports have started circulating that AT&T has stopped selling the Apple iPhone in the New York metropolitan area through its Web site, perhaps due to data congestion, credit card fraud, or routine sales strategy changes.

Reports are sketchy for now but overall, online sales of the smartphone were apparently suspended yesterday.

Prospective customers attempting to buy an iPhone through the website and using a New York area ZIP code get a message saying, "We're sorry, there are no Packages or Deals available at this time. Please check back later."

But changing to a ZIP code in other U.S. metro areas offers a whole slew of iPhone choices.

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Source: Google.