Editor’s Note: The following article is reprinted from the Today @ PC World blog at PCWorld.com.
Big hype didn’t equal big sales for Google’s Nexus One. Only 20,000 Google Nexus One phones were sold in its first week of sales, according to sales estimates from market research firm Flurry. By way of comparison, the NexusOne’s numbers are 12 times lower than for the Motorola Droid and 80 times lower than for the iPhone 3GS.
The Nexus One didn’t benefit from such a strong marketing push like the Motorola Droid (estimated $100 million), despite Google’s phone featuring so-far unique Android features. This has reflected in poor first week sales for the Nexus One.
Instead, Google chose a soft launch for the Nexus One, selling it through their Website. But the steep $500 Google is asking for the unlocked device and the mixed reviews the Nexus One received didn’t help to maximize first week sales.
Flurry’s report mentions that the Nexus One lacks the “wow factor” and the general perception that the device is not seen as revolutionary, but rather just evolutionary from other Android phones.
Om Malik, of GigaOm, notes that Flurry’s estimated sales numbers for the Nexus One might even be a bit far fetched. He mentions Google has been giving away the Nexus One to its employees and also lent it to many members of the media for reviews, which could have bumped up Flurry’s analytics.
Next to the poor first week sales figure, the Nexus One has also seen mounting complaints over the 3G connectivity of the device and the lack of developer tools for the Android 2.1 platform.