Nexus One, the Android-powered smartphone bearing the Google brand excited the mobile phone market earlier this year, but has since fallen flat, amounting to what some would call a flop. This disappointing product has marred what has otherwise proven to be a very successful product, the Android mobile operating system.
Soaring Sales Nip at iPhone and RIM
Phones equipped with the Google-backed Android operating system have seen remarkable success in the marketplace. Although the Blackberry by RIM still commands over 40% of the market, RIM has taken a beating on the stock market after its quarterly earnings report disappointed investors. While RIM continues to have strong growth in users of its platform, it is feeling the heat from iPhone, Android, and the soon to be released Microsoft Phone 7 Series operating systems.
RIM is not alone in feeling pressure from Android. Working to preserve its share of the market, Apple made the decision to add its iPhone to the Verizon wireless network, scratching its exclusive relationship with AT&T. Android is coming, and Apple has to be prepared for it, especially after it saw a market share decline of .1% in recent months.
Although Android’s market share is just 9%, the latest numbers show that it is the platform with the highest rate of growth, 5%, with indications that it continues to build momentum. Android’s growth is fuelled by a steady influx of devices into the market that are compatible with the new OS.
Android Devices
Sales of Android-powered devices continue to skyrocket, confirmed by the latest quarterly data. As of the last period, 60,000 Android devices are being sold daily, a number falling short of Apple’s nearly 100,000 daily sales of the iPhone, but still an impressive number that continues to grow.
Android Apps
Android users have the ability to purchase apps from the Android Marketplace in ways similar to the way iPhone users buy apps from the Apple store. Apple’s store boasts nearly a quarter million titles, offering incredible options to iPhone users. That same flexibility is necessary for Android to be successful, and – so far – it has encouraging numbersr. 81% of mobile application writers are interested in building Android apps. In fact, over 50,000 apps are already available for Android, a strong showing for such a new product.
Flash – Apple’s Achilles Heel
Apple’s falling out with Adobe has crippled iPhone users’ ability to access Web-based content including video. Android is building Adobe Flash support into version 2.2, incorporating Flash Player 10.1 for Smartphones. Apple may have good reasons for leaving Flash out of its OS, but Android is going to win in the market when it boasts its Flash capability, distinguishing it from other popular platforms.
Awesome Handsets
Android handsets have received rave reviews from critics and consumers alike. Consider for example the HTC Evo 4G and the HTC Incredible: two phones that took the market by storm by their high tech looks, power-packed features, and large, crisp displays. HTC’s lineup, Nokia’s recently announced N8 phone and Motorola’s Droid are just a few examples of the industry’s rapid development of Android hardware as opposed to those coming out for other operating systems.
Google Nexus One: RIP
With such a rosy outlook for Android, why has Google’s Nexus One been such a dud? In the first 74 days of availability, Google sold just 135,000 units compared to Droid’s million plus units sold in its first 74 days. After receiving good reviews during its prerelease days, Nexus One failed. In a sign of capitulation, Google has scrapped its plans to launch Nexus One with Verizon.
The cause of the Nexus One fiasco is attributed by many to the decision to sell the phone from Google’s online store. Others point to Google’s nonexistent technical support. Nexus One is manufactured by HTC, maker of phones hotter than Nexus One, so maybe HTC held back on Google so its own brand would outshine Nexus One. Regardless, with its platform becoming antiquated compared to the newcomers to the market, Nexus One appears to be relegated to the junk pile of good products that failed.
Sources: