Google updates Nexus One page, tells Verizon customers to get a Droid Incredible instead (update: the Verizon Nexus One is dead)
By Vlad Savov 
posted April 26th 2010 1:20PM
posted April 26th 2010 1:20PM
Update: We just heard back from Google -- the Verizon Nexus One is dead; long live the Incredible. Here's the official statement:
Now, that's certainly reasonable, given the similarities between the Nexus One and the Incredible, but here's a question: given that the Incredible runs Sense on top of Android, isn't the closest Verizon analogue to the Nexus One experience actually the Droid, which runs stock Android 2.1? Considering Motorola's recent moves away from Google, maybe this is a sign of something deeper.We won't be selling a Nexus One with Verizon, and this is a reflection of the amazing innovation happening across the open Android ecosystem. Verizon Wireless customers who want an Android phone with the power of the Nexus One can get the Droid Incredible by HTC.
Damn when will this come?
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah everyone hates the droid phones.
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah
i sold my tp2 over two months ago in prep for the n1 hitting verizon. never thought i would be lied to about a phone release. whatever, i already pre ordered my incredible. not gonna wait any longer. google wins either way though, i'll be running android, seems like thats all they care about
sure would be nice if google would give us a straight forward answer to this though. i have a feeling it will still hit when the sprint one does...then again maybe its all a myth
@emopoops i don't. consider yourself discredited.
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah i'm taking their advice - Incredible, here i come.
Same here. I sold my Moto Droid in anticipation of the Nexus One's arrival one Verizon, back when we all thought it was gonna be shipping on March 29th. Been putting up with a dumbphone since, been almost a month now.
What I don't understand is the news of HTC Taiwan shipping the CDMA-based Nexus Ones to the USA already. Are these now only gonna be Sprint-bound? What's the point with the Evo 4G?
Guess I'll get the Droid Incredible instead.
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah
The Nexus One is not intended to be a phone for the masses. It was made as a proof of concept for the Android OS. It's purpose is to act as a standard reference point. Remember how over the last 2 years, every phone has been compared with the iPhone? From now on, every phone will be compared with the Nexus one.
All phones that use the Android OS will be compared to the Nexus One and must be AT LEAST AS GOOD as the Nexus One--the idea being the the Nexus One is pretty good, so this new phone must be great! When the phones get too good, Google will develop the Nexus Two, or whatever they plan to call it, which will act as a new reference point.
So no, Verizon will not get the Nexus One. The Droid Incredible is better.
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah : The Nexus One has always been a disappointment to me (not enough wow factor). I couldn't believe that this was the "Google Phone". I was expecting a larger screen, nicer shape, (maybe not looking like a Hero). Hopefully their next phone release is something close to the EVO 4G or better!
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah Sorry to hijack the first post but just want to chime in and say Google makes money by getting people browsing and searching. Thats their end-game. Google cares only about the default search engine on *any* device but Android is their guarantee that they will not one day be shut off by Microsoft or Apple from mobile search.
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah
That's what she said.
@MrGoodCat
Given the spotty record of carriers releasing phones on schedule I think you only have yourself to blame for selling your TP2 before you actually had the Nexus 1 Verizon/Incredible in your hot little hands
@Kanga that is EXACTLY what I was going to say. glad someone got to it first.
@SilverSurfer
Nice.
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah Vodafone to sell it in the netherlands in mei.
@SilverSurfer and she got shut down by microsoft and apple
@Elranzer
I want to say, "You mean what's the point of the Nexus 1 when Sprint will have the Evo 4G" but because of it's form factor the N1 could likely find quite a few owners at Sprint whereas the Incredible share the same screen size and nearly the same dimensions as the N1 and then betters it in quite a few technical specs such as
1. on-board memory
2. 8 MP camera
3. Subjectively speaking, most reviewers have said that the Sense UI makes Android 2.1 better than it is on it's own.
The Incredible really does make the N1 irrelevant for Verizon, plus Verizon gets you on a contract for a subsidized phone instead of buying one outright from Google.
Anyway, I suppose with the news that Google has been pretty lacking at providing support for the problems that plague the GSM N1, i'd be hard pressed to buy one that my carrier won't fully support as far as troubleshooting and technical support go.
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame, your old account get banned? Or did you just amass too much of a negative aura that you needed to make a new account?
Personally can't wait for the Incredible.
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah
I bet Verizon prefers the Incredible because they can control the updates that get rolled out (since it has the Sense UI, etc). Since Google controls the N1 updates, my guess it this is where they couldn't reach an agreement. Verizon, while showing improvement with Android and Skype, is still not as open as the pretend to be.
@(Unverified)
yeah i notice that too, that's just sad.
@Kanga, Although a good phone, the N1 has never been considered the benchmark to be compared to.
@Mikeserena
I beg to differ. Kanga's point was that all Android devices are now compared to the Nexus One. I've noticed this has held true in many reviews of recent Android phones. You still get the occasional iPhone comparison but that's to be expected, but now the Nexus One is the main benchmark point that GOOD Android phones are expected to live up to at the very least. Obviously in the Incredible and EVO's case, they surpass it. That was the point of the Nexus One. They never wanted to beat Apple and sell millions of these things (clearly evidenced by their lack of advertisement, and support, etc)
@Kanga When sources suggest that HTC Incredible may cannibalize Nexus One due to simply having HTC Sense in it and the full "Google Experience". Plus 8GB internal, 8MP cam, they couldn't be more correct than that. I mean, Why bother with an N1 if you're a VZW customer now? Opinions. http://j.mp/htc-incredible-impressions
You like Android 2.1 better than Sense? Then just turn off Sense on the Incredible. Now was that so hard?
@etwashoo2 ...of course if they disabled it, it might be more difficult ;-)
@sfox8
If you read the post I was replying to, he was stating that the N1 was the benchmark for all phones, not just Android.
@Kanga Agreed, everything was compared to the iPhone, now it's the Nexus One. The Incredible, IMO, is better than the N1. Incredible runs Sense (gorgeous) and has an 8 megapixel camera. Then the Evo 4G will be released and the Incredible, Evo 4G, and N1 will duke it out lol. I have Sprint and will be getting my upgrade in June. Hopefully that's when the Evo will be realeased. For you Verizon users, get the Incredible and don't stress over not getting the N1. Plus, as far as I know, you can tun off Sense on the Incredible and run stock Android UI if you prefer that
Unless you're a stock Android enthusiast, Nexus One just seems like old news. No complaints here.
@cassnate6259
I could never confidently buy a Nexus One with visions of cracked screens in my mind.
They don't go in pockets, remember.
@cassnate6259
not to mention Google's fantastic customer support, excellent multitouch capabilities and flawless touch detection. /sarcasm
@TheKingOfHyrule
...you forgot about the reception issues, fantastic business model to make it internet ordering-only, a true screen resolution that is ~30% less than advertised and the brilliant idea for the OS-maker to compete with their own partner by entering the handset business.
How could it have possibly failed!?!
@Hazdaz IMO it was never meant to make them a profit, more of a veiled threat to Android hardware partners to come out with new snapdragon hardware. At the time all the phones on the market were using the previous-generation Qualcomm MSMs, as far as i remember, and Android wasn't quite as popular then as it has been since the Nexus was announced.
@cassnate6259
There are a lot of people including me who prefer a stock android vs the sense UI.
Nothing against the sens UI but I dont want to get stuck on 2.1 when the nexus one gets upgraded to future releases.
Six months from now the nexus one will still be rocking new andriod updates but the Incredible will be outdated just like the hero.
@Hazdaz you do know that the Incredible has the same screen as the nexus one right? The only difference (even tho it is a huge, difference) is the sensor
@cassnate6259 This rapid releasing of android powered phones has just taken is most noteworthy victim: the N1! How long before the Incredible or EVO become second best? It seems none of these phone will outlive a two-year contract!
@jimlivingston
Speaking as a G1 owner who still has phone from Fall '08, I would imagine a Evo or N1 would fair much better then a low-mid end android device as far as how it would age in 2 years.
@sycamore714 Google has already promised to eventually correct the fragmentation issue. Android 2.1 will be around for a long time just like 1.5 was. HTC Sense UI is behind the curve on updating, but with this release, it will be the fist Sense phone with 2.1 on the market. The Hero/Eris hasn't yet gotten it (which sucks as an Eris owner) but I have a feeling it will very shortly after the Incredible is out in the hands of the masses.
Sucks for all the people that have been waiting for a Verizon version of the Nexus One. Oh well, the Incredible is just as good anyways so stop waiting and go get it!
@Vandam500 I'd be willing to get that the Incredible and Nexus One are essentially the same phone, which is why Google is suggesting people just get it.
@Vandam500
I'd rather have the Incredible anyway:
-newer touch panel for better multi-touch implementation
-Sense UI (though I believe you can disable it in the app manager and use vanilla Android, but I've read that this is no longer possible on the UK Desire, so I'm not sure what the deal is with that)
-less finicky soft touch buttons (the N1's seem to not respond so well)
@andthemaniam Even on the UK Desires, to disable Sense it's still pretty easy. Just grab "launcher2.apk" from XDA, then force close Sense and make launcher2 the new default.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-648346.html
This would make me super salty. I already posted about this on android central's Nexus One forum. I was planning on holding out for a Nexus even though the Droid Incredible has some higher specs. I think the Nexus is just so much better looking and I love the idea of getting updates straight from Google. I was all set to pay the full $529 too. Will there be a VZW N1? After all my waiting I'd be salty if there wasn't.
@Andy V Salty? What are you, a time traveller from 1930s Chicago?
@Andy V
Completely agree with the whole "better looking" thing.
That back cover has to go!
@FC1032
Pick your favorite case, I'm sure some will hide it. %/
@TimeForTheFairTax
Any idea on pricing? If it isn't THAT much more than the nexus, I guess a cover can do the job...
I was going to get a cover for my future nexus =)
@FC1032
http://phones.verizonwireless.com/htc/incredible/
If you mean without contract I think it was the same price as N1.
@Vlad Savov I went to school in Philly for a year, you could easily hear "salty" 5-10 times in a 30 minute conversation, this was barely over 10 years ago.
@TimeForTheFairTax
Thanks for the info... But apparently Verizon phones don't work in Australia (where I live)... So even if it is a good deal and all, it will be a waste.
Looks like I'll have to get the Nexus after all... =)
@juanvaldez
i live in philly... and though i dont usually use the term myself its still thrown around here and there by people i know... its more like "saudy" nowadays, though
Seems like common sense to me but then I already pre-ordered two Incredibles.