India to get Stripped Down Nexus One?

Google might be finally launching the hallowed Nexus One mobile phone in India, albeit according to reports online, it could be a stripped-down version.

According to a tweet by CNBC TV18 journalist Ankit (who tweets under the moniker "ankitv"), this information was revealed by Google India head Shailesh Rao during an editorial meeting with the TV channel. The term "stripped down" wasn't elaborated on although it definitely means that the Nexus One Lite headed to India will be a few features short and priced lower.

So, the question that of course arises is: is this a good thing or bad thing? Keeping in mind that we have absolutely no more information leaves plenty of room for speculation. There have been plenty of voices on the Web; some haven't been particularly impressed by Google's decision referring to it as "stupid" while others have taken a more pragmatic approach.

A less expensive Nexus One will make more sense in India, especially more than an iPhone 3G that still costs Rs. 35,000 putting it out of reach of most people. However until we really know what features will be cut out and the new price-point, we won't really know where the Nexus One will stand in the Indian smartphone market. What I really do hope is that the new pricing makes sense taking into account other Android phones currently available in the market including HTC's Tattoo, Magic and Hero, Samsung's Galaxy and Galaxy Spica and Acer's Liquid. Plus, the way the Nexus One retail strategy in the US is concurrent to the way we usually buy phones in India- without any contracts and independent of any operators.

Watch this space, it's going to be an interesting ride.