Although Google launched the
Nexus One with grand plans to radically change the way consumers purchased phones and service, it looks like the experiment has fizzled to an end -- the company just announced that will eventually stop selling handsets online and instead partner with carriers to sell the N1 in-store while using its website to promote "a variety of Android phones available globally." Google says customers simply want a hands-on experience before buying a phone, but we'd say the lack of subsidies from any carrier except T-Mobile and some
serious customer service issues probably played in killing Google's original sales strategy -- and of course, both Verizon and Sprint essentially refused the N1 in favor of the bespoke
Incredible and
EVO 4G. We'd also say that Android as a whole will remain unaffected, since the Nexus One was
never a huge seller, but it's still rare that a company simply gives up a business model like this, and we don't know if Google will ever follow up with a successor to the Nexus One. The Google Phone is dead, people -- long live the Google Phone.
Update: We just asked Google about future devices and support for current Nexus One owners, here's what they said:
On the future: We will continue working with our partners to bring cutting-edge new Android handsets to market, but we have nothing to announce right now.
On support: This announcement doesn't have any immediate impact on support for consumers who purchase Nexus One through the web store.
posted May 14th 2010 12:49PM
I never bought one because they never fixed the multitouch. That's it.
@JiminyGlick
lmao epic fail
@JiminyGlick Multi-touch is working just fine on my N1.
@JiminyGlick
Got the N1 for AT&T 3G. Multi-touch works perfectly across email, google maps, and browsers.
I've put on an HTC Desire Rom, and wireless tethering and I'm golden. Yes the UI is quirkier than the iPhone 3GS and the screen not as responsive to touch..but the 5mpx with flash, loud speaker phone and headset, removable battery and insane ability to modify each and every aspect of the phone is worth it.
Not to mention the screen is abso-fuckin-lutely GORGEOUS!! And the updates are through google, not carrier so I'm lookng fwd to Froyo 2.2 with Flash enabled in browsers and more goodies within the next month or so.
@DaveF81
Even cross axis tracking? News to me. I know the multitouch on the N1 is fine for gestural stuff (pinch, etc.) that doesn't need to know the exact location of the 2+ points, but the last I had heard, the cross axis tracking problem was an unpatchable, hardware-related quirk for that unit's touchscreen.
@JiminyGlick
the only reason i haven't bought one is because i'm not about to spend $629 for a phone, desktop charger, and car mount.
Bring down the price to say $300 for all that and Google would probably sell out..
@JiminyGlick
I bought my Nexus one and I love it. Now it will become an special limited edition, brother of the htc desierto.
@JiminyGlick So far that issue hasn't affect my daily usage. In what use cases will that become a real issue? Games?
@JiminyGlick
I bought one and love it but man oh man did they ever fuck up that touchscreen. Loses calibration and you have to turn the screen off and on to correct it. I never play games on it due to this issue. Why oh why did they cheap out on the main input hardware!!?
@Unverified User
I think that was a big deal, "not as responsive to touch." I still know few people who love it though.
@DaveF81
Maybe 4G is missing on N1 or EVDO ..
@JiminyGlick
I'm not sure I agree with the whole "death of the google phone" mantra... After reading the blog I don't recall them saying they'll stop making carrier-unbranded phones, just no longer selling phones through themselves... and instead offering them at stores where people can actually play around with it. The Nexus One will still be sold... and nothing's stopping them from making Nexus 2s and 3s... the only thing changing is HOW they will be sold...
I could be wrong and may have skipped over something vital, in which case I'm very much open to correction... but that's just how I see it
@JiminyGlick Epic Google fail indeedy
@HellBunny
Yup, or any other apps that require accurate point tracking and not just gesture recognition. Don't get me wrong- I still think it's an awesome phone, but that multitouch problem/quirk is a deal killer for me.
@skyblaze No, you're not wrong. It's right there in black in white: the N1 lives on. Otherwise they would have put " Discontinued" instead of "Changes in Availability".
@runadumb
That's supposed to be fixed in 2.2 coming shortly.
@DaveF81 Also, where in the world is the marketing? I never once seen a commercial or anything for the Nexus One. That was dumb on Google's part.
@DaveF81
No it's not. They never fixed the cross tracking!
@TheGnomesAreWatching
No it's not. It can't be fixed -- HTC and Google have already said that's how the touch screen works. It's a hardware flaw that can not be fixed.
@fourzero40 I guess you aren't into YouTube then. They bribed YouTube celebrities with free phones so that they would make advertisements for them. They reached millions of viewers and it was very successful.
@JiminyGlick
No Cross Action Tracking???? Damn I new the N1 Sucked, I MUST have my phone know where my fingers are at all times. Hey buddy since your Iphone has cross action tracking can it tell which one of my fingers is up and which is down right now?
@MattTX
Yeah it can- your thumb's up your ass.
Some of you people I swear are like the guys I have to fire all the time. How is it epic fail? They tried a new selling mechanism for a few months and it didn't work so they are moving on. Google is about creating new ideas and trying them, that's why every employee is required to come up with some new idea.
They created the Nexus brand(which isn't going anywhere), showed OEM's what they want a Android phone to be, and updated the G1 to a N1 for the new developer phone.
@winbsodos I would say the "nexus one experiment" was a huge success. With the major help from the moto Droid and Verizon Google and the nexus one ushered in the new generation of smart phones. The nexus one is still far ahead of most every phone on the market today and some would still (myself included) rater have this phone rather than any phone on the market. It has its flaws but all phones do and we will be by far the first to enjoy froyo. I am willing to wager that the incredible and evo will both not see an update for atleast a month or two after n1 owners. You say fail I say success. Sure they didn't sell the massive numbers that the iPhone or Droid sold but android is a house hold name now and some of that success has to do with the n1
@Beatnik
I wanted to write "brother of HTC desire" but auto-correction wrote desierto.
@treats +1 but it makes no sense to argue with these people they are just going to bring up it'd flaws and I would be willing to bet they have not even used a nexus one. They probably have the iphone and I would rather be subject to the. N1's flaws than be caught in the apple walled garden. Froyo here we come.
@angermeans There are some very good Android phones but it is nowhere near a household name.
@JiminyGlick Worked fine on mine too!
@JiminyGlick
...as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced
Bwahahaha I knew they wouldn't be able to cut it in the cell phone market, nice try goog!
You see. If it was apple that made that mistake. People would it be talking MADD crap, but like it was google is ok. I like that google admit their HUGE mistake.
@runadumb I've never had a problem with tracking on my Nexus. I'ts spot on. You must have a buggy sensor.
@fourzero40
Remember, Google makes money off other people PAYING for advertising. It doesn't SPEND money for ads.
@(Unverified) Amen :P
@JiminyGlick
Its not actually THAT bad. I think it comes down to which software your using. I find the default apps have no problem with multi-touch.
3rd party apps tend to have less accurate multi-touch. The multi-test shows the axises flip for me very rarely, but in gameboid, the two points are noticeably not in the right spot (just by a bit).
If the software is done right (Froyo anyone? =D), the N1 will be a really good phone =)
@treats: Well it's like this, treats. Google was going to change the entire phone business in an attempt to emulate Apple, you know, the company that actually did change the phone business, except that they failed. So now that they've admitted they basically wasted everyone's time other than engendered countless entertaining posts on tech blogs, we can rightly assign epic to the scope of their failure. Hence, epic fail.
Perhaps you should be the one who is fired.
@Beatnik
Like a limited edition Ford Edsel or Chevrolet Corvair.
This is quite sad news. This was clearly the one device that caught the iPhone off guard by out-speccing it in almost every way and still being stylish and forcing Jobs to say that the 4th gen iPhone would catch up to it.
Technical issues aside, it was the first phone I considered to be serious iPhone competition.
Goodbye N1, you're not dead so long as we find a way to remember you. May your off-spring live long and prosper.
@DoctarPeppar
I'm talking about the wrong input being registered a few millimetres below the actual press. It's been documented to be fixed in Froyo. From what I've heard it's a separate software related issue. The cross axis quirk has never bothered me in actual use.
@DaveF81 This doesn't make the N1 less appealing, one should realize that the nexus one was made as series of phones and was meant to become the model of future superphones. http://j.mp/4g-by-evo-amazing-matchup
@skyblaze
Yeah, from just reading this, that "google phone is dead" sentence was completely out of place, over-dramatised and confusing. I'm just trying to figure out how "google stops selling phone online" turned into "google phone is dead"...
@skyblaze They will stop selling phones themselves, and will become a portal for carriers that are selling Android phones. Kind of like Microsoft doesn't sell any WinMo phones themselves, and only links to carriers that are selling WinMo phones.
I think that will work GREAT for Google and Android. heh
That makes me member of the exclusive Nexus One (limited) club. :D
@Riccardo
nexus blun... der. when will folks realize that these suped up 958 horsepower android phones are becoming a dime a dozen? they're nice, but not when they do nothing but to trump each other except look neato on paper? lol... google and htc have pwned you guys.
@Riccardo The blog says they will eventually stop web only sales and shift to in store, nothing about the discontinuation.
@Riccardo As long as they keep updating our N1's, I wont have any issues. Great phone with excellent call quality.
@tigercranestyle More like Nexus One...der!
@plbelanger
atleast we have our custom engravings =)
@Riccardo Me too.
This does make me really sad, though. I liked being able to buy my phone unlocked and was hoping this model would be successful to really take off.
@skyblaze lol good point. But engadget is turning into FOX news of tech info. Did they even read the article? It says they are shifting to retail sales and away from web only. No where did it say Nexus one is being discontinued. /facepalm