Google scrapped plans to sell a version of its Nexus One smartphone that supports Verizon Wireless' (NASDAQ: VZ) network, according to a company blog post.
For months, Google's online phone store promised the HTC-built Nexus One would be available for Verizon sometime in the spring. Now, however, Google is urging U.S. customers waiting for Verizon's Nexus One to instead buy the HTC Droid Incredible from Verizon, "a powerful new Android phone and a cousin of the Nexus One that is similarly feature-packed," according to Google. Verizon will begin selling the Incredible April 29.
Brenda Raney, a Verizon spokeswoman, declined to comment on the change in plans, noting Google would have sold the Verizon-capable Nexus One, not Verizon. A Google spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Incredible does pack many of the same features as the Nexus One, including the new Android 2.1 operating system. However, it sports HTC's own Sense user interface overlaid on the Android platform.
Currently, Google sells the Nexus One for $529 unlocked (with versions that work for AT&T Mobility (NYSE: T) and T-Mobile USA's 3G networks), and $179 when paired with a T-Mobile contract. T-Mobile is the only carrier that offers a subsidized version of the device, though Sprint Nextel (NASDAQ: S) has indicated that it will also sell it when a Sprint-capable version of the device becomes available.
Google has not disclosed how many Nexus Ones it has sold, and has declined to say whether it plans to sell the gadget in any retail stores. However, the company said earlier this month that its Nexus One effort is profitable.
For more:
- see this Google Nexus One blog post
- see this Engadget post
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