How do you know the person you are talking to is an Android developer? He has a Google Nexus One device. To date, it was definitely the best available Android phone for developers:

• Direct from Google
• Running the latest possible version of Android
• Abundant resources available online

When Google decided to stop selling this phone because it was a sales flop – trying to sell direct and not through operators, it was easy to see how this will cause unrest among developers. Google eventually reverted that decision, and started “rebranding” and selling the Nexus One specifically for Android developers.

Blake Stimac covers this chapter of Android and Nexus One quite nicely:

“After Google stopped selling the device, the superphone became available on the Google developer site, which sold out shortly thereafter. Well, we’re happy to say that the Nexus One is now available once again”

Later in his post, Blake also states the grim future of the Nexus One:

“Google has officially stated that there will be no Nexus Two, so having an untouched “Google Phone” may prove to be quite a nice investment later on. The N1 is one of the few phones that is still considered a great device, despite having been available since January of this year”

Simply put, the Nexus One is one of a kind. The only Android phone for developers, and it’s almost aged a year – a lifetime in smartphone-time. While developers will be able to push the envelope and use it for an additional year, they will need a replacement for it – and this may come from a surprising angle.

At an Android IL Meetup a few months ago, Qualcomm outlined their strategy in Android. At that meeting, they also unveiled their new Snapdragon MDP. This new device is targeted at developers who want to use Android on mobile devices, and from the presentation they have given, I can say that I was quite impressed at where they are headed.

Dusan Belic, also from IntoMobile, has the gist on the capabilities and availability of Qualcomm’s MDP.

At $995 USD this is definitely not a cheap device, costing a few hundred of dollars above the average selling price of a smartphone. That said, I expect developers to start using it. If they find it stable enough, they will also adopt it as their own personal device.

As it is still in pre-orders stage, there is no way to know how polished the end result is. Assuming Qualcomm took this to the extreme, you may just have found Nexus Two.