Google began selling its first branded smartphone, the Nexus One, in early 2010; the Internet giant's experiment with direct selling didn't last, and the Nexus One was discontinued later that year and replaced with the Nexus S from Samsung.
Features of the HTC-built Nexus One included a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a large 3.7-inch AMOLED display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a microSDHC card slot, a 5MP camera, GPS and an array of sensors. New features added to the Android OS at the time of Nexus One release included system-wide voice dictation (you can speak anywhere you can type), new homescreen panes, a new news/weather widget and better integration with services like Facebook and Picasa.
The Google Nexus One was available unlocked for $529 or for $179 with a two-year T-Mobile contract. An unlocked Nexus One ccould also be purchased for use with either T-Mobile's or AT&T's 3G networks. A subsidized Verizon version was scheduled for release, but was canceled when the Droid Incredible was introduced.
If you'd like to purchase the Nexus One, you can still find them on eBay.
