Google issues statement on Nexus One sales, touts Android Market's 30,000 apps

Numbers released by Flurry Analytics yesterday suggested that Google's Nexus One had sold around 135,000 units in 74 days (the same amount of time it took the iPhone to hit a million) -- not a staggering number by any measure. Now, we don't really have any way to assess the accuracy of Flurry's data, but we spoke with Google's team about a few things, and here's what they had to say. For starters, Google wanted to assert the idea that selling lots of a single handset isn't the company's primary goal, an idea which makes sense considering how many handsets are currently available with Android. In our conversation, Google actually called out the sales figures for the Droid and seemed eager to make the point that their game is more of a war of attrition fought on a variety of fronts. Read their statement -- and lots more -- after the break...

We're pleased with our sales volumes and with how well the Nexus One has been received by our customers. The Nexus One is one of a fast growing number of Android handsets which have been brought to market through the open Android ecosystem. Our partners are shipping more than 60,000 Android handsets each day compared with 30,000 just three months ago.

The rep we spoke with also intimated that selling the Nexus One online is not their only plan, leading us to surmise that the handset could be made available in other ways, possibly heading to carrier shops (online or in-store, as we've heard rumblings about). Stating, "We will consider options for expanding distribution of Google's Android devices beyond the current online store if that will help us serve our Android users better." However you slice it, it seems that Flurry's numbers struck a nerve somewhere, so maybe they're close to accurate?

Adding to the 'Android's growing at an insane rate' line, Google's also doing some much-deserved bragging about its Android Market app count, stating:

There are about 30,000 apps available on Android Market, which is more than double the number of apps that were available just four months ago. Additionally, we've seen app purchases increase more than 3 times in that same four month period. So we're not only seeing more developers bringing apps to Android Market, but Android users are also purchasing more apps.

It is an impressive rate of growth to be sure, and when you couple all these factoids with the news yesterday that the Nexus One would be available for AT&T and Rogers 3G bands, it paints a powerful picture. Still, when you look at marketshare, it's clear that even though Android has been gaining some real momentum, Google has a tough battle to fight on a variety of fronts. Let's hope they can dodge the fragmentation bullet and litigation sideshows and keep this train moving.

[visualplastik Posted Mar 17th 2010 5:23PM]

@lerxst Agreed, and why is no one mentioning the droid bar chart which is kicking iphone in the nuts.

Apple is not about giving the user choices. Its their way, their carrier, their OS, or the highway. Evidenced by the ridiculous lengths they go to censor apps and block people from customizing the OS. Google is the polar opposite and people are coming around.

[Eternal Density Posted Mar 17th 2010 5:46PM]

Fact: "nexus one" is an anagram of "u sex none".
More important fact: anagrams have no bearing in anything in reality.

[HektikLyfe Posted Mar 17th 2010 6:25PM]

Oh yuck. I bet Nexus One users are glad to hear their Google phone isn't a primary focus of Google's.

I am getting sick of Apple's vice grip on "my" phone so I was looking at the Nexus as an escape. I've been burned by manufacturers abandoning the products they tout in the past (Hi Dell!) so I didn't like hearing that. In their obsession to battle Apple many Google fans and early adopters will be sacrificed.

...yuck.

[kinglance82 Posted Mar 17th 2010 7:43PM]

I unless your on carrier offers cheaper rates for people that are out of contract, their business model is silly.
If i can get one subsidized on Sprint i will go get one, because Sprint doesn't really update their devices like VZ has done with the Droid, but they are so cheap monthly so i stay. VZ or Tmo will cost about 30 more a month :-(

[buzski Posted Mar 17th 2010 7:55PM]

I wonder how the iPhone 3G would compare on this graph

[chosenone1 Posted Mar 17th 2010 9:43PM]

For all the fanboys say what you will but understand that the nexus never had the kind of promotion that iphone had. If it had say like 3 months of hype leading up to its release it would have done 20x times better.

The nexus one is basically a techie phone for tech people. I like to think of this as a great beta test for google to test the phone market and see just how much impact they can before they dive head first in and complete their take over of modern communication

[Kenzu Posted Mar 17th 2010 9:57PM]

@chosenone1 I could not agree more, N1 is a beta phone.

[Darkseider Posted Mar 18th 2010 10:15AM]

Regardless of the comparison in this chart it is clear that Android based phones will soon become the top sellers. Each carrier has its' own line up of exclusive Android units as well as the Nexus One going to everyone + dog. The fact that regardless of carrier you can have a great Android experience as opposed to being locked into AT&T only strengthens Androids position in the market.