When Google launched the Nexus One, it set out to revolutionize the way people purchase handsets – a change that has been shown to the door as quickly as it was ushered in. The search giant announced in a blog post this morning that it would gradually stop selling mobile devices online, instead favoring traditional outlets.
Although the company is pleased with the adoption of Android, its online store hasn't fared nearly as well, standing merely as a niche channel for early adopters. Google said that customers simply prefer a hands-on experience when buying a phone – a safe notion, we reckon.
As such, the company plans a global rollout of the model it uses in Europe, where it offers the Nexus One through existing stores. Once the Nexus One is available through more retailers, Google will axe its Web-based operation, using it solely as an online store window to showcase Android phones.
Blog post:
We launched Nexus One in January with two goals in mind: to introduce a beacon of innovation among Android handsets, and to make it quick and easy for people to buy an Android phone. We’re very happy with the adoption of Android in general, and the innovation delivered through Nexus One. Already, a lot of the innovation that went into creating Nexus One has found its way into numerous Android handsets, like the HTC Evo 4G from Sprint and the Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC.
But, as with every innovation, some parts worked better than others. While the global adoption of the Android platform has exceeded our expectations, the web store has not. 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.
So today we’re announcing the following changes:
More retail availability. As we make Nexus One available in more countries we’ll follow the same model we’ve adopted in Europe, where we're working with partners to offer Nexus One to consumers through existing retail channels. We’ll shift to a similar model globally.
From retail to viewing. 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.
Innovation requires constant iteration. We believe that the changes we're announcing today will help get more phones to more people quicker, which is good for the entire Android ecosystem: users, partners and also Google.
Posted by Andy Rubin, VP, Engineering
