Yes, the Googlephone works in Blighty
And far better than it does in the US
In the US, Google's unlocked Nexus One handset plays with only one major 3G wireless network: T-Mobile's. But in other parts of the world, your options are rather more extensive.
Sold from Google's new US-based online phone store, the inaugural Googlephone supports four GSM frequencies: 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 1900MHz. So it will work with practically any GSM-based SIM card worldwide.
It also supports a trio of 3G/UMTS bands: 2100MHz, AWS, and 900MHz. This leaves out the 3G networks operated by the likes of AT&T in the US and Rogers in Canada, but otherwise, it can tap the 3G networks operated by most major GSM carriers across the globe.
If you're on AT&T in the US and you can live without 3G, the phone will run on the company's 2.5G Edge network.
In the UK, Orange, O2, Vodafone, 3, and T-Mobile all use the 2100-MHz band. And though Google has yet to open a .co.uk phone store, it is now shipping to the UK from its US store. Google will also ship to Singapore and Hong Kong, and it plans to open online stores in the UK and elsewhere in the near future.
The phone does not play with CDMA-based networks from the likes of Sprint and Verizon in the US. But Google has committed to producing a CDMA model for Verizon's network, saying it's due this spring. This model will not work with GSM networks. ®
Update: This story has been updated to show that 3 also uses the 2100MHz band.
COMMENTS
Missing the point on network operators...
The whole point with what Google are doing with this phone is to try and make people not think about it as a phone, but as a "SuperPhone" or basically a pocket computer. You buy the phone upfront, as you would for a computer, and then YOU pick which network operator you want, all of them are offering about the same deal for SIM only contracts which are rolling 1 month contracts with unlimited (restrictions kinda apply for some networks) data, between 600-1200 minutes and 500-Unlimited text messages for about £20 a month.
So if you are unhappy with the quality of the service, you change provider, this will encourage the network operators to become more customer friendly and sort out their network coverage of 3G especially.
If you can't afford to buy the phone upfront, then you can tie yourself into a 18-24 month contract, where you get the phone for cheaper or free, but in effect you are still paying for the phone over the contract period.
Good thing on a rolling 1 month contract and buying it outright, is that when new models come out, you can usually sell your old one for close to what you paid for it on eBay and just buy the latest model.
GeorgeTuk
Can't you read? Your answer is written in the article.
New category required for jPhone 3GS
When you do comparisons between phones, remember that the iPhone has an advanced version in the jPhone (Jailbroken iPhone)... the jPhone does let you run background apps, use your jPhone as a Wifi hotspot, customise your Springboard, use the Bluetooth to send things to other devices, and for bluetooth keyboards and mice plus a whole load of other applications which aren't under the control of Apple.
Contrary to popular belief, jailbreaking doesn't damage the phone, is not illegal and will not bring an end to civilisation as we know it (as Apple would want you to believe)... It does sap the battery a bit quicker but that's a price I'm willing to pay to be able to do what I want with my phone...
Waiting for iPhone 3GS vs Nexus-1 review
Facebook on the the iPhone now syncs contacts and updates the phone's directory with pictures... the main issues for the iPhone are:
1) variety of 3rd party apps (due to control - eg. no gambling or porn apps)
2) multi-tasking
3) No "free" in built turn-by-turn navigation
4) No flash at all on camera (5MP vs 3.2 MP is irrelevant - the lens is more important)
On the other hand, HTC has a poor rep for reliability and Google don't do hardware (look at Microsoft's foray into hardware - XBOX failure and Zune design)...
The Market and Copy-Protected Apps
After buying a SIM-free Acer Liquid and finding I can't access copy-protected apps on the Android Market and with absolutely zero help forthcoming from either Acer of Google I'd like to ask if anyone has checked for the same issues on an unlocked Nexus One. For example, can you see the following two apps when searching the Market?
Documents to Go Full Version Key
Record It (search for "sky record")
