Well…that didn’t last very long. In January, Google made a bold move and started an online phone store featuring the Android-powered Nexus One. Four months later the company has announced that it will be phasing out its online initiative in favor of brick-and-mortar retailers. VP of engineering Andy Rubin posted the news on the Google Blog:
Once we have increased the availability of Nexus One devices in stores, we’ll stop selling handsets via the web store, and will instead use it as an online store window to showcase a variety of Android phones available globally.
With Sprint and Verizon rejecting the Nexus One after pledging to support it, Google didn’t have the carrier support it needed for its atypical business model. In America, so much of the handset business is carrier driven and controlled. Take Nokia, for example — it’s the largest handset manufacturer in the world, but since it doesn’t have much support from the “big four” (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon) it’s a minor player in America.
I’m sad that Google isn’t giving its online store more of a shot. Certainly it made several mistakes over the last few months, but its online venture still has the potential to change the way consumers buy phones. *sigh* I just prefer the Asian and European models of paying more for phones and using cheaper services that are contract-free. Perhaps I’ll wear black at Google I/O next week to mourn the death of Google’s online phone store.
To me that's awesome because I've gone to retailers looking to see the phone and I got the "you have to buy it online" spiel, which is ridiculous in my brain. Yes it saves cost for the company but not being able to see or touch one physically sucks…I'm Walter Cronkite…Goodnight America.
Lol. I am with Big Blak on this one. I want to use the phone before I buy it. Also I generally buy my cell phones on impulse buys.
I too would never buy a phone if I didn't have a chance to play with it first.
That said, I think having it both in retail stores and available to buy online is key. One shouldn't exclude the other imo
@Shockwave562 That was one of several mistakes Google made with this endeavor. The phone should have been available for people to play with. Even something simple like mall kiosks would have been effective.
Google fails at direct to consumer sales.
well in all fairness it was a whole new market they tried to enter. mistakes are bound to happen
^ yep ^
Now lets see what happens.
It's important to note that the Nexus One's online store is a drop in the Android bucket. The real money for Google is in mobile ads and apps.
@ray
Do you still think their online store is a success? Not trying to gas the fire.
@smartguy I don't recall saying it was a success. Did I? I believed in its potential, for sure. Unfortunately, Google made several mistakes and didn't give it enough time.
As for the Nexus One, I would say it's a success. It sold a decent amount of units and was profitable for Google. It also championed Android 2.1 and will probably champion 2.2.