Enter the Nexus

Google is pulling a page from the Apple playbook.  

The company has called a press conference for Jan. 5^th, the day before CES gets rolling, presumably to formally announce the Nexus One - an Android phone under the Google brand. News about the phone itself leaked out long ago, but exactly how Google plans to build a business model around it remains a mystery.

Apple, of course, unveiled the iPhone just beforeCES in 2007, effectively stealing the show without even attending. Google hopes to do the same.

It appears the search giant will team with T-Mobile for the device, if a leaked spec sheet at Engadget is to be believed. An unlocked phone will go for $530, while getting a subsidized one with a two-year T-Mobile contract will run $180.

The unlocked phone is interesting, as it would mean the Nexus One could be used with any cellular provider. But it remains to be seen what the difference is between the Nexus One and Motorola’s recently released Droid.

Expect to see several Android devices come out of CES this year, but don’t be surprised if they’re all overshadowed by this one. The fact that Google is getting into the hardware business is notable – and likely a bit worrisome to many different industries.

If the Nexus One takes off – you have to wonder, what other areas does the company have its sites set on? Set top boxes? Gaming? The possibilities are endless.