Technology Verizon Nexus One is DEAD

[Slevin]

So much for the Nexus One

Google is canceling the Verizon nexus one. Just some more blood on the iTunes touch screen of death.

But seriously is there going to be a device that can out preform the iPhone? No one say the Android OS because that's an operating system not a device and there are multiple devices all with different capabilities running the same software which leads to platform fragmentation, some android devices are touch screen some aren't, some are stuck with the old 1.x version of the OS with no way to upgrade. It's a mess.

So now with Palm in the crapper and Google's own phone dead, and now apparently two different types of Droid phones Moto and an HTC version. I'm thinking that companies need to come up with something new to challenge the iPhone otherwise it'll go down the same way iRiver tried to take on the iPod

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[JacobSilge]

I don't really see this as quite the death knell for Android. It seems like there are a few pretty simple reasons why this could have happened.

1) Apple lawsuit over the Nexus One delayed the Verizon release
2) The Droid Incredible is basically the Nexus One with a better camera and a nice chunk of internal storage - it's a better phone and Google knows it.
3) Google has to walk a fine line with marketing its own phone so as not to alienate its hardware partners. Marketing the Nexus One against the Droid Incredible would be a pretty stupid way to support HTC.
4) If the purpose of the Nexus One was to show Google's hardware partners how to make a solid phone, then the Droid Incredible and upcoming Evo 4g on Sprint are a mark of success at achieving that goal.

Last, why does there have to be a single device that is going to outperform the iPhone in every way? Why not have a number of different devices that may be better in some ways and worse in others so that the consumer can decide what will be the best. If you are really heavy into Google web apps and want a really good camera or need a more powerful network, some of these Android phones might be better. Likewise, if you are an avid Mac user with decent AT&T coverage, nothing will ever beat the iPhone.

 

[GuzzyRon]

I don't really see this as quite the death knell for Android. It seems like there are a few pretty simple reasons why this could have happened.

1) Apple lawsuit over the Nexus One delayed the Verizon release
2) The Droid Incredible is basically the Nexus One with a better camera and a nice chunk of internal storage - it's a better phone and Google knows it.
3) Google has to walk a fine line with marketing its own phone so as not to alienate its hardware partners. Marketing the Nexus One against the Droid Incredible would be a pretty stupid way to support HTC.
4) If the purpose of the Nexus One was to show Google's hardware partners how to make a solid phone, then the Droid Incredible and upcoming Evo 4g on Sprint are a mark of success at achieving that goal.

Last, why does there have to be a single device that is going to outperform the iPhone in every way? Why not have a number of different devices that may be better in some ways and worse in others so that the consumer can decide what will be the best. If you are really heavy into Google web apps and want a really good camera or need a more powerful network, some of these Android phones might be better. Likewise, if you are an avid Mac user with decent AT&T coverage, nothing will ever beat the iPhone.

Nicely stated!

 

[GoodmanBrown]

I don't really see this as quite the death knell for Android. It seems like there are a few pretty simple reasons why this could have happened.

1) Apple lawsuit over the Nexus One delayed the Verizon release
2) The Droid Incredible is basically the Nexus One with a better camera and a nice chunk of internal storage - it's a better phone and Google knows it.
3) Google has to walk a fine line with marketing its own phone so as not to alienate its hardware partners. Marketing the Nexus One against the Droid Incredible would be a pretty stupid way to support HTC.
4) If the purpose of the Nexus One was to show Google's hardware partners how to make a solid phone, then the Droid Incredible and upcoming Evo 4g on Sprint are a mark of success at achieving that goal.

Last, why does there have to be a single device that is going to outperform the iPhone in every way? Why not have a number of different devices that may be better in some ways and worse in others so that the consumer can decide what will be the best. If you are really heavy into Google web apps and want a really good camera or need a more powerful network, some of these Android phones might be better. Likewise, if you are an avid Mac user with decent AT&T coverage, nothing will ever beat the iPhone.

Nice post. Also, in regards to fragmentation, I think Google is going to start addressing this with Froyo (the next Android build) and Gingerbread (the one after it). I've read that they'll detach some features from the main kernel and put them on the Android Marketplace. That way, even if you don't have the newest kernel, you'll have the newest features.