LE PECQ FRANCE - Just days after Google Wallet??s sole mobile carrier, Sprint, released three new phones supporting the NFC-based wallet, Google has begun selling an unlocked version of its Galaxy Nexus Android phone for GSM networks in the United States, opening up the wallet to AT&T and T-Mobile customers, NFC Times reports.

Google opened a new devices section in its Google Play Web store, allowing customers to purchase the unlocked Galaxy Nexus.

Andy Rubin, Google??s senior vice president of mobile and digital content, wrote a blog post announcing that the phone would sell for $399 and be available in the U.S. only.

"You can use it on the GSM network of your choice, including T-Mobile and AT&T," wrote Rubin. "It also comes preinstalled with the Google Wallet app, which lets you easily make purchases and redeem offers with a tap of your phone."

The Galaxy Nexus includes an embedded secure chip, which enables payments and other applications. Google controls the chip, which means the company does not depend on a mobile carrier to support the wallet.

Until this past Sunday when the new Sprint phones were released, Sprint??s Nexus S 4G was the only phone that officially supported Google Wallet.

"It??s still very early days for mobile payments, and we know (it) will take time to build a mobile-commerce ecosystem, but we??re very committed to this goal and are encouraged by the progress we??ve made to date," a Google spokesperson said earlier this week.

Read the upcoming May issue of NACS Magazine for two features on the mobile wallet and mobile security.