Admitting that its strategy offering Google phones exclusively through the web has failed, Google today announced it will adopt a retail channel strategy for future distribution. According to Andy Rubin, VP, Engineering:
“While the global adoption of the Android platform has exceeded our expectations, the web store has not. It’s remained a niche channel for early adopters, but it’s clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone, and they also want a wide range of service plans to chose from.”
In other words, the Nexus One will now be available in stores (as it is already in some European countries) as Google expands distribution into more countries. Google will also stop selling the Nexus One online and it will turn its web store into “an online store window to showcase a variety of Android phones available globally.”
It’s not clear at this point what will happen to Google’s plan to offer other Google-branded devices that would compete directly with Android devices from its partner manufacturers and carriers. It may well be that Google will simply abandon this approach and focus on simply developing Android and leave the hardware to its partners.