Google has launched its new smartphone, the Nexus One. It will sell the phone directly to consumers, aiming to boost its position in the emerging mobile Internet market by exerting greater control over the new generation of Web-surfing devices. It hasn’t even hit the UK shelves yet and is already being slated saying it is not as revolutionary in design as the iPhone was. Well that is a hard act to follow. The Tech sites have said it is not that different from other Android phones. HTC, the company making the handset have said the new phones are built on the same Android 2.1 software that runs Droid smartphones but it has updated features such as 3D graphics and speech recognition.

The Nexus One is sent from Google’s online store for $179 with a two-year contract from Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA, or $529 if you do not want to be tied in to contract.

Unfortunately, all phones are shipped from the US so if you order one from the UK, you will have to pay the base price of $529. Plus an extra $30 for DHL shipping and $20 for UK adapter (if you want one). And don’t forget the VAT – now back up to 17.5% making this one expensive phone. I would wait if you can’t afford to buy one during this credit crunch.

But good news people, Vodafone are apparently getting the Nexus One in March. So watch this space….