3 ms·

Amazing failure, when you consider that they advertised the Nexus One on the #1 most prominent web page possible: the google search form. I'm actually surprise

Amazing failure, when you consider that they advertised the Nexus One on the #1 most prominent web page possible: the google search form. I'm actually surprised that it didn't work. This was top premium ad space. How can it fail? Unless their expectations for sales were so stratospheric that even their massive campaign couldn't pull it off?

jrockway 16y ago
People don't like multi-year multi-thousand-dollar commitments, even if they see an ad on Google.
- grandalf 16y ago
  Correct. Google drastically overpriced the phone. As others have pointed out, signing up for a multi year contract in exchange isn't really a bad deal unless you wanted out of the contract sooner (and even then it's not too bad). I had expected Google to sell the phone over the web for $99 with no contract. That would have been the sort of bold, gutsy move that Google needs to do to change the mobile phone market. It seems that Google is actually looking to get a piece of the existing pie and doesn't care about changing the way phones are sold.
  - orangecat 16y ago
    Google drastically overpriced the phone. The Nexus One is cheaper than a contract free (but still locked!) iPhone 3GS. Their "mistake" was being honest about the price, and not explaining how it would more than pay for itself in lower monthly charges if you used T-Mobile's non-contract rates. Even that may not have worked, because consumers are generally really bad at math.
    - grandalf 16y ago
      Perhaps. But just as Google offers gmail for free I think it would have been possible to design a business model that allowed the phone to be sold at a discount without a contract. I think Google's pricing was targeted at investors (as in look, we can get top dollar for a phone just like Apple) rather than at consumers who would happily give Google lots of behavioral data for ads in exchange for a discounted phone.
    - vetinari 16y ago
      Unsubsidized Nexus One from Google = 600 EUR. Unsubsidized HTC Desire from local brick and mortar store = 400 EUR. So I guess that the opinion 'Google drastically overpriced the phone.' is still valid.
  - eli 16y ago
    Really Google suffered from not putting an end to those ridiculous $99 phone pre-launch rumors. It was not reasonable to expect them to sell a phone at a huge loss per device just to expand the reach of their platform.
- danudey 16y ago
  They don't like having to pay two separate early termination fees either, oddly enough.
billpaetzke 16y ago
Who searches from google.com anymore? Searching from in-browser is so much faster/efficient. Although, I did see a lot of Google Ads for the Nexus One.
ippisl 16y ago
Maybe the N1 was just an experiment for google , to learn about the mobile phone market,and to be ready in the time when unsubsidized phones are available in a reasonable price.

jrockway 16y ago

People don't like multi-year multi-thousand-dollar commitments, even if they see an ad on Google.

grandalf 16y ago
Correct. Google drastically overpriced the phone. As others have pointed out, signing up for a multi year contract in exchange isn't really a bad deal unless you wanted out of the contract sooner (and even then it's not too bad). I had expected Google to sell the phone over the web for $99 with no contract. That would have been the sort of bold, gutsy move that Google needs to do to change the mobile phone market. It seems that Google is actually looking to get a piece of the existing pie and doesn't care about changing the way phones are sold.
- orangecat 16y ago
  Google drastically overpriced the phone. The Nexus One is cheaper than a contract free (but still locked!) iPhone 3GS. Their "mistake" was being honest about the price, and not explaining how it would more than pay for itself in lower monthly charges if you used T-Mobile's non-contract rates. Even that may not have worked, because consumers are generally really bad at math.
  - grandalf 16y ago
    Perhaps. But just as Google offers gmail for free I think it would have been possible to design a business model that allowed the phone to be sold at a discount without a contract. I think Google's pricing was targeted at investors (as in look, we can get top dollar for a phone just like Apple) rather than at consumers who would happily give Google lots of behavioral data for ads in exchange for a discounted phone.
  - vetinari 16y ago
    Unsubsidized Nexus One from Google = 600 EUR. Unsubsidized HTC Desire from local brick and mortar store = 400 EUR. So I guess that the opinion 'Google drastically overpriced the phone.' is still valid.
- eli 16y ago
  Really Google suffered from not putting an end to those ridiculous $99 phone pre-launch rumors. It was not reasonable to expect them to sell a phone at a huge loss per device just to expand the reach of their platform.
danudey 16y ago
They don't like having to pay two separate early termination fees either, oddly enough.

billpaetzke 16y ago

Who searches from google.com anymore? Searching from in-browser is so much faster/efficient. Although, I did see a lot of Google Ads for the Nexus One.

ippisl 16y ago

Maybe the N1 was just an experiment for google , to learn about the mobile phone market,and to be ready in the time when unsubsidized phones are available in a reasonable price.