After our report last week that Telstra would be selling the Nexus 5, the carrier has officially announced that its stores are expected to have stock of the highly-sought-after device from Tuesday November 26, with online pre-orders open now.
It’s worth noting that they’re only offering 16 GB black models of the phone, and will also sell the device outright for $696 – a significant markup over Google’s price of $399, but if you’re in the market for a new device on-contract, you could do much worse. To sweeten the deal, Telstra is also offering customers who pre-order the device online two free $50 Google Play Store cards.
Telstra seems sure that the Nexus 5 will be a hit with the carrier’s tech-savvy Android fans. Andrew Volard, Telstra Director of Device Management, commented that customers are always looking for 4G connectivity and impressive camera features when looking for a smartphone device:
Customers have been waiting eagerly for this phone, which is the first Nexus phone to come with 4G functionality, and it couldn’t arrive at a better time. Last week we switched on our 3000th 4G-compatible base station, bringing our 4G coverage to four times that of any competitor network. That means customers using the Nexus 5 with Telstra will have access to superfast 4G speeds in more places than ever before.
There has also been a lot of anticipation surrounding the new KitKat operating system which includes a range of new functionality compared to previous Android platforms. After extensive testing of the device and the new operating system, we’re thrilled to confirm we are stocking it.
Comments regarding extensive testing raised eyebrows around Ausdroid’s offices. The carrier’s been known to have lengthy testing periods for devices and software updates, and this may imply that Telstra’s had their hands on Nexus 5 units for quite some time.
Update: It appears that updates for the Nexus 5 supplied by Telstra will not come directly from Google, but will go through Telstra’s ordinary carrier testing process before the update becomes available. This could mean delays of up to 90 days for Telstra Nexus 5 users in receiving OS updates from Google, which is far less than ideal.
We’re chasing up details from LG regarding handling of software updates for Nexus 5 devices sold on Telstra – a particular pain point that many Galaxy Nexus owners will find difficult to forget – and will update when we know more.
You can check out Telsta’s Nexus 5 plans on their site, or go straight to the pre-order page.
Will you be getting a Nexus 5 on-contract from Telstra? Let us know in the comments.
