What is Your Boss Giving You for Christmas?

ACTION ITEMS:

Bullish:
Google's goodwill won't have an immediate affect on sales of the Android phone. But it could:

• Help build a solid foundation for the Galaxy Nexus as employees spread the news, generating immense word-of-mouth buzz for the Samsung phone, leading to stronger sales in the future – sales that subscribers of Benzinga Pro will be the first to hear about.

• Keep employees happy and satisfied, thus improving their chances of retaining top talent, which goes toward the company's long-term success.

• Make the perks of working at Apple AAPL, Microsoft MSFT, Research in Motion RIMM and other tech companies seem less significant.

Bearish:
On the downside, by giving away hundreds (or will it be thousands?) of free phones, Google will incur an enormous expense that can only be recovered with tax write-offs, and it does not guarantee:

• That consumers will care enough to buy a Galaxy Nexus for themselves.

• That Apple won't still crush the Nexus at retail (read: Apple will still crush the Nexus at retail).

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