The Google+ page for Android announced today that users can purchase a Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone straight from Google. The phone is now available in the Google Play store for $399, but is only available in the U.S. The model sold in the Play store is an unlocked and contract-free GSM phone with HSPA+ data capabilities, meaning it will work with either T-Mobile’s or AT&T’s networks. It has 16 GB of internal storage. The phone is also available for a subsidized purchase through Verizon and Sprint on Google’s Galaxy Nexus website.

My guess is that the next generation of Android smartphones is pressuring Google and Samsung to push as much Galaxy Nexus stock out the door as possible. The HTC One X and the Motorola Droid Razr are already challenging the “Google experience” of the Galaxy Nexus with powerful processors and interesting features. Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, is beginning to propagate throughout the high-end Android landscape.

I’ll admit that I’m tempted to buy one of these unlocked Galaxy Nexus phones, and I may have already done so by the time you read this. If only T-Mobile and HTC would get their act together and release the HTC One X, I would consider skipping the Galaxy Nexus. My Nexus One is over 2 years old at this point, and it’s on its last legs. What do you think? Is the Galaxy Nexus worth having at this price? Should I wait for HTC’s new super-phone to launch for T-Mobile in the U.S.? Let me know in the comments section below.