Looks like Google's All Set to Show Off Their New Mobile Phone, the Nexus One

According to John Paczkowski over on Digital Daily, Google has summoned the masses to it's world headquarters on Jan 5th for an "Android Press Gathering." This is presumably for an official unveiling of their highly regarded mobile handset, dubbed "Nexus One."

Paczkowski believes by scheduling the release right before CES (which starts on Jan 7th), Google is taking a page out of Apple's playbook. They announced the original iPhone right before the 2007 show, and stole the thunder from the rest of the electronics industry.

Ever since pictures of the phone leaked right before Christmas, the Nexus One has captured the imagination of gadget geeks everywhere, with hopes that the folks over at Mountain View would change the smartphone game for the better. Many are openly voicing their desire for Google to release the phone "unlocked", which means that it wouldn't be tied to a particular carrier. They are also clamoring for a low price, (possibly at cost-around $200) something Google could consider in order to promote the Android operating system. The combination of carrier freedom plus low price would then foster healthy competition in the smartphone business, breaking Apple's and ATT's hold on the top spot in the market.

Well, if the reports that hit the net yesterday can be believed, then at least part of that dream will come true. According to many sources, the Nexus One will be sold directly by Google, both unlocked and with a plan offered by T-Mobile. But like the iPhone plans at AT&T, the T-Mobile plan seems to be quite inflexible, with users looking to purchase the phone through them being forced to give up their current plans for an $80 Nexus One plan. But unlike the AT&T iPhone plans, there would no family plan option provided.

As far as Google flooding the market with cheap, unlocked, iPhone killers, that turns out to be something of a dream. Reports place the price of the non-subsidized version around $550. Of course all of this could be speculation, or the plan could be tweaked by the time the announcement is made on January 5th. I guess we'll all just have to wait and see.