Google will be selling its latest Nexus devices directly from the Google Store in the U.S. and giving the phones access to Project Fi — its experimental wireless service.
Starting today, the Nexus 6P and the 5X will be available for pre-order. Don’t look for them in retail stores though — they’ll only be sold in the Google Store. The Nexus 5X will sell for $379 and the 6P for $499, and both come unlocked. That means people will be able to use whatever carrier they want without having to sign a contract that locks them into a service for two years. It also means no contract discounts. Consumers will have to pay the full price for these phones.
As mentioned earlier, the 5X and the 6P will also have access to Google’s wireless service, Project Fi. The carrier competitor relies on a combination of Sprint and T-Mobile networks, as well as Wi-Fi, but is only available on a limited number of Android devices. Project Fi is considerably cheaper than average carrier plans, costing users $20 per month for talk and text. Data usage will cost an additional $10 per gigabyte.
When consumers buy either the 6P or the 5X they’ll also get a free 90-day subscription to Google Play Music as well as a $50 Google Play store credit. They’ll also have a new warranty option. In addition to the included one-year warranty, Nexus 5X and 6P owners will have access to a $69 service called Nexus Protect that covers two years’ worth of mechanical breakdown and accidental damage.
AI Weekly
The must-read newsletter for AI and Big Data industry written by Khari Johnson, Kyle Wiggers, and Seth Colaner.
Included with VentureBeat Insider and VentureBeat VIP memberships.
The phones are available for pre-order today and will begin shipping in October. Google says that it will partner with leading retailers and carriers as it rolls out to more countries.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Learn More