Galaxy Nexus Costs $150 From Amazon Wireless

Verizon Wireless' Samsung Galaxy Nexus may be hard to get in Verizon retail shops, but Amazon Wireless is riding in on its white horse with the Ice Cream Sandwich phones for half the cost.

Consumers who came away empty handed after Verizon Wireless stores and other retailers sold out of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus can get the smartphone somewhere else for half the price: Amazon.

The e-commerce giant's Amazon Wireless unit is selling the Galaxy Nexus, the first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone, for $149.99 with a new, two-year deal from Verizon.

The hotly anticipated handset, which is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and has a 4.65-inch, HD Super AMOLED display to run on Verizon's 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, had been delayed for at least a week while Verizon and Google reportedly sparred over the inclusion of the Google Wallet mobile payment application on the handset.

Wallet didn't make the cut, with Verizon waxing concerned about its security.  With only 10 days left to leverage Christmas sales, Verizon began selling Samsung's Galaxy Nexus for $299.99 on contract online and in its retail stores Dec. 15. Google (NASDAQW:GOOG) noted that shoppers can also buy it from Best Buy, Costco or Radio Shack stores.

However, gadget blogs such as Boy Genius Report and Phandroid noted lines for the Galaxy Nexus outside Verizon in Boston. Android and Me said the Nexus was sold out at the Verizon store in Austin, Texas, that it visited.

To wit, eager Nexus shoppers can snag the device for half the price here from Amazon Wireless for a limited time. The phone is on back order and will take eight to nine days to ship, according to the Website.

Verizon users currently under contract but eligible for an upgrade can get the phone for $249.99, still $50 cheaper than Verizon's current asking price with a contract.

Customers who buy both a Galaxy Nexus and a mobile hotspot data plan-the Nexus lets owners connect up to 10 4G LTE devices via WiFi-at the time of purchase will get a $100 Amazon Gift Card.

Gadget geeks have been raving about the Nexus, which has software navigation buttons, better multitasking capabilities, an Android Beam app to let two phones exchange information and facial recognition software that lets users unlock their phones.