Google Nexus One online sale scrapped

It was fun while it lasted. Google has scrapped the direct online sale of the Nexus One. The bold new idea for selling mobile phones failed to set the world on fire, so the Nexus One will only be available from traditional outlets in the future.

Andy Rubin, Google's engineering VP, announced the news in an official blog post. The Nexus One had two goals, he wrote, "to introduce a beacon of innovation among Android handsets, and to make it quick and easy for people to buy an Android phone." The first was successful -- CNET UK called it the "theiPhone killer you've been waiting for" and gave it an Editors' Choice award -- but the second not so much. The Nexus One Web store has "remained a niche channel for early adopters," Rubin admitted.

The advantage of buying direct is you get a top-end handset without being forced to go with whatever network the phone is tied to. That means you can choose from any deal you like, rather than being locked into expensive or lengthy contracts. But buying from the Web store meant paying a lot up front and taking a punt on a phone you'd never handled in the flesh -- especially risky as it involved buying from the US.

Google acknowledges that customers want "hands-on experience before buying", and concedes that users "also want a wide range of service plans to chose from". We imagine the phone networks feel the same, as direct sale threatens their ability to use premium phones to lock users into long-term contracts.

Let's hope that wide range of options happens soon, because for now the Nexus One is only available through Vodafone, and only on 18-month or two-year contracts. So this is what the failure of direct sales leaves us with. Brilliant. Google has committed to increasing the number of Nexus Ones in the marketplace, so fingers crossed someone offers it on a shorter contract.

Did you buy a Nexus One from Google's Web store? How did that work out for you? Stick your thoughts in the comments, whether you're a fan of the networks or if you'd be happy never sitting foot in a phone shop ever again.

WePad Pricing, Release Date Revealed

Earlier today we learned that Google has its sights set on the tablet market with their own Andorid-based tablet device. While this announcement is sure to steal the limelight away from the WePad — which made quite a splash when first announced — pricing details and a release timeframe have emerged regarding the German-made tablet.

The tablet, which features almost everything the iPad does not (SD card slot, Flash, USB, and the Android Market) will be available at two price points in the same sleek finish. A 16GB wifi-only version weighs in at €449 while its 32GB counterpart sporting a full 1080P display, GPS, and 3G connectivity will have a price tag of €569.

The tablet will be available in Europe come July though there is no word on a US release. For the time being, this seems to be the Android tablet to beat, and many are touting it as a real competitor for the iPad. We’ll see how that holds up as more info comes in about the Google tablet.

The gPad Coming To A Tablet Near You

This little “me too” game that Google seems to be playing is starting to get interesting. TheNexus One was set to take on the iPhone, Chrome browser battled with Firefox, and Google wants to buy AdMob to counter Apple’s introduction of iAd. Now, they’ve taken it another step forward with Eric Schmidt – our knight in shining Google CEO armor – letting slip the intention of bringing out their very own tablet device.

New York Times reports that Schmidt casually spoke to a few friends about it at a party in LA, recently.

People with direct knowledge of the project — who did not want to be named because they said they were unauthorized to speak publicly about the device — said the company had been experimenting in “stealth mode” with a few publishers to explore delivery of books, magazines and other content on a tablet.

This wouldn’t be the first tablet device we’ve seen running Android, but it is a first from Google who is quickly becoming Apple of the new-age: supplementing great software with the hardware that they think should set the standard for their platform. The article states that Google is working with different publishers to bring eReader-centric content to the platform, but what about hardware vendors? Will we see HTC take a stab at a 10-inch Nexus One?

Whether or not Schmidt intended for this news to eek out of his mouth as soon as it did, I can’t say, but I’m kinda of wishing his friends bought him a few more drinks at that party to help the information continue pouring out. If we do get anything beyond this point, we’ll saddle up our excitement and bring it right to you.

Google Suggest with universal search features for mobile

Google had earlier announced how universal search features in Google Suggest could help a user in gaining vital information while searching from the Google home page. The Official Google Mobile Blog has now announced the implementation of the same feature for mobile phones.Users can access search on-the-run in a fast and easy manner.

With the Google Search on mobile, users simply need to type out their query, like ‘What is the current exchange rate of a dollar?’, and the search results are indicated right below the search box. This makes the search faster as the user does not need to wait for the result page to load. Other searches possible with this feature include weather, stock quotes, current global time, calculator and unit conversion.

To try this feature, users need to log on to google.com through their mobile web browsers and start typing queries and viewing results instantly. In case, the results are not listed below the search box in the first go, the user simply needs to refresh the page to see them. This feature has been made available on the iPhone, Android, and WebOS devices in the US.

T-Mobile makes mention of 3G issues with Nexus One, hopes to have 'more information' soon

There's no fix yet, but Nexus One users are getting a solid first step this week now that T-Mobile is officially investigating the 3G / EDGE fluctuation issues that folks have been reporting. A posting over on T-Mob's official support forums is now asking for users with verifiable problems to report a few key stats including their location, the nature of the problem (no 3G or 3G / EDGE switching), and whether they've got another AWS 3G phone handy that's performing better. The company says that it hopes "to have more information for you soon," so, you know, keep that box handy just in case this puppy needs to get exchanged Nokia 5800-style.