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How to order the Google Nexus One?

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief January 6, 2010 · 2 min read

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So Google has finally opened the curtains to their new flagship Nexus One phone powered by the latest Android 2.1 OS. The unit sells for $529 with free shipping to anywhere in the US.

If you’re in the Philippines, then you’re out of luck since Google does not support our country. Our neighbors from Singapore and Hong Kong can get one straight into their doorsteps.

However, I did some simple work-around to order my own review unit.

nexus one

First, you need to get a US proxy IP address. I bought a 1-month pass for a private US IP for only $8 to make my transaction secure (I used ProxZ.com). Use that proxy on your browser (here’s a tutorial on how to configure proxy in your browser).

Now go to www.google.com/phone and order your Nexus One. It’s $529 for the unlock version ($179 for T-Mobile while Verizon and Vodafone will be available by spring). Google will allow you to have a laser engraving at the back for free but will take 72 hours longer before it’s shipped.

Next, you need a US, UK, Hong Kong or Singapore address to send the package. If you’re like me who wants it straight to your address here in the Philippines, you can try the service that I use which is MyUSMailBox (more details here).

nexus one

I reckon my additional charges for shipping and customs would be around Php3k based on previous shipments I’ve made thru this service. That should land me a total bill of Php28k for the whole thing.

The unit should in 2 weeks and I’ll be getting you a better look and full review asap.

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Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and is considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines.

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241 Comments

Vance · 16 years ago

@abe thanks.. Again, no money to spend haha

Aaron Chan · 16 years ago

@WTF, my mistake, it’s just 22% of the price + Shipping + commission + any other fees customs will stamp at you.

Aaron Chan · 16 years ago

@ WTF
Mr. WTF, whatever your name is, it is free when you ship, it is as according to the site, but when it arrives here, I guarantee you you’re going to pay tax that is more than 3-4k. Mr. WTF, the duties and tariff rate is pegged at 32% not 3-4k, unless of course you’re talking about bribing the official. Interestingly, you talk about I not being have bought from ebay, because I have friends who have and were indeed taxed, thereby I wouldn’t buy from ebay.

wtf · 16 years ago

@Aaron

I don’t know how many times you have tried to ship using FedEx via Ebay, but it seems for a person who likes to blab his mouth around, you do know how to speak so many inaccurate things. Don’t you?

First let’s go with your obnoxious opinion about fedex. You do know that fedex has types of courier package, that doesn’t need to pass the customs area don’t you. As i’ve said, 27-29k is the price to settle this one. 24-25kk for the phone + 3-4k customs payment. When you use fedex, you’ll still need to pay for customs but what I’m saying is instead of you to go around and use the technique of baldyman, there’s a far more hasslefree way of having N1 at your doorsteps.

As for the ebay escapade, when you said you still need to pay ‘customs’ for that then sadly, you’re wrong again. The info I gave was for a ‘free shipping’ that’s why the price is already at 600-650 USD again, they’re the ones who will pay for your customs fee.

The good thing about here is, there’s a very little chance even no chance that this phone will be swapped by the alligator customs of PH – you know the one that will block your gadget and make you want to get it at their office in Pasay. Then when you got there you need to pay an additional 5-10k fee? (as a bribe)

Sidenote: Mister ‘effin’ chan, it seems you got your balls again at your mouth. Next time, try to have your opinions supported with real facts.

Now go, and have your brains grow a little bit. You can check ebay right now, bidding is becoming rampant

Reel Advice · 16 years ago

@arnold
hm…i always course through my shipments to johnny Air NJ as advised by them. NJ has no taxes while NY has.

Okay thanks for the customs handling fee head’s up. I’ll email johnny air just to be sure and get back how much the estimated costing would be.

Aaron Chan · 16 years ago

@wtf
You’re an idiot, if you ship it through FedEx, you will get taxed, likewise buying from ebay, you will get taxed. Taxed – Customs’ Tariff and Duties. Not only that, you also stand losing your product entirely, everybody knows that Philippine customs sometimes steals packages for themselves.

ftw · 16 years ago

@wtf

you = troll

GadgetPilipinas · 16 years ago

Congrats Yuga! Ang husay naman! Please give us your demo and review of this phone. Thanks!

marvin · 16 years ago

how about the warranty of this phone? In case of failure or defect , you need to send it back to google ?

bluewire · 16 years ago

Do they accept philippine credit card for the payment?

-Sent via YugaTech Mobile App

Guy Radaza · 16 years ago

Hi Yuga,

OK tong post mo. Although I have no plans of buying a Nexus but your sharing about the ProxZ and the MyUSMailbox is a great add-on to my petite coconut shell. By the way, ask ko lang po. Valid pa po ba yung promo code mo sa MyUSMailbox? Thanks.

peter · 16 years ago

hmm…mukhang ok din to. kakabili ko pa lng ng E72 tsk…

wtf · 16 years ago

oh btw, if you’ll check ebay – Nexus One is now currently being sold @ 600-650 USD if you’ll convert it to the current exchange of $1-45 PHP, you’ll get 27-29k pesos.

And lo! it’ll be delivered to your doorstep hassle-free unlike the ones you did here.

I check more of your post and I kind of laugh with the unboxing vids you did on the sony slim notebook..

Man, so all the while you though unboxing means literally ‘unboxing?” You didn’t even talk there.

Shy boy?

Hopefully, Sony wasn’t disappointed with that uber-lame presentation.

GLHF baldyman

hubes · 16 years ago

I have used Johnny air and ship my orders to their NJ office. This was the advise of Johnny Air para no tax.

alma · 16 years ago

ay sayang. Just got a nokia e72.

A nexus would have been cool!

wtf · 16 years ago

Dude, you made things even more complicated, finding an address in SG or HK for the phone to be sent in?

I think what you should have told with your readers amidst with your heroic tall tale of proxying google which looks like a child’s play – is to simply tell them

to have someone order it from them in USA and just have it delivered to them in PH via FedEx (to make sure it would have golden pass from customs)

You make things even more complicated by having your newbie readers use myusmailbox which has a price at par with FedEx Shipping.

Do you really first time online buyers to actually do this? And expect them to buy prox servers (obviously using a free won’t do the trick)

I’ve checked your reviews done on some of gadget particularly the 5800. What happened to the very short layout of images being constrained with the design of your website?

And I supposed that was the best work you did, right?

Anyway man, good luck with your N1 review.

Oh btw, try to add a video and do please talk on the camera for awhile. You’re too old to be insecure.

Next time try to give other opinions aside from that only solution you mentioned above – which you obviously did to impress people.

geez, grow up

arnold · 16 years ago

O ayan, folks who are planning to use Johnny Air, make sure you course it through their LA contact. Sayang din yung $46!

Sherwin · 16 years ago

Johnny Air has an LA contact.

http://www.johnnyair.com/location.htm#westcoast

Junnjun013 · 16 years ago

Wow, galing…Will try this work around…Thnaks

arnold · 16 years ago

@Reel Advice – Johnny Air charges $15 custom handling fee for the iPhone. I guess that’s the same rate as the Nexus One.

arnold · 16 years ago

It’s a good thing MyUSBox is in LA. My Johnny Air contact’s address is in New York. I was charged 46.95 for NY tax!

Hopefully everything goes well and I get to receive the Nexus One in a couple of days…:-)

Reel Advice · 16 years ago

In any cae, I’ll be waiting your review first. I want to confirm if all features will be intact given that our country is not supported!

Reel Advice · 16 years ago

I’ll try to contact Johnny Air regarding their policies on this one. Sayang naman Sir Yuga, lumampas pa ng $30 dollars sana no customs charge na.

RJ · 16 years ago

waah!! Gustong-gusto ko to! :( sana maka-ipon ako at by the time na mabili ko to, mura na sya at shipped directly sa Pinas.

arnold · 16 years ago

Isa kang henyo Yuga! Will try this work around!
Just like Erik said, will use Johnny Air.

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief · 16 years ago

@Erik – with MyUSMB, customs fee is free for items under $500. Anything beyond $500 is taxable.

Erik · 16 years ago

@yuga: there is no customs charge.
I have already shipped some items before, like bluetooth headsets, iPod Touch, etc. They (Johnny Air) charge customs fee for Laptops / netbook only.

Erik · 16 years ago

@yuga: there is no customs charge.
I have already shipped some items before, like bluetooth headsets, iPod Touch, etc. They charge customs fee for Laptops / netbook only.

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief · 16 years ago

@Erik – you forgot the 3k from customs.

Erik · 16 years ago

Hi, thanks for the info.
If you are working in a BPO industry for a US company, most likely than not, you are on a US server, and thus your IP address will be US too. :D

Personally, i prefer Johnny Air to ship my items from US. They charge $7.5/2 lbs (it depends on dimension as well, whichever is higher) + $5 handling fee for electronic items, such as this. So that would roughly be $530+$20 (assuming 4 lbs converted weight) = $550 which is approx 24,500 PhP. Mas mababa ang USD ngayon, so mas ok, :D

Ardz · 16 years ago

@yuga
Nice investment! :D

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief · 16 years ago

@Xenio – they don’t have restrictions on the credit card, just the shipping address.

@PowerTxt – I don’t think there’s a new iPhone on the 26th. Rumors point to an Apple Tablet PC.

@Vance – any proxy will do, including the free ones. I just chose the private proxy so my CC details cannot be sniffed out during the transaction. My Philippine credit card worked.

@Larry – for those subscribing with T-Mobile.

@Jaypee – you mean T-Mobile?

@Calvin – it will pay for itself when the pageviews come in. It’s not a hobby, it’s a blog investment. *heh*

Calvin · 16 years ago

errr…order it for you.. sorry.

Calvin · 16 years ago

wala talagang magawa sa pera. :P

an easier way is to ask somebody from the US to order it from you hehehe. :P

Larry · 16 years ago

I think the activate phone link is for those who purchased the phone with T-mobile subscription (@ a discounted price).

@ Erin – unluckily, the phone does not support tethering.

Carl · 16 years ago

Thank you very much. I’ve read your MyUSMailbox way of buying stuff that aren’t shipped to the Philippines and its the first thing that came to my mind after learning that Google isn’t shipping to the Philippines (yet). But maybe I’ll wait some more and wait for your review (as well as reading other reviews) before deciding to buy or not.

Larry · 16 years ago

I think the activate phone link is for those who purchase the phone with a T-Mobile subscription (discounted phone price).

@Erin – the phone does not support tethering.

Erin · 16 years ago

wow! ill wait for the review and if this phone can tether and doesnt get bad reviews then this (or an iteration) can be my next phone.

let me see which body part i can sell to get me a new phone. j/k

ciao!

James · 16 years ago

How about activating the phone? Do you need to be a “supported country” for you to be able to activate it. I tried clicking on the link, obviously it says no Phone found, but at least it doesn’t give me a “Your country is not supported at the moment” message.

I’m quite curious on what goes on when you activate you phone. Do you do it via usb cable then go to the website?

Jaypee · 16 years ago

I would’ve gotten this if I wasn’t on AT&T and if my wife hadn’t gotten me an iPhone 3GS last Christmas. :P

Vance · 16 years ago

Sorry, if you choose Philippines on the credit card choice, does it work?

Vance · 16 years ago

Hotspot shield.. works.. tried it hehe. Sadly, I don’t have $530 to spend hehe//

Larry · 16 years ago

There is an activate phone link in the website. Just wondering what this for? If Philippines is not a supported country, will you be able to use the phone here in Manila even if you use your US proxy to activate the phone?