The long-awaited Nexus S phone – built by Samsung under strict Google guidelines – will go on sale this month in the United States and Britain through Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse, according to a Reuters report.

As reported by TechZone360, this latest Google phone will offer a full range of features and options sure to please even the pickiest of handset users.

The Nexus One, the previous flagship Google Android phone, was made by Taiwan’s HTC.

Both Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse have said they are the exclusive sellers in their respective markets. Pre-orders for the Nexus S – which will feature the Gingerbread version of the Android OS – will be taken starting at 1600 GMT on Monday.

Apple and RIM have both had to take a backseat to Google’s Android software as it has become the second most popular platform in the world, after Nokia’s Symbian OS.

Android has helped to fuel the boom in the smartphone market as the platform is offered free to cell phone vendors and therefore helps to drive down prices in this space. The overall market is expected to double this year to around 340 million units.

The Nexus S has been designed to include an NXP (Near Field Communications) chip that will allow consumers to pay for items by tapping the phone against a special terminal. NFC technology pioneer, NXP, has announced a strategic collaboration with Google to provide a complete open source software stack for the NFC chip.

According to Carphone and Best Buy, the unlocked Nexus S will be priced at $529 in the United States – or for $199 with a T-Mobile two-year contract. The cost in Britain will be $862 unlocked or free with a carrier contract. The preferred carrier and contract have yet to be announced.

According to British telecoms research firm CCS Insight, deals with Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy underline the importance of independent distributors beyond Google. And, despite the initial failure of Nexus One, Google has yet to change its intent in the market.

Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse have a joint venture in Europe that includes stores in Britain and a chain of Best Buy Mobile stores in the United States.