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A few months back Google let it be known that they would stop selling the Nexus One directly through the Google.com/phone portal. Today The Big G announced they had received their last shipment of Nexus One phones. Once they are sold out, that's the end of Google's noble experiment.
The Nexus One was intended to move both mobile hardware, and purchasing ahead. According to Google, they believe the hardware push was successful, but consumers did not take to the new sales model. Frankly, who could blame them? Even those willing to buy the phone with a T-Mobile contract were restricted to one plan. Additionally, CDMA carriers Sprint and Verizon chose not to authorize the Nexus One on their networks.
The venerable Google phone is not completely gone. It will still be available for purchase to anyone registered as an Android developer. Google also hinted at the phone being available direct from carriers depending on “local market conditions”. Support for existing Nexus owners will continue. Are you sad to see the Nexus One fading into the background? Was its 7 month run too short?
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haboh
July 19, 2010 at 10:02am
ok, so they succeeded in kickstarting a bunch of great android phones. But if the N1 goes away (soon), where can I get an unlocked phone, without carrier crapware, with free tethering, and stock android so I don't have to wait 10 months for updates? I almost bought an N1 now, but couldn't justify it, but now it sounds like if I want a smartphone later non of these things will be possible. Is it even possible to buy the other Droid phones without plans?
Guess it's because I spent most of my life living in Europe; but I really don't want locked phones that the carriers have messed with and filled with junk. Don't really like buying phones here in the US.
Guisano
July 16, 2010 at 6:30pm
I don't think that Google belongs in the phone business if this the Nexus One is the best they could do. I've had one for a few months now and I have to reboot it at least once a day because of the way the keyboard will quit functioning properly. The native keyboard is crap. Swype is a major improvement and I like it; however, it still freezes or it locks in on the symbol function or something else strange happens.
The battery life is atrocious if you're surfing. If you go out for any extended period of time, you're well advised to turn the wi-fi off so as to prolong the crappy battery life.
I'm sorry to report that the negative things folks have to say about T-Mobile's network seem to be all too true. Even in the cities the signal can be spotty.
There are a lot of neat applications. That's a definite plus. The lack of native synchronization with Outlook or a private PIM is a sore point with me and would preclude me from recommending this phone to the regular business user. Please don't tell me about having info on Google's servers. That's alright if it's your personal information. It's not alright if it's your corporation's information.
I'm hoping that the N8 from Nokia is not as bad as some of the reports I've read. I moved from the E-71 to the Nexus One primarily for the screen real estate when I found myself trying to use the internet more. The E-71 was superior in many ways to the Nexus One, though, and I find myself missing it.
The alarm on the Nexus One is an absolute horror, but it will get you out of bed. Every time it goes off I'm reminded of the old cartoon where the puppy comes and barks at the sleeping cat that starts awake and ends up with his claws stuck in the ceiling. If you're in need of a solid, $500 alarm clock that can occasionly serve as web device, this may be the phone for you.
Ryan Whitwam
July 18, 2010 at 12:38am
Your comments on functionality are a personal preference thing, so I won't comment. However, I think you might have a defective unit. I carry a Nexus as my primary phone, and it rarely has crashes that require a restart. Certainly never the keyboard, which is much improved in 2.2.
BobbyPhoenix
July 16, 2010 at 4:40pm
Yes Google will stop selling them online, but HTC will still manufacture them, and retail stores will sell them for quite some time. The online trial was a success for Google, so they are stopping. The N1 will be around for a long time seeing how it is the devs phone of choice since you get it unlocked, and running plain Android. I love mine, and plan to keep it for years.
