Google announced today that it has unlocked the Nexus One as its new Developer Phone. This comes at a price of $529.

"The Nexus One combines an up-to-the-minute platform (Android 2.2), modern hardware, and the pure Android software suite," says Android’s Tim Bray. "It’s a good choice both for people who want to build Android applications using either the SDK or the NDK, and those who want to experiment with modified versions of the Android platform. Note that the Nexus One still ships with Android 2.1 but will download 2.2 soon after you turn it on; make sure you’re near a fast network."

"As well as being an outstanding developer platform, it’s a really nice everyday phone; we’re really happy to have connected the right dots to make this happen," he adds.

Google recently announced that it was discontinuing the Nexus One, after the failure of its web store, but the phone as a device has generally been held in pretty high regard.

Developers will have to sign in to their Android developer accounts to get more details about getting their phones. Bray does note that accessories for it are available in HTC’s European online store.