New data suggests that Google has sold just around 20,000 Nexus One Units in the first Seven Days since it was launched. To put things into perspective: the myTouch had sold around 60,000 units, Droid had sold about 250,000 units and the iPhone 3GS had sold 1,600,000 units (1.6M) within the first 7 days of their launch. So why is the fastest yet, the most anticipated and the latest Android ‘superphone’ going unnoticed by the consumers? I mean the recession is supposedly on its way out and the markets are getting all itchy again. So why? The answer probably lies in Google’s lack of experience (and innovation) in doing these things.
As a former Google designer had complained about how things work at Google: Google is too much about raw data. Google apparently tried out a few dozen shades of blue on a page and tallied the scores to see which one should be put up. Even if that example is exaggerated (I won’t put it past Googlers though), you can see what I am getting at. Google is like an all powerful geek who knows what will make the best hardware for its software but everything else is alien to it.
So they failed spectacularly at keeping a lid on things before the Nexus One came out. Then they had to go and make a very dull presentation about the phone. They desperately needed to make it extra exciting because we knew almost everything there was to know already. But they hardly tried. So as a result, the entire thing just blipped out on the constantly flowing stream on the Internet. It never reached the top spot on Twitter and jostled for second place even as the event was going on.
Next came the series of problems with the Nexus One. There were 3G problems that made the Nexus One receive a worse signal than other Android phones running the same OS (A Droid running Android 2.1) on the same carrier and standing at the same spot. Google and T-Mobile did respond but I haven’t seen any follow ups so far. Carriers have also made it clear that there is no support from their end for this device. You must go to Google. IN the meantime, Google acknowledges that there has been a delay in providing a phone support service for the device and even email support is sometimes delayed multiple days.
Then Andy Rubin slipped out (what he thinks) very suavely that there ‘may be’ an enterprise edition of the Nexus One ‘that might have’ a physical keyboard and other improvements like longer battery life, etc. While this might sound like a good thing at first, you will know soon enough why it is bad if you are a Nexus One owner or a buyer to be. Early adopters are of course hating Google like Kindle buyers hated Amazon for not declaring the Kindle DX in advance and letting them buy the Kindle even the day before the DX was launched. If you are buyer to be, you are now on tenterhooks — you do not know when this ‘supposedly’ better version of the Nexus One is coming out but you do not want to make a bad buy either.
Adding to the complexity of the situation is the Early Termination Fees (ETF) drama. As per Google’s terms, you will have to pay a hefty ETF to both Google and the Carrier. If you terminate your subsidized Nexus One’s service before the completion of 120 days of “continuous wireless service” you will have to pay Google the difference between the subsidized rate and the actual price. So if you buy the Nexus One from T-Mobile for $179, you will have to pay $350 to Google. That would’ve been fair but then you have to pay your carrier too. For T-Mobile it is $200. So you end up paying $550 — that is more than the full retail price of the Nexus One!
With this kind of crappy terms, planning, marketing and service — are you still wondering why the Nexus One is pinned to the floor while being kicked from all around?
5 reasons:
5. You will get 2.1 on older Android Phones
4. Support is pretty much non-existent
3. 3G Problems
2. Enterprise Edition coming soon
1. Exorbitant ETF.
