We all know there was a little concern yesterday, on the part of Sprint Android fans, when it became apparent that the CDMA version of the Nexus One was replaced by the HTC Incredible on Verizon. The logical question being: 'If VZW is giving N1 the can, what about Sprint?' or 'Does this mean that the HTC EVO 4G will be replacing the N1 on Sprint? No matter how you put it, the fear was arguably valid.
The fellows at AndroidGuys decided to take matters into their own hands, and while they haven't received anything particularly definitive from either Google or Sprint, they did have a brief conversation with Sprint customer service that - if nothing more - leaves us hopeful. Here's a snapshot of how it went:
"Benjamin Rubenstein: I was wondering if Sprint will still be getting the Nexus One, and if so when?
Jenny K: I have checked the information for you. Unfortunately, we do not have the information about the launching date of this phone. This is correct that we are going to launch the nexus. It will be most probably launched in May.
Benjamin Rubenstein: So just cuz the CDMA Verizon version is not happening, doesn't mean that Sprint's gonna bail also?
Benjamin Rubenstein: Isn't it dangerous to launch the Nexus around the same time as EVO 4G? Or is Sprint not concerned about that?
Jenny K: Yes, Nexus is different phone and EVO is different phone. The launch time of both the phone is different.
Benjamin Rubenstein: but isn't EVO launching in June?
Jenny K: Yes, you are correct. We are going to launch the EVO in June.
Benjamin Rubenstein: But Nexus One is coming in May? Perhaps being launched around Google I/O?
Jenny K: Yes, you are correct."
As you can see, at least one Sprint CSR seems to think that the Nexus One (a "different phone" from the HTC EVO 4G) will still be headed to Sprint, and in May no less. Additionally, in re-reading the press release Sprint issued back in March about the N1, some of the language makes it pretty clear that N1 they are referring to is the one that comes only from the Google online store - though as we've seen with Vodafone, plans certainly can change. In any case, here is the snippet from the release that I was speaking of:
"Google's online consumer channel was created to provide an efficient way to connect online users with selected Android phones. Nexus One will not be available in any Sprint retail channels. It will be available directly from Google at google.com/phone. The online experience of Google's web store is designed with a focus on simplicity allowing consumers to match a phone with the service plan that best meets their needs."
So what's it going to be, Nexus One or EVO 4G? And if the N1 does come out before the EVO 4G, who's going to be patient enough to wait? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!
Update: Naturally we were curious about what the future holds for the Nexus One on Sprint, so we reached out to see if they had anything to say on the issue. This is what we were told: "We have not made any updates on Nexus One since the March press release - we have not announced pricing or availability." What does this mean? Let's be honest, who knows? On the one hand you could say that if there is no change that everything remains the same and the N1 will indeed come to Sprint via Google's online store. On the other hand they did say "we have not announced pricing or availability" which could also suggest that the N1 may not become available at all, at least not in its originally intended form. Looks like father time wins again, folks - only the future holds the truth.
Via AndroidGuys
