Where in the US can I get an unsubsidized Nexus S that won't cost me a couple hundred over the retail price? Can I just go to Best Buy and say I don't want the contract - just the phone? I find it odd that Google sells dev phones but only the ADP2 and the Nexus One. Why not sell the Nexus S directly to devs as well?
Edit: Thanks for the responses about being able to go to BB and get just the phone at the unsubsidized price. This was the answer I was looking for as it wasn't clear to me that this was an option and I was just more confused that Google wasn't selling it as an option for devs in their marketplace.
The options on the Best Buy website seem to imply that you have the option of purchasing the phone for $529 without signing a two-year T-Mobile contract.
The site actually breaks though if I try to proceed further than this, so who knows.
I'm not sure which price you are referring to as "the retail price" here; if you are referring to the $199 subsidized price that comes with signing a two-year contract then by definition any unsubsidized phone will be hundreds of dollars more.
I bought my Nexus S from Best Buy, no contract or anything to sign except the receipt. I don't even have a plan with T-Mobile; I use a local carrier that runs on T-Mobile's frequencies. I paid retail price ($529+tax), and walked out of the store in less than 10 minutes.
Edit: Thanks for the responses about being able to go to BB and get just the phone at the unsubsidized price. This was the answer I was looking for as it wasn't clear to me that this was an option and I was just more confused that Google wasn't selling it as an option for devs in their marketplace.