Following up on our recent news that Verizon won’t be carrying Google’s Nexus One smartphone, it appears that Sprint is also forgoing the Android device, according to Gizmodo.
I speculated previously that Verizon didn’t need the Nexus One, since it recently launched the Droid Incredible — a device that’s basically an upgraded cousin to the Nexus One. Similarly, Sprint is preparing for the launch of its first 4G handset, the Evo 4G, in a few months. The Evo 4G is an even bigger improvement over the Nexus One — it features a much larger screen, a front-facing camera for video conferencing, and a higher quality rear camera that can record high-definition video.
Even though the Nexus One launched in January of this year, it already seems outdated by the newer mobile hardware coming out. Google’s big mistake was waiting so long before making it available to CDMA cellular networks like Verizon and Sprint. It’s also a great example of how quickly hardware is progressing in the mobile industry — a delay of a few months could make or break your device.
We’ve reported previously on the poor sales performance of the Nexus One, which analysts blamed on Google’s online-only strategy for selling the phone. Even more damning is a recent report by mobile ad firm Ad Mob — which Google is in the process of acquiring — that says only one in 50 ad requests to the company come from the Nexus One. In comparison, the Motorola Droid accounted for 16 times as many ads through Ad Mob’s system.
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While the news certainly isn’t great for the Nexus One’s future relevance, I don’t think Google’s experiment with the device was a complete failure. It allowed the company to position a single device as an official “Google Phone” that bested all other Android phones on the market. (I wouldn’t be surprised if Google attempts the same thing with a Nexus Two device next year.) Also, Google’s online sales strategy could have a lasting impact on the mobile industry by making it easy to buy the phone without a contract.
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