UPDATE: Maxis Nexus S unit is using S-LCD, not Super AMOLED as reported earlier.

Yeap, you read that right. You can get the Nexus S from RM799 outright without any contract from Maxis. All you need to do is sign up for any Value Plus Internet plan and the Nexus S is your for RM799 at selected Maxis centres and MEPs. The offer starts today until stocks of the device is all sold.

It’s not a bad deal but if you’re in market for a decent Android smartphone, do take into account that the newer 1.4Ghz single-core Galaxy W is just RM200 more at RM999 outright. In terms of specs there’s really nothing much separating the two devices, both have 5MP cameras and 512MB RAM. Aside from that the Galaxy W shoots video in 720p which the Nexus S can’t but on the flipside the Nexus S has a bigger and better screen (4-inch Super AMOLEDS-LCD versus 3.7-inch S-LCD on the Galaxy W). You also get NFC with the Nexus S, on the Galaxy W you don’t.

The big deal is with the Nexus S being a Google phone, you can be sure that the Nexus will get Ice Cream Sandwich sooner that the Galaxy W, actually sooner than most Android devices.

And that’s pretty much it. We’re not discounting that this is still a decent deal if you don’t mind the trade-offs.

Head on over to after the jump for details on the selected Maxis centres and MEPs and answers to some of your frequently asked questions.

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	Maxis, Mobile Devices, Nexus S, Players on the Field
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With the recent launch of high end Android devices, Maxis has finally lowered its Nexus S pricing. At time of launch, the Nexus S was offered at a rather pricey RM2499 outright and offered as low as RM1499 on contract.

With the launch of Samsung Galaxy S II at RM2099, the Nexus S which is based on its predecessor, Galaxy S is becoming a tougher choice to consider despite its “Pure Google” experience. Now they have reduced the outright selling price to RM2299 and 24 months contract pricing to RM1199. The Samsung Galaxy S II is sold at RM2099 and its currently offered at RM1199 as well on 24 months contract.

As compared previously, the Nexus S lacks 720p HD recording and there’s not even an option to expand your storage with microSD. Let’s be honest, if given a choice between the Nexus S, Galaxy S II and HTC Sensation, the Nexus S is still an overpriced device with older generation features.

Check it out on Maxis Android page.

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Google has announced Google Wallet, a mobile payment service which is currently being tested by Google, Sprint, Citibank, Mastercard, First Data and Sprint. It uses NFC technology which lets you make payments by simply tapping your device at the counter terminal.

Google Wallet is not just about payments as it also integrates merchant loyalty, rewards and even coupon programs that helps improve your shopping experience. What this means, you can get instant offers and redeem points instantly in a single tap. For those who are skeptical about credit card security, Google Wallet offers several layers of security which includes a PIN request before a transaction is made.

For those without credit card, Google is releasing Google Prepaid Cards which is a virtual credit that’s being offered by Mastercard and Money Network. In addition, it also can store shopping gift cards for selected retail outlets, making shopping more paperless. Overall, this eliminates coins, dollar notes and even the bunch of cards that we normally carry. The bad news however is that it will be available only in the US and only applicable for the Nexus S 4G for.

Maxis had a demo of the Nexus S’s NFC capabilities during the launch but so far we have yet to see any real application of it in Malaysia. However looking way back, NFC isn’t really new as Maxis does have a NFC solution called FastTap. Only available with a Nokia 6212, Maxis FastTap service offers both Visa Wave & Touch n Go mobile payments and it works in most places with Visa Wave and TnG terminals. We are wondering when Maxis is planning to extend this to the rest of the new devices with NFC. We simply love this concept and won’t mind using this for our day to day shopping.

For more information on Google Wallet, head over here.

[ SOURCE ]

	Mobile Apps, Mobile Devices, Nexus S
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We put it out in the open that the recently launched Nexus S is probably one of the most overpriced smart phones in the local market today (this is of course not considering absurdities like the Vertu et all). We find this rather odd considering a similarly speced HTC Incredible S that was launched on the same day is close to RM500 cheaper than the Google phone.

Is the premium on the Nexus S warranted? Some seem to think so. The supporters claim that the Nexus S delivers a pure, unadulterated Google experience and that being the only device currently available that’s running the latest version of the Android OS — Android 2.3 Gingerbread — the additional cost is warranted.

But is it? Is the Nexus S a better phone compared to its closest competitor the HTC Incredible S for it to command such a high price? Spec for spec how would both of this top shelf Android devices compare with the iPhone 4?

We’ve compiled all important specs for you to compare you can make the right choice. Head on over to after the jump to get all the details.

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Google has announced another new official Android device, the Nexus S 4G. This comes after the original Nexus S device and it also runs on the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. Just like the Nexus S, the Nexus S 4G is co-developed with Samsung and it also features the same 4″ Contour Display with Super AMOLED. The device currently is available via Sprint which allows it to take full advantage of its 4G WiMAX network. Before you get someone in the US to buy one for you, do realise that this Nexus S 4G runs on CDMA/EV-DO network instead of GSM network.

At the same time, Google has also announced that existing Sprint customers will be able to utilise Google Voice while keeping their same number. For those who didn’t know, Google Voice lets you stay connected on multiple platforms with just 1 number. You can read up more about this in our previous post here.This sounds similar to Yes‘s voice service where all your devices can share the same ID. Watch the demo video after the break to get a clearer picture.

Nexus S 4G will be made available for online order this coming spring and shall make their way to Sprint retailers and Best Buy stores in the US.

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	Android, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, Nexus S, Samsung, Technologies, WiMAX
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Reader benjamin pointed out that the Nexus S was launched in Singapore on the same day as Malaysia and if anything the Singapore launch of the Nexus S proves that Malaysians are paying far too much for the Google phone.

As we’ve mentioned earlier the Malaysian pricing for the Nexus S is perplexing considering the roughly similarly spec-ed HTC Incredible S which was also launched on the same day is priced RM500 cheaper at RM1,999 without contract.

Now with the Nexus S available in Singapore we have a pricing reference that’s closer to home which further strengthens our argument that the Malaysian Nexus S is expensive.

The Nexus S retails for SG$828 outright with GST (+7%). At today’s exchange rates that equates to about RM1,990 — the same price as the HTC Incredible S. If you take into account that tourist get the GST refunded back to them when the leave the country then you realise that the Nexus S is even cheaper. Typically, gadgets in Singapore are slightly cheaper, to the tune of RM200 to RM300 cheaper on average, this means that whichever way you look at it someone, somewhere is trying to capitalise on the Nexus S being a Google phone.

Here’s the thing, Android has always been about the mass adoption of smart phones. If it is possible to price a Google phone competitively we’re sure that the Google way would have made it certain that the device will be priced competitively.

At RM2,499 the Nexus S — no matter how good or how pure of a Google experience it brings — is way too much money for our liking.

	Maxis, Mobile Devices, Nexus S, Players on the Field
	google, Google Nexus S, Maxis, Maxis Nexus S, Maxis Nexus S Review, Nexus S, Nexus S Malaysia, Nexus S Malaysia price, Nexus S Maxis, Nexus S Plan, Nexus S Price, Nexus S Price Malaysia, Nexus S price Singapore, Nexus S Singapore, Samsung, Samsung google

Update: We’ve added a few pictures and some videos on our first impressions of the Nexus S right after the jump. Also available after jump, a press release from Maxis announcing the Nexus S.

Maxis today has finally announced its full availability of the awaited Google device – The Nexus S. It is interesting to note that HTC too has announced the HTC Incredible S today which will be bundled by DiGi.

As announced earlier, the Nexus S is priced at RM2499 outright and bundled price at RM1499 with a 24 months data contract on Maxis. Such pricing is pretty expensive considering it is based on a Samsung Galaxy S and still runs on single core 1GHz processor.

However there’s something different with the Nexus S available in Malaysia. Instead of the Super AMOLED screen, we are actually getting the SuperLCD version. The recently announced Samsung Galaxy SL by Celcom is also using Super LCD. You can check out the full specs of the Nexus S here.

If you want to check it out first hand, you can visit their roadshow at Pavilion KL from 18-20 March 2011. More details on the offer at Maxis Android page.

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Maxis has announced that the Nexus S will hit local stores this Friday with a retail price of RM2,499 outright without contract. Immediately we got comments in response to out earlier post saying that the retail price for the Nexus S here is Malaysia is exorbitant.

Consider the math. You can get an unlocked Nexus S from Best Buy in the US for about US$530 which translates to about RM1620 at today’s exchange rates. This is of course, excluding taxes and what not. But even if you factor in all the taxes and shipping costs, a privately purchased — meaning one single unit bought — shouldn’t cost the savvy internet shopper anything more that RM2k tops.

In fact, bulk orders and shipments should yield even more savings.

So our question is why is Maxis and Samsung asking for a close to RM900 margin on top of the US retail price for the Nexus S? If anything, the Malaysian RRP for the Nexus S should be very close to the US price. What justifies the 54% jump in price?

Could it be that because the Nexus S is a fairly decent spec-ed device infused with the strong desirability of the Google branding Maxis and Samsung feel that they can capitalise on the hype and make some money from the huge margins?

We have no idea and we can only speculate at the moment but what is certain is that we don’t think that this should be the case and we hope Maxis and Samsung can give us answer.

What do you think of the price of the Nexus S here in Malaysia

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Click for larger image

Those who’ve indicated their interest for the Nexus S with Maxis last week would have gotten an email from the operator today indicating the price of the device, and would’ve known by now the full pricing details and launch date of new Google phone.

For those who didn’t registered your interest, do worry, we got your back because we’ve registered our interest in the device as well. Here are the details of the upcoming Nexus S from Maxis.

The Nexus S is available from Maxis from March 18 onwards and will retail for RM2,499 outright. The launch is this Friday, the same day as the HTC Incredible S launch. We speculated earlier that it is very likely for the Incredible S be launched with a telco partner and we named Maxis as the likely partner. With the telco now launching the Nexus S on Friday, could this mean that the HTC Incredible S will be launched with DiGi instead?

We have no confirmation on either. All that we know is that Friday will be a very busy day for the local gadget junkies.

While you wait for Friday to come, click the link to see what reviewers are saying about the Nexus S

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The Nexus S device will be officially available in Malaysia soon via Maxis, as hinted earlier via twitter. Looks like the anticipated device will be made available anytime now.

The Nexus S is Google’s successor to the original Google Nexus One which is based on Samsung Galaxy S. While it still runs on a single core A8 1GHz processor, the Nexus S features a 4″ Super AMOLED display and runs on the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread. You can check out the full specs at Nexus S site.

To be the first to know, sign up your interest over at Maxis’s Nexus S ROI page.

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