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Google sent out emails today informing users of a new Device Seeding Program for top Android Market Developers. Developers who have an application in the Android Market with a 3.5 star rating (or higher) and 5000 unique downloads qualify to receive a free Motorola Droid or Nexus One. Devs are not allowed to pick which phone they receive and models are decided depending on your country of origin and other factors.
No word on how many actually qualify for this, but it looks like several thousand devs will be rewarded with Android 2.x phones soon.
Update: I see a lot of people think this offer is too good to be true and have concerns of a phishing scam. I’ve reached out to my contact at Google and will post a response if I get one. From what I can tell, the email appeared to be legit.
Update 2: Roman Nurik, Android Developer Relations for Google, states that this is real on the official Android Developers Google Group.
Update 3: I received a second confirmation from an official Google spokesperson:
Due to your contribution to the success of Android Market, we would like to present you with a brand new Android device as part of our developer device seeding program. You are receiving this message because you’re one of the top developers in Android Market with one or more of your applications having a 3.5 star or higher rating and more than 5,000 unique downloads.
In order to receive this device, you must click through to this site, read the terms and conditions of the offer and fill out the registration form to give us your current mailing address so that we can ship your device.
You will receive either a Verizon Droid by Motorola or a Nexus One. Developers with mailing addresses in the US will receive either a Droid or Nexus one, based on random distribution. Developers from Canada, EU, and the EEA states (Norway, Lichtenstein), Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore will receive a Nexus One. Developers with mailing addresses in countries not listed above will not receive a phone since these phones are not certified to be used in other countries.
We hope that you will enjoy your new device and continue to build more insanely popular apps for Android!Eric ChuAndroid Mobile Platform
Comment RSS80 Comments
wow you wasted no time getting this story up, I only received my email a few minutes ago. This is totally awesome I can’t wait! I hope they send me a nexus!
Would be nice to get an email confirmation that the registration was successful :-/
yeah that put me a bit on edge since all it says is thanks lol
It’s a Google Docs form… Currently, there’s no way to set an autoresponder on those… (I’ve suggested it… no response) lol
God I am already out of patience waiting to see what I receive and it’s only been like 5 minutes lol
I have received this email, but it seems a little fishy. I think I will wait till Google says something about this before I fill it out.
Is there any proof that this site is for real? I mean, anyone could set up a site at http://sites.google.com/xyz. Could be a well done phishing site, which I do not hope…
Phishy more like. Why would Google create a sites page for this and not a top-level page on their domain or at least the android subdomain?
This looks extremely phishy! The site is not on the google domain, it is just a “sites” page. The form is a google doc/spreadsheet and it is asking for your apps developer information – which Google would already know. If Google wanted to do this, they would just send an email saying they are doing it, not ask you for your Google information – that makes no sense.
Question is do you actually have an app like what’s described?
I do. If anyone doesn’t but received it, please let us know
I agree there should be a confirmation mail
Can’t wait to see what I get, hopefully NEXUS ONE …
I received the email too, but I am not sure whether to trust it or not. The website it links to does not look very professional, and it belongs to Google Sites, so technically it could belong to anybody. What do you guys think? I am always very suspicious about freebies…
I feel the same way, which is why I am waiting for Google to say something
It just says that the response will appear in their spreadsheet…. did this happen for you guys??
I’m just worried b/c of the old security principle that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is :/
but if it’s real, YESSSSSSSSSS FREE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m very suspicious about this. I’d like to get some confirmation from Google that this is legit before I give my info.
I think its legit because it came from an @google.com email address, also it doesn’t ask for any real sensitive information, just your shipping address and confirmation number for when you paid your market fee.
But at the same time, it uses the google sites hosting service. If it was really from Google would it not be under a regular domain? like the android market domain or something?
Here is a thread about it in google groups:
http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/49da01a3cb7f8803
Some people are concerned this is a scam to collect dev accounts. If so, my hat is off to the person doing this – they got just about every detail right. Is there something about the knowing the original google checkout order number that lets somebody hack a dev account?
I was wondering the same thing.
looking @ the headers from the email – contains scoutcamp.bounces.google.com – supposedly this is used for google mass emails.
Put a search in Google for scoutcamp.bounces.google.com and it appears there’s been previous concerns with emails like this.
Hope this is legitimate
Quote from Thomas Riley at the link I posted:
ust done a little googling, the email was mailed-by
scoutcamp.bounces.google.com.
That system appears to be googles internal method of sending batch
mail, that makes it genuine to me!
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/AdSense/thread?tid=127d121c2bc9...
http://www.google.nu/support/forum/p/AdWords/thread?tid=6bea75fc383d2...
oh oh this looks very fake, be careful, wonder how many fell for it?
Hey all fellow happy lucky developers!
It is odd how they used sites but keep in mind they often use a google sites page to collect information for Android dev stuff like ADL2010.
This way the data goes straight into a spreadsheet which someone can sort out. (eg, I think Reto Meier was sorting out the London ADL2010 stuff in this way).
Ya tell me about it. I got my email 30 minutes ago and this is already up …. you guys waste no time.
I am hoping for a Nexus One as well, but even if I get a droid I know there will be other people who want droids instead of nexus’s. So I am sure there will be some swapping going on
I would take a Droid if it worked on other networks I already sold my soul to Tmobile for another year.
Hey Schwiz, if you get a Nexus One and I get a Droid, wanna trade? I don’t have Verizon, and I can’t use it where I’m at (
you didn’t read my comment carefully I was saying I can’t use a droid either.
Oh yeah. Sorry, it was still kind of early here.
Anyone? Me and my family are on Tmobile. Can’t switch to Verizon?
The email says it was signed by Google in the sending info…I don’t think I’ve ever received an email that was signed before, so I don’t know if this is possible that it can be faked. Anybody know?
My Google Checkout receipt for the market says signed-by google.com as well
Hmm, my checkout receipts are signed too… Maybe it is real?
Got the email, but will wait for confirmation it is valid.
This is Legit. I looked at other official emails sent to me by Google and it all come from same ip address.
This is legit. I got the message just a while ago, and looking at the message headers (which can’t be forged), it definitely came from Google. Hurray for our awesome apps!
This was on Google Groups:
Roman Nurik
View profile
More options Mar 3, 11:46 am
Folks, the email is NOT a fake. We will look into the email issues.
Roman Nurik
Android Developer Relations, Google
NOTE: please do not send me email directly about this.
Maybe I am too suspicious, but this reply on Google Groups may be another fake…
Isn’t it Romain Guy that’s associated with android?? I’ve never heard of this Roman Nurik….. :/
Romain Guy also confirmed this on twitter : http://twitter.com/romainguy/status/9900346329
Yeah ! Thank you google !
woot! this is so awesome ^.^ I am going to GDC next week too so this is 2 free Nexus in 1 month my wife is so happy she gets one now too lol
hahahaha i freaked out when my reply email bounced back with “Mailbox disabled for this recipient”.
Good job getting this article up. Phishing was my first concern as well.
They all deserve whichever phone they get. I really can’t wait for T-Mobile to get a cool and exciting Android phone, I’m tired of my BB, don’t miss my G1. But I do want to go back to Android some day.
Hey everybody,
First off, congrats on qualifying. We rock.
Second, we don’t know yet which phone we’ll get, but… I DO know people will want to switch. I’ve set up a forum where we can trade info… http://www.evoiceusa.com/forum.php . For verification, you’ll have to send an email from your developer email address to android at evoiceusa.com with the app that qualifies you and your desired user name. If it all checks out I’ll approve you… and hopefully we can all get the free phone we want
Now that ur all in one place I just wanted to express my deepest appreciation to all of you for your haerd work and selfless sense of community. You all deserve this if its legit.
I would love a second Droid, but not good at programming yet, and my sincerest congratulation to all the dev for their outstanding hard work…
Hi, Ron
I got another droid and I really want a N1. would you like to trade if you got a N1. Thanks a lot!
Ok what malicious idiot rated my above comment negative a point? What you don’t think devs desereve a thank you? No surprise you just rated and left without posting. I wish u a virus because you probably run windows on ur computer.
Well today crosses out next day air >.<
oops i meant to wish you a virus and post that at the bottom.
Hey Ron, I’m really hoping to get a Nexus One as part of the program, I will happily swap with you if we end up with a phone the other would rather have.
hmm, well im not a dev, but my friend is and until google confirms it I would wait.
1. that repost on the forum was to a non-existent profile, not the real guys. It also says dont contact.
2. that twitter is for a guy that WANTS to work at google, not a guy that works at google, according to the side bar.
3. it is not on an official google page, site.google can be made by anyone.
My friend is going to wait till he sees it on a real google page, or until there is a real google employee confirming this kind of thing. there is no press release and its not in the dev blog.
Uhh…well Romain Guy does work for Google in the android project, as well as Roman Nurik…both have confirmed that this is true. Also, Update 3 in this post clearly says that Google responded to Taylor about it with a confirmation that it is actually real.
@brett: Romain Guy does work for Google – the hopefully part of his twitter sidebar refers to him being a photographer.
Still, I’m only about 60% confident it’s legitimate.
Yeah, Romain Guy is only one of the core Android Engineers working at Google.
I wouldn’t believe him either
“Developers with mailing addresses in countries not listed above will not receive a phone since these phones are not certified to be used in other countries.”
WTF, I’m a developer I use the phone for testing, the thing don’t leave my house, why I would need a certification? I can bought it in ebay why they can’t send it abroad?
Nuff said, android market is closed for major countries, gifts also, I hope someday someone take us seriously
I’m a bit depressed right now
Yeah, it makes no sense.
If it’s not “certified” or whatever maybe you don’t want to sell it, but as long as you send it for free, as long as it actually works it’s fine.
They don’t sell in Italy, but they just work anyway and I know plenty of people (including me) who managed to get one and use successfully.
Reto Meier also confirms that it’s true: “Device Seeding Program for Top Android Market Developers” offering a free Nexus One is absolutely real. Thx for your hard work, congrats!
http://twitter.com/retomeier/status/9916190311
I’m confident
I put the data in the form…..and now I hope
I’ll take you updated.
Enrico
i would totally put your carrier in with the email …it can’t hurt right
The site has now been up for (at least, based on the time i got my mail) more than 6 hours. I’m starting to think it’s legit because Google would kill this site instantly if it wasn’t.
I am the biggest skeptic in the world and after reading all I could on the subject, I figure it’s worth the gamble and fill out the form. The ONLY piece of information not currently publicly available is my Google order number. Other than that, anyone can find me in the phone book. So if it’s fake, they got a useless order number. If it’s real, I get a phone. Based on all the confirmations, game theory says to fill out the form. It’s basically a no-lose/win situation.
k7k0
I’m totally agree with you!
I’m a developer – I need phone only for TESTING apps/games. It’s really disapoint me
What about Milestone? (European Droid clone)
Heh guys,
I just got this mail from google …
” We’ve received your information for the Android Market Device Seeding Program and have successfully validated the Google Order Number from your developer account.
Your information will now be sent to our shipping partner for order processing ” …
Need the NEXUS ONE, keeping my fingers crossed
Thanks Google …
Seems the top 200 devs in ADC2 are also getting free phones, because I got another email saying they’re seeding to ADC2 finalists as well. Does that mean I’m getting two free phones? Hope they’re not both the same.
Has anyone received a free phone yet?
I got my N1 on March 24, 2010. So much better than the G1.
I got my Nexus One today! (3/26/2010)
I won’t see it until I get home from work though.
I got my Nexus One today!! (3/26/2010)
I’m gonna open it right now! XD…
Sign! I got a droid and anyone want trade? Thanks
Anyone in Germany or other European country received a free phone yet? I did not…
Got Droid yesterday. Will swap for N1. Anyone? Me and my family are on Tmobile. Can’t switch to Verizon.
We are based in Lisbon, Portugal and have just received a HTC Nexus One.
I received a free motorola droid, but does anyone know how to stop the free service on it from google and switch it to your current verizon service with your current number?
Did anyone received his phone in France ? We didn’t yet.
i will start to develp in android plataform
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