Google's Nexus One launches in Canada (photo: @pittaya)
Nexus One the “super phone”, not a spaceship like the name implies
For all of you in Canada that don’t like my iPhone, and have been waiting for Google’s Nexus One, your time is now!
“The company announced that as of Tuesday, Canadians can order the Nexus One from its website … for its full price of $529 US. The phone isn’t locked to a specific provider and doesn’t carry any term contract.”(*1)
I know at least a couple people that are excited about this. Google is a different type of company, and their business model for their smartphone is admirable in many ways. It breaks the mold of traditional sales channels, and traditional rules, regulations, terms, and conditions of being forced to deal with specific cellular companies. Not aligning themselves with anyone in specific. They are after more openness in the mobile landscape, and bringing ‘the cloud’ to the masses. Google is the People’s Robin Hood, in a way … except for the part where we pay them … a lot. Anyways, it’s bold, and, quite frankly, unheard of at that level of a company. I like that. Maybe I should be buying one(I say, as I affectionately stroke my iPhone).
But, does anybody care?
“The Canadian announcement comes on the same day that U.S.-based mobile analytics firm Flurry declared the Nexus One a flop. The company estimated that Google had sold only 135,000 phones in its first 74 days, or the same length of time it took Apple to sell one million iPhones. Analysts did note, however, that the comparison was not necessarily fair, given Google’s unusual business model for selling the Nexus One.”(*1)
Could another comparison be the iPad, for which “Day 1 estimate: 120,000 iPads sold”(*2). Is this good news, bad news, no news, or not really a surprise?
What’s the word on the street?
I would like to hear from Google on whether they are pleased with the sales results thus far? Is this what they envisioned?
Do you think the above comparisons are even fair?
And, more importantly, could this improve or further strain Apple/Google relations? I just want them to get along.
Sources :
1.Google launches Nexus One in Canada, CBC News, March 16, 2010.
2.Day 1 estimate: 120,000 iPads sold, CNN.com, March 13, 2010.