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One thing that made the Nexus One noteworthy was that it was the first Android handset Google decided to take complete control of, including its sale.  Even today, if you want a Nexus One – including the subsidized T-Mobile version – you have to order it from Google’s Nexus One web page. 

But that will change.

Engadget is reporting that Google will “eventually” stop selling the Nexus One online (or presumably in any other manner), and will instead shift to a carrier distribution strategy. Google, it seems, has come to believe that prospective owners would like to actually hold and use a smartphone before committing to it for two years.  Go figure.

The story does not provide a date when this change might take place, but it does state that Google plans to use its existing Nexus One web page to "promote ‘a variety of Android phones available globally.’"

While the limited success of their direct-sale model must have disappointed the Google folks who put it in place, this change is a good one; if the Nexus One begins showing up in T-Mobile – and even AT&T – stores, sales of the handset will certainly increase.

Update: The Google Blog confirms the story.

The next version of Google’s mobile OS – version 2.2 or “FroYo” – will include some pretty impressive new features and tweaks… if you believe the latest round of news and pseudo news.  Let’s take a look:

Internet Sharing: TechCrunch has provided pretty solid confirmation of v2.2’s built-in tethering and Wi-Fi Hotspot capabilities. Complete with screenshots, the post says we’ll not only be able to connect FroYo-powered handsets to our computers for over-USB-tethering, but that those same handsets will also use their Wi-Fi chips to create portable wireless networks à la MiFi.

Speed Improvements: According to the site AndroidPolice, FroYo scores significantly higher in LINPACK speed benchmark tests than Eclair (v2.1) on the same hardware.  In fact, according to the test, FroYo’s speed – or the number of operations it can perform per second – on the Nexus One is 37 MFLOPS, while Eclair’s speed test was 7 MFLOPS; that’s about a 5x speed increase.

Benchmark results are notoriously unreliable for indications of real-world performance, but with such a significant change in scores on the same test, there is certainly cause for cautious optimism that FroYo has some significant optimizations under the hood.

Flash Support: We’ve known for a couple of weeks that Flash support is included in Android 2.2, and if the AndroidPolice tests turn out to be accurate, speed optimizations may have been the key to making this possible.

Install Apps to Memory Card: Officially listed as “coming soon,” the ability to install applications to a memory card rather than to the internal memory alone is widely considered to be included in Android v2.2.

I’ve been actively looking for 32GB microSDHC cards for weeks, and have yet to see any show up in my favorite online stores (Amazon, Buy.com, etc.).  This morning, after a friend asked me what was going on the 32 gigabyte microSD front, I decided to dig a little deeper. Although there are still no 32GB microSDHC cards in the top-tier online stores (as far as I can tell), there are now several of these gems for sale on eBay, new and unopened.

Most of the search results for “32GB microsd” are 32GB standard SD cards or kits with two 16GB microSDs, so I’ve tried to narrow the results as much as I can to help shoppers looking for these new high-capacity cards:

View 32GB microSDHC Memory Cards on eBay

Keep in mind that 32GB microSD cards won’t work in every device with a microSDHC card slot, though most late-model Windows Mobile and Android smartphones are 32GB-ready.  Check your product literature for details.

We’re huge fans of Dropbox, but until now there’s been no easy way to access the files stored there from a Windows Phone – or to upload new files to the service -  without using a mobile browser. CloudFiles, a new app from Ruttensoft, changes all that, providing mobile Dropbox connectivity and functionality for Windows Mobile.

Compatible with Windows Mobile 6.x touchscreen smartphones, CloudFiles allows you to browse your Dropbox files, upload new files, create and edit folders, view account information, and even create a Dropbox account if you don’t already have one. 

CloudFiles is currently in beta, so it’s free for now.  Check out the video below to see the software in action.

Thanks, Andy!

The best third-party price for the Verizon Wireless HTC Droid Incredible Android Smartphone is now at Amazon, which is offering the new phone for $149 at checkout with a two-year service agreement.

The retail Verizon checkout price for this smartphone is $299, but $199 after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Learn more about the HTC Droid Incredible…

Been eyeing Mobile Shell or SPB Backup?  If the answer is yes – or if you’re interested in any of SPB Software’s amazing Windows Mobile titles – this is your week.

Now through the end of April, Handango is offering 40% off all SPB software titles.  Just enter code SPB40 at checkout to enjoy the discount.

A recent entry on the Google Nexus One blog suggests Verizon customers interested in the Android phone look to the upcoming Droid Incredible instead:

“In the US, if you’ve been waiting for the Nexus One for Verizon Wireless’ network, head over to http://phones.verizonwireless.com/htc/incredible to pre-order the Droid Incredible by HTC, a powerful new Android phone and a cousin of the Nexus One that is similarly feature-packed.”

Is this merely a friendly suggestion since the Incredible will be made available before the Verizon version of the Nexus One, or is it Google’s way of saying that the Nexus One is not Verizon-bound?

Update: Google has confirmed that the Nexus One will not be sold for Verizon Wireless.

T-Mobile will soon be adding another Android-powered smartphone to its lineup, the GPS-focused Garminfone. 

The smartphone will debut this spring (May or June) on the T-Mobile network and include Garmin’s navigation software:

"Customers can navigate to an address simply by clicking on it from a text message or e-mail, contact, calendar appointment, or web page. Garminfone can even remember where you are parked and navigate you back to your car. The … camera automatically geotags images so you can navigate back to where your family vacation photos were taken, e-mail geo-tagged images to friends and family members, or post geo-tagged pictures on the Web for others to enjoy. Helpful Garmin travel applications such as dynamic, real-time traffic; weather local events; movie listings; and gas prices are pre-installed and easy to access and use.”

Hardware features include 3G connectivity, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, 3MP autofocus camera, Wi-Fi, and a microSDHC memory card slot for up to 32GB of storage.

No pricing details were released by T-Mobile.  For more information, visit http://garminfone.t-mobile.com/.

Whether an actual leak or corporate PR stunt, an image of Dell’s upcoming Streak / Mini tablets hit Engadget today.  According to the tech news site, the photo shows 10-inch and 7-inch versions of the Android-powered tablets, each with a black bezel and photo gallery on the screen.

Strangely familiar…

Of course, when asked about the photo, Dell responded that they “do not comment on speculation, rumor or unannounced products." Translation: get ready for tablets!

While there are already Android OS tablets available for purchase, non have (so far) challenged the iPad. 

But that will change.