Google on Tuesday opened up a Google Play Devices section for its web store with an emphasis on selling Android hardware directly. The first offering will answer a longstanding call for direct sales of the Galaxy Nexus in the US. Americans now buy the unlocked, HSPA+ version of the Android 4.0 flagship for $399, or far less than it normally costs at importers.
The unlocked version can work on 3G for both AT&T and T-Mobile users, as well as go abroad using local carriers’ SIM cards instead of paying a premium for data roaming. Google Wallet also comes preloaded on this version, getting around Verizon’s block on its model. Sprint’s version was, until now, the only official US model to have Wallet support.
