The Google Phone is Dead. Long Live the Google Phone.
Today, very quietly, Google announced that it was killing off the Nexus One.
It's attempt to remake the cellphone landscape was a complete failure. But it has also been a stunning success.
You see - Google thought the Nexus One would reshape how people bought an paid for their cellphones, breaking down the carrier-tied subsidy model. It didn't. And they thought it would not affect their relationships with other manufacturers. It did, but in the end they did not care because the phone was a flop.
However, what it did do was make the world aware that the best phone in the world just might not be the iPhone, and more than that, it branded "Android" as "Google".
On the first point, the Nexus One never really took the title of the best phone in the world, due to a number of issues. But its progeny have. The Droid Incredible, EVO 4G, and a number of other phones are all developments of the Nexus One built by HTC. And they are the best phones in the world right now.
And of course - the big big thing - they all run Android. The hype around the 'Google Phone' showed the world that Android just might be better than iPhone OS. It also told everyone that any "Android" phone was in essence a "Google" phone, in the same way that the "iPhone" is an Apple. This was and is wildly important as a marketing device, because Google has a very similar brand cachet to Apple, and many really had never heard of a "Google Phone" before the Nexus One and its LeBron Jamesian hype.
Everyone loved the iPhone because they already used iTunes and iPods. Most of my generation however has also grown up on Google search, Gmail, and to a lesser extent Google Calender, Google Documents, and Picasa. All of which integrate seamlessly with Android. I have to, at this point, give a callout to webOS from Palm, which seamlessly integrates with iTunes, Gmail, Google Calender, Facebook, and Outlook... however, moving on... the Nexus One highlighted that Android was Google, and as such you could expect it to work with everything that Google already does for you.
Unlike Apple- which has barely implemented gmail synchronization with iPhone OS 4. And still cant get notifications or multi-tasking working. How many of us out there (other than the 8% who use Mac computers) actually use anything Apple other than iTunes? 1%? You see - Apple generally charges for these services, which are free, and better, from Google. Google only asks foryour soul the ability to sell you ads based on your deepest darkest secrets what you write in your emails etc.
So was the Nexus One a flop? Certainly, as a phone. But as a marketing effort for Google, and Android, it was a huge success. With Apple now stumbling, and Android taking off, I think it is only a matter of time before Apple is back to its 8%, with its users trying to explain why limited functionality and higher prices really do mean a better product...
It's attempt to remake the cellphone landscape was a complete failure. But it has also been a stunning success.
You see - Google thought the Nexus One would reshape how people bought an paid for their cellphones, breaking down the carrier-tied subsidy model. It didn't. And they thought it would not affect their relationships with other manufacturers. It did, but in the end they did not care because the phone was a flop.
However, what it did do was make the world aware that the best phone in the world just might not be the iPhone, and more than that, it branded "Android" as "Google".
On the first point, the Nexus One never really took the title of the best phone in the world, due to a number of issues. But its progeny have. The Droid Incredible, EVO 4G, and a number of other phones are all developments of the Nexus One built by HTC. And they are the best phones in the world right now.
And of course - the big big thing - they all run Android. The hype around the 'Google Phone' showed the world that Android just might be better than iPhone OS. It also told everyone that any "Android" phone was in essence a "Google" phone, in the same way that the "iPhone" is an Apple. This was and is wildly important as a marketing device, because Google has a very similar brand cachet to Apple, and many really had never heard of a "Google Phone" before the Nexus One and its LeBron Jamesian hype.
Everyone loved the iPhone because they already used iTunes and iPods. Most of my generation however has also grown up on Google search, Gmail, and to a lesser extent Google Calender, Google Documents, and Picasa. All of which integrate seamlessly with Android. I have to, at this point, give a callout to webOS from Palm, which seamlessly integrates with iTunes, Gmail, Google Calender, Facebook, and Outlook... however, moving on... the Nexus One highlighted that Android was Google, and as such you could expect it to work with everything that Google already does for you.
Unlike Apple- which has barely implemented gmail synchronization with iPhone OS 4. And still cant get notifications or multi-tasking working. How many of us out there (other than the 8% who use Mac computers) actually use anything Apple other than iTunes? 1%? You see - Apple generally charges for these services, which are free, and better, from Google. Google only asks for
So was the Nexus One a flop? Certainly, as a phone. But as a marketing effort for Google, and Android, it was a huge success. With Apple now stumbling, and Android taking off, I think it is only a matter of time before Apple is back to its 8%, with its users trying to explain why limited functionality and higher prices really do mean a better product...
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