Here at CES to witness the launch of the Google Nexus One smartphone device.  Heralded as the "iPhone Killer", with a big color touch screen, Google-powered applications galore, outstanding mapping and media capabilities.  While the phone is very capable and will give the iPhone a run for it's money as a smartphone, I suspect there is a subtle hidden story here that many have missed.

The real story here is that Google is making the phone available "unlocked", which means it can be easily moved from one GSM carrier to another.  Unlocked GSM phones can change carriers by simply swapping out the SIM card which you can usually find hidden under the battery or in a small slot in the side of the phone. 

Buying an unlocked phone doesn't come free. Google has set the retail price of the unlocked version at $529, while a version of the phone tied to T-mobile is set at $179.

However, I applaud this bold move and believe it will start a trend that will eventually shift control and choice back to the consumer, allowing for choice in carriers and options to have multiple carriers (especially for those that travel internationally).

Watch for Apple to follow soon with a similar program.

For those that are tired of the issues and congestion on your current wirelesss network, you now have a viable choice.