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Google phone store experiment fails, Nexus One moving to retail

Summary: We never fully understood the reason Google thought they could do well selling expensive smartphones from their website and apparently the store did not do very well. Nexus One devices will be moving to retail soon and the store will no longer sell phones.

Matthew Miller

By for Smartphones and Cell Phones |

With the dropping of the Google Nexus One plans for Verizon and Sprint, it is pretty obvious that Google's phone store experience had rather limited success. Today Andy Rubin posted on the Official Google Blog that Google is moving the Nexus one to retail locations (no actual stores yet announced) and will eventually stop selling handsets via the web store.

I thought this statement was classic:

It’s remained a niche channel for early adopters, but it’s clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone, and they also want a wide range of service plans to chose from.

Duh! Isn't that what we have all been saying for years? The US carrier model is successful because of the in store experience where most purchases are made and people obviously want the greatest choice in service plans. It is not going to be easy to ever change this model in the US because there are too many consumers who want the cheapest phone and want to buy it in their physical store where they can try it out first.

I am quite pleased with my Nexus One, thanks in large part to the ability to try out custom ROMs from MoDaCo and Cyanogen.

Topics: Google, Mobility, Telcos

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7 comments
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  • RE: Google phone store experiment fails, Nexus One moving to retail

    Technology has seen the rise of 5-10 big Giants which are consolidating smaller companies and expanding their products/services to fight each other across mutliple segments like smartphones,tablets,SAAS,operating systems etc. Smartphones has been one of the most hotly contested segments with multiple players.Google which made a big bang entry with a multitude of partners through its Android Operating System is shifting its stance.It is backing away from smartphone hardware which was never its forte.Even Microsoft except for the XBox has never been able to make any headway in technology (read Zune).Only Apple has managed to combine the software and hardware into an unbeatable package in smartphones,music players,laptops and now in tablets.Read more at http://greenworldinvestor.com
    AGreenInvestor
    Reply Vote

  • A big reason for the store was to protect advertising

    A big reason for the store was to protect advertising. Google needed, and needs, a way to assure that mobile phone providers and carriers do not lock Google out of mobile advertising, as Apple is trying to do.

    Android is a means to accomplish this, but so long as others sit between Google and users, others who can frame the Android experience to their liking, it will not be the master of its future.
    Spatha
    Reply Vote

  • FAILED? haha.... Right!

    Mathew? .....of all the people on ZDNet, I didn't expect you to resort to Tabloid type headlines to blast Google in a 2 1/2 paragraph cheap shot. For trying anything new for only a few months. Especially when it's a company like Google that actually dares to be different.<br><br>Unlike some others, that only claim to "Think Different". When all their products cry out CLONE with the same Marine sidewall haircuts, style, color and how they work, on every thing they produce. Just like their fearless leader's generic clothes closets filled with Uniform Military Code of Justice Branded and looking clothing 1984 clonewear!<br><br>Nexus One will still be sold. So what's the problem? The product is NOT a failure and there is very little difference to the Desire in other markets. Who cares how you buy it? They had planned to sell through retailers from the start anyway. So they're abandoning a sales technique that didn't work that great. It didn't fail! ..... or YOU wouldn't have bought one!<br><br>I had thought all along that the online store was a temporary thing to introduce the product. I never assumed they'd even have it locked into an online store this long in the first place. It's just not like Google to go doggedly after a single plan of attacking the market!<br><br>Onward and upward and yes I knew that I'd eventually see them in Walmart or stores in a mall! <img border="0" src="http://www.cnet.com/i/mb/emoticons/grin.gif" alt="grin">
    Monarky
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Google phone store experiment fails, Nexus One moving to retail

      @Monarky Title clearly states the Google phone store was a failure, not the device. I fully agree that the Nexus One is an excellent device and have added an auto dock and an extra battery to keep mine going. I love the N1 and also love that I can try other ROMs on it quite easily.
      palmsolo (aka Matthew Miller)
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Google phone store experiment fails, Nexus One moving to retail

    It doesn't surprise me that the store wasn't successful. They only sold a GSM version for a high price. If they even had a CMDA version I'm sure it would have been alot more popular.
    Jimster480
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Google phone store experiment fails, Nexus One moving to retail

    I think googles approach to this was "inventive" but lack a good incentive. getyourgadgetsgoing.com offers a well devloped out look on why this has failed
    TristanThomas
    Reply Vote

  • Tmobile lost me as a customer due to this!

    LOL.. i spent 3 weeks being passed from person to person between the two companies trying to buy a NExus one but technical issues with the online google store messed it all up.. and tmobile refused to fix the issue so I bought a iphone 3gs the best phone buying decision i have ever made.

    tmobile always makes stupid decisions ie. the HD2 running Winmo...lol how stupid can you be !?!?!
    gorgonphone
    Reply Vote
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