While Google’s Nexus One phone was supposed to rattle the wireless status quo by offering users unsubsidized phones via a Google store, the promised revolution never arrived. That was due to a number of factors, including the fact that the phone came with 3G bugs and annoying fees but not with phone support (Google fixed the latter two eventually). But the idea of buying your phone first then shopping for your carrier (more common in Europe) never took off because, well, the phone only worked on T-Mobile.

Recently, both Sprint and Verizon dropped plans to launch the device, given the emergence of better devices (the EVO 4G for Sprint and the HTC Incredible for Verizon). In a blog post today, Google is vaguely addressing the fact that the Nexus One isn’t quite having the impact they promised, though they also announced that they’re shutting down the Google online store:

Of course wireless carriers obviously dominate the physical retail channel, via either their own stores or retail relationships within big box stores. Google’s online store will be replaced by a “online store window” — where users can still buy phones — but from carriers themselves.

While this is absolutely a failure for those hoping for a more European phone shopping experience, you get the feeling that Google didn’t push the idea very hard. Marketing for the online store was minimal, especially when compared to say — Verizon’s Droid ad campaign, and the store essentially put Google in competition with other Android developers. Of course the Android platform itself remains a huge success and the Nexus One isn’t dead — it will soon arrive in retail locations for consumers to poke and prod first hand.
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Tags: early adopters, Europe, global adoption, Google, google online store, google store, Nexus, online, PHONE, retail relationships, store

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