Category: Mobile

The moment Google announced the specifications of the smartphone they were about to release, I wanted to order it. I have been hesitating for a long time about buying an iPhone, but the real reason it never happened was because Apple tends to keep everything closed, from the device itself to its’ App Store. No changing batteries, no adding storage, …

The Nexus One runs on Android 2, an open source mobile operating system using a modified Linux kernel. Just the mere fact that it runs on Linux didn’t make the entire deal, but the fact that the OS itself is open source is a big deal. If Android keeps growing at the rate it does today, in a few years it will have the largest user base combined with a community that is actively helping to develop and enhance the platform.

A few colleagues were already working with Android, but on a HTC Hero that seemed a little insufficient on hardware. The Nexus One specifications on the other hand (1GHz processor, 512MB Flash, 512 MB RAM) looked irresistible.

Hence, big disappointment on January 5, 2010 when Google started taking orders for the Nexus One. They would only ship inside the US, to the UK and Singapore. Since I live in Belgium (Europe), navigating to Google’s Nexus One page only resulted in this short notice:

“Sorry, the Nexus One phone is not available in your country or region.“

Bummer…

Meanwhile I noticed some Belgian people I follow on Twitter talking about how they loved their new Nexus One. Thinking they must have visited the US and ordered the phone over there, I continued to look out for news about when the Nexus One would reach the European mainland. And then I stumbled across a post by @Pvw2180 explaining how he managed to order the Nexus One straight to his door (in Belgium).

I could wait for another couple of months until the N1 would become available in Europe (and would be sold for the same amount in Euro’s that it costs in dollars…) or I could order it right away. Impatient as I am, I chose the second strategy.

In fact it is really easy to order the Nexus One from about anywhere in the world, you need to do two things:

• Make Google think you are browsing their Nexus website from the US or the UK
• Get an address in the UK or the US Google can ship the phone to

Might look difficult at first sight, but if you have half an hour of spare time, you can still order your N1 today!

Getting an address in the US or the UK is easy, just set up an account at Borderlinx. In minutes you’ll have two shipping addresses, one in Lockbourne, Ohio (US) and one in Milton Keynes (UK). Once the phone arrives at their premises, you’ll get an email and they will send it to your place (in exchange for a small handling fee…).

Next thing to do is make Google think your are visiting the N1 store from the US or the UK. While it is possible to use Firefox with a proxy server (as mentioned on the Borderlinx blog), this method doesn’t always seem to work. As an alternative you can use Hotspot Shield, a downloadable application that allows you to surf through VPN from anywhere in the world. Install and launch Hotspot Shield. On NNTime you can find a list of free proxy servers ordered by country (make sure you pick one from the US or the UK). Once activated, you can go online with any browser and your session will seem to originate from the proxy’s country you selected in the previous step.

And now you’re set to order your own Nexus One. Go to www.google.com/phone and your will notice the annoying notice we mentioned above has disappeared. Instead, you can now login using your Google Checkout account (any Google account will do, including your GMail account).

Once logged in you can place your order. Besides the phone itself you can also order an extra battery (which I didn’t) and a dock (which I did). You also get the chance to personalize your Nexus One by engraving it, but using this option delays delivery by a maximum of 72 hours. If you finish the order, you still have 15 minutes to cancel it (don’t, you won’t regret it!).

How long does it take before your Nexus One arrives?

I ordered my N1 on Monday and personalized it with an engraving (+72h). I received the order receipt minutes later. On Wednesday, I got a confirmation email my N1 had shipped to the UK using DHL (with tracking code). On Friday the package arrived in Milton Keynes and just an hour later Borderlinx sent me an email confirming the arrival. Logging on to the Bordelinx website I confirmed it had to be sent to Belgium right away. After paying Borderlinx, the package left the same day (without tracking code). On Monday DHL delivered my Nexus One in Belgium.

So it takes somewhere between 4 and 7 days for you Nexus One to arrive (depending on the weekday you make the order and whether or not you want it engraved).

How much does it cost?

The Google bill (paid with credit card):

1 Nexus One phone: $ 529.00 (€ 384.55)
1 Desktop Dock: $ 45.00 (€ 32.71)
1 Shipping (DHL): $ 29.65 (€ 21.55)

Total: $ 603.65 (€ 438.82)

The Borderlinx bill (paid with Paypal):

Shipping charges (DHL): £ 27.00 (€ 29.63)
Taxes (!): £ 67.30 (€ 73.85)

Total Borderlinx bill: £ 94.30 (€ 103.48)

Total paid for Nexus One + Dock + Delivery to front door: € 542.30

OK, the total price is a bit above the budget I was expecting but hey, it’s still cheaper than what you pay for an iPhone in Belgium (and you have to admit the Nexus One looks and feels better).

Mission Impossible accomplished. Questions? Shoot!