Google’s Nexus One vs. Apple’s iPhone
We’ve all heard the hype around 2010 being the “year of mobile.” That said, you would have thought the much anticipated release of the new Google phone, Nexus One, would have been a tremendous success…..well, not so much.
The first week Google sold about 20,000 phones. Maybe that sounds like a hefty amount, though, last June when Apple released its iPhone 3GS they sold a whopping 250,000. There’s just no comparison. So we wonder, why didn’t it do as well as everyone may have expected (including Google)? Well I have a few theories…
First off, unless you go with a T-Mobile Plan, the cost will cost you $530. That’s some serious cash to drop on a phone. Obviously, there are those people that can and are willing to pay good money for the phone they want. But I can’t imagine that many people are.
Secondly, it’s competing with the iPhone. Most people associate the Apple brand with one word: quality. So why look any further? The people that want the iPhone, in my opinion, are not going to be persuaded to purchase anything less than the iPhone.
Another reason I think may be playing a big role in the lack of success of the Nexus One is that you can’t see or play around the phone before you buy it. You have to order it online. I could never buy a phone I couldn’t play around with first. Being able to buy it exclusively online can really only be hurting Google.
Last but not least, my final reason: Google’s customer service doesn’t have the best reputation. And in comparison to Apple’s customer service, with roughly 300 stores worldwide, it’s hard to compete. Apple makes it so convenient to get help. Just walk up the the “Genius bar” and see a genius. It’s just that simple.
So maybe the first week wasn’t as successful as all of us may have expected, but we’ll have to see what the future holds for Google and the Nexus One.
Sources: blog.flurry.com, google.com/phone