14 DAY TRIAL // Mountain View-based Internet giant Google announced a while ago plans to close down the sales of the Android-based Nexus One mobile phone via its web store, and chances are that the move would be completed by July 31. The handset became available for purchase in early 2010 via the web store, and was expected to be sold exclusively this way, yet Google had a change of heart, and Nexus One would be available from now on via wireless carriers and other retailers.
When announcing plans to close down the web store, Google said that the move was determined by the fact that the exclusive availability of Nexus One this way managed to serve its purpose. “The idea a year and a half ago was to do the Nexus One to try to move the phone platform hardware business forward,” the company's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, told the U.K.'s Telegraph newspaper. “It clearly did. It was so successful, we didn't have to do a second one.”
Back in January, when both the Nexus One and the web store were brought to light, Google announced that it aims at offering a new approach to the marketing of mobile devices. The Nexus One was seen as a superphone, more than a smartphone, as it was packed with a wide range of branded services, while its availability via the web store was meant to offer a new option in addition to the carrier availability most mobile phones enjoy on the market. However, the phone was available with contract agreements, in case users wanted to acquire it this way.
While Google says that Nexus One served its purpose, others argue that the actual reason for closing down the web store would be the poor sales Google registered for the device. The company did not offer specific info on how many units were shipped, but early reports suggested that sales took off quite slow, and that they might have been rather disappointing. Not to mention that, half a year later, Nexus One has some powerful competitors on the US market, including the DROID Incredible, EVO 4G, or the just launched Samsung Galaxy S.
According to a recent article on LA Times, Google claims it managed to sell well beyond 100,000 Nexus One devices all around the world.
[UPDATE - July 22] It seems that Google already halted online sales of Nexus One, just as the shot to the left shows. People interested in acquiring the device should seek for it in other retail channels.
