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Friday, May 7, 2010

Google Nexus One: quarterback or cheerleader?

Mark Bridge writes:

Four months ago, Google unveiled a new way for consumers to buy an Android mobile phone. In fact, that’s pretty much what the first line of the press release said. The phone was the Nexus One and it was being sold online by Google.

You could buy it SIM-free or you could buy it with a contract – but you’d be buying it from Google’s online shop. You couldn’t buy it on a real high street.

But now that’s all changed. First came the announcement that Vodafone UK would be selling the phone themselves from the end of April – and now from today Phones 4U is also selling the Nexus One.

Google isn’t describing this as any kind of turnaround or failure. When it’s talked about the situation it’s said it’s doing this to get more Nexus One phones to more people more quickly. Which, of course, you might think it could have done by working more closely with those channels in the first place.

So what’s happened?  Is this all about shifting more devices?  Well, Google’s never said the Nexus One was going to be a big seller, which is just as well because reports suggest that Google is still a long way off hitting a million units. Goldman Sachs said in March it now estimated 1 million units for this year, having previously anticipated 3½ million.

Okay – so is it an admission that networks know best?  They’ve got the end-to-end infrastructure in place, which is a pretty big contrast with the online-only customer service offered when the Nexus One was launched. That didn’t go down well with quite a few buyers.

Is it part of a realisation that Google really doesn’t want to be seen as a rival to mobile manufacturers and networks? As CEO Eric Schmidt said at Mobile World Congress, it wants to work with them.

Or is it none of these – and is it instead a genuine success as an ambassador for the Android operating system?  Google says the Nexus One has been profitable – and since it went on sale, Android’s share of the US and UK smartphone markets has picked up pretty dramatically.

Over here, GfK Retail and Technology says the proportion of Android phones sold on pay monthly contracts rose from 3% to over 12% during a recent four week period. Okay, that’s just four weeks – but it could be a sign that the Nexus One isn’t what we thought it was. Perhaps (to use an analogy from American Football) it was never going to be a star quarterback. Perhaps it was only ever intended to be a cheerleader.

 

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1 comments on article "Google Nexus One: quarterback or cheerleader?"

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James Rosewell

5/10/2010 7:24 AM

Google want to have a "best practice" reference implementation of the Android operating system that they're in control of in order to showcase their services. Against this objective the Nexus One has been very good. It's a shame they've not updated it with some of the new services the HTC Desire Android implementation has such as an Activesync enabled calendar and scrolling wallpaper.

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Opinion Articles

Maybe mobile phone tariffs aren't a rip-off after all

Mark Bridge writes:

Oh, those nasty mobile networks. They're robbing us blind… at least, that's what you might think if you've been reading the headlines this week.

Mobile users 'overpaying by £200', said the BBC. £5bn 'wasted' on mobile phone bills, said the Financial Times. It's the wrong tariff, Gromit!, said Telecom TV after hitting the Wensleydale.

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The latest victim of mobile phones: Cisco's Flip video camera

Mark Bridge writes:

Mobile phones are vicious creatures. First they delivered a mortal blow to landline phones.

Emboldened, they began roaming the world looking for victims. They found plenty.

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This week at The Fonecast: 9th April 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

We head into the weekend with the News of the World admitting voicemail hacking was more widespread than previously thought. Mobile networks had already made it much harder to access voicemail remotely… and now the NotW is saying sorry and preparing to pay compensation.

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Demolition Man, meet the Apple iAd Gallery

Mark Bridge writes:

We all have guilty pleasures. One of mine is the sci-fi film Demolition Man. Sylvester Stallone is 20th-century police sergeant John Spartan, who finds himself fighting crime in 2032 alongside the delightful Lieutenant Lenina Huxley, played by Sandra Bullock.

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This week at The Fonecast: 3rd April 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

Welcome to this week's news summary from TheFonecast.com.

In Wednesday's podcast Iain joked that we ought to have a regular Olympics news story because everyone else was talking about the event constantly. Well, following the headlines about introducing WiFi to tube stations in time for London 2012 comes another Olympic news story.

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Podcast from Mobile World Congress 2015

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We're taking a look back at the biggest mobile industry news stories from February 2015, including allegations that the UK's security service tried to breach SIM card security by hacking into one of the world's biggest SIM producers.

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Interview with Chris Millington of Doro about mobile retailing, wearables and technology for older consumers

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In today's programme Mark Bridge talks to Chris Millington, who's Managing Director for Doro UK and Ireland.

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A month of mobile: O2 counts on 3, Microsoft counts to 10 and Apple counts its profits

Podcast - 30th January 2015

We're back with a month of mobile industry news, including takeover talks and takeover rumours. O2 and Three are said to be discussing a merger... but is there any truth in the suggestions that BlackBerry could be up for grabs?

We also discuss Apple's record-breaking quarterly figures, the highlights of CES and the launch of Microsoft Windows 10, as well as saying farewell to the current version of Google Glass.

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