Google Nexus One UK release this April
By Jenny • Mar 2nd, 2010 • Category: HTC
- Photo: HTC
Vodafone looks set to start carrying the Google Nexus One this April. The HTC-manufactured Google-branded Android phone that has been available exclusively on Google’s online portal in the US will finally be available outside of that country.
Topsy-turvy releases
In a move that’s both bizarre and humorous at the same time, the HTC Desire, which is essentially the Nexus One’s successor, has beaten the Google-branded phone to market. The phones are pretty much the same thing, with the difference being the Desire is HTC-branded and has its own Android OS interface overlay, while the Nexus One is Google’s phone.
Sales failure
- Photo: Apple
Initial sales of the Google Nexus One in the US were widely considered a failure, with the mobile handset moving only 20, 000 units in week one. This is a far cry from the Motorola Droid’s 250,000 week-one sales and the iPhone 3GS’s astronomical 1.6 million units. The reason sales were this low was mostly attributed to Google’s decision to sell the hardware themselves through their own portal and not through carriers. Not only was the move unusual in terms of reach, it was unusual in terms of Google’s lack of retail experience, especially with such a specialised device in a particularly competitive marketplace.
It seems Google aims to improve sales by selling the device themselves in the UK and marketing it, too. Vodafone, it appears, will provide no marketing muscle whatsoever, so it stands to reason that Google UK might have a better sales and marketing strategy than Google HQ did, or that Google has not learnt from its previous missteps.
Decent phone
Generally, the HTC-developed Google Nexus One was well received, with critics praising the fantastic integration with Google apps, and fantastic design finish. However, for an Android device in a post-iPhone world, very good no longer seems good enough to take the lead, nor does cutting out carriers of Vodafone’s muscle altogether wise.
Tags for this article: Google Nexus One
This article is factually incorrect. The phnes are similar but not the same. HTC Desire does not allow voice control and does not have a noise-cancelling mic. Therefore there are reasons to choose the Nexus one over the Desire.
Hey there. While I did state they were very similar, in no way did I mean to imply, nor did I say, that they were identical.
So to your point, there are reasons to buy the Nexus One over the Desire. What I was trying to do was poke a bit of fun at the fact that The Nexus One was released first abroad, yet is set to release second in the UK.
I do appreciate your comment though and I will make sure to be a bit more clear in future.
Thanks.
It’s worth noting that the Desire has better memory, an optical tracker ball, better battery life and comes with a bigger Micro SD card.
I know which one I’ll be going for.