Is Apple worried about the Nexus One smartphone gaining some of their custom? It appears that Apple is allowing customers to purchase an iPhone without an AT&T contract at Apple Stores reports an article over on electronista.

Perhaps the reason Apple has decided to go this route is partly due to Google’s attitude with their Android Nexus One superphone, although the iPhone will still be locked to AT&T and their network, but apparently the terms for the off contract iPhone mirrors that of the Nexus One.

Although Apple hasn’t come out and actually made anything official on the subject of off contract iPhone availability, the reported pricing for said iPhone handsets are $499 for an iPhone 8GB 3G and $599 for a 16GB iPhone 3GS and $699 for the 32GB iPhone 3GS.

Coincidently perhaps but the news of off contract iPhone units being offered by Apple comes as Google offers the Nexus One with the ability to use the AT&T network and there are also Verizon and Sprint Nexus One units on the way, which could also have made Apple move towards their new offering.