NEXUS SMARTPHONE LINE:
Towards the end of 2009 the prospect of a Google-branded Android smartphone was lighting up the tech blogosphere. Google had already been selling the Android Dev Phone 1 to developers, but it was basically a SIM-free, unlocked HTC Dream. The idea that Google might sell its own smartphone directly to consumers was genuinely exciting.
Nexus One
On January 5 2010 Google announced the Nexus One officially and it was to be the first device to run the new Android 2.1 Eclair. It had a 3.7-inch AMOLED display (later versions would switch to Super LCD), a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, 512MB of storage (190MB available), and a 1400mAh battery. It also featured a 5MP camera with auto-focus, LED flash, and digital zoom. Manufactured by HTC, the Nexus One had a premium unibody design. It went on sale through Google’s online store for $529.
The Nexus One definitely shook the market up and pushed things forward.
In terms of specs the Nexus One definitely shook the market up and pushed things forward. The screen was considered big at the time and the Nexus One was generally praised for being a powerful smartphone, but it wasn’t a smash hit. HTC would actually have more success with the Desire which was very similar, but sold with the HTC brand, Sense UI, and through traditional carrier routes.
Google sold about 20,000 units in the first week, and ten weeks in Flurry estimated sales had reached 135,000. People weren’t used to buying phones at full price online from Google and it was relatively expensive. The fact that Google initially partnered with T-Mobile in the US didn’t help either, as it had limited network coverage compared to Verizon and AT&T. There were also issues with support, as people with problems were shunted from T-Mobile to Google to HTC.
A lot of people wrote it off as a failed experiment, but Google definitely learned a lot. It began to sell the Nexus One through retail channels and shut the web store down in May 2010. The Nexus line was only just getting started.
The Nexus name
In December 2009 Google filed a trademark application for the name “Nexus One”, but in March 2010 it was denied because a company called Integra Telecom was already using it. This wouldn’t stop Google from using it, but it could leave them open to a lawsuit. Integra never sued, so presumably they came to some kind of agreement.
There was another hitch for the Nexus name when the estate of Philip K. Dick complained. His daughter, Isa Dick Hackett, started talking to the press about how the Nexus One was obviously a reference to the Nexus 6 line of androids featured in her father’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, later adapted as the movie Blade Runner. She said they were open to discussion, effectively inviting Google to pay a settlement. Google claimed the name had nothing to do with Dick’s work and was being used in its original sense as a place where things converge. It was eventually settled out of court and we don’t know what was agreed.
Nexus S
Google decided to switch from Android pioneer HTC and partner with Samsung for the Nexus S. It ushered in Android 2.3 Gingerbread when it was released in December 2010. It continued the trend towards larger displays with a 4-inch Super AMOLED (there was also a Super Clear LCD version). The unique feature was NFC, and it also boasted 16GB storage (no microSD slot), but the specs weren’t a huge leap over the Nexus One.
Our Nexus S 4G review wasn’t exactly glowing, with complaints about reception and battery life, but the Nexus S was generally well-received. This time it was sold through retail partners like Best Buy, and in May 2011 Sprint began to sell it in the US. We don’t really know exactly how many were sold, but Samsung did reveal that it sold 512,000 Nexus S 4G units between Q2 of 2011 and Q2 of 2012.
It’s not clear why Google switched to Samsung, but the general consensus seemed to be that it was keen to spread the patronage around. The Samsung Galaxy S released in June 2010 was fast making the South Korean manufacturer the biggest player on the Android scene; it would go on to sell 24 million units.
Galaxy Nexus
Google stuck with Samsung for the Galaxy Nexus and the name is a real nod to Samsung’s growing success with the Galaxy brand. The announcement was delayed after the death of Steve Jobs on October 5, but on October 19, 2011 it was unveiled, and it went on sale the following month.
The Galaxy Nexus launched Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and it was hotly anticipated. Google had really advanced the Android platform and Samsung was smashing it on the hardware front with the Galaxy S2. The reviews were positive. The Galaxy Nexus boasted a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM, a huge curved 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display with a 720p resolution, and all the extras you’d expect.
The Galaxy Nexus and the name is a real nod to Samsung’s growing success with the Galaxy brand.
One surprise was that Google back-pedaled on the open sales model and partnered with Verizon in the US. There was later a Sprint version, but then Google went back to selling phones directly SIM-unlocked on the Play Store and it soon dropped the price to $350. The Galaxy Nexus was also the first phone to get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in July 2012.
The Galaxy Nexus wasn’t a big success. One of Samsung’s lawyers actually described the sales as “miniscule”, but he was arguing against Apple in a patent infringement suit. The import and sale of the Galaxy Nexus was briefly banned from June 29 to July 6 in the US when Apple was granted a pre-trial injunction. Samsung’s lawyer, John Quinn, revealed that it made $250 million in six months and “at most, captured 0.5 percent of the market.” You’ll no doubt remember how the trial worked out.
Nexus 4
It was time for another change. This time Google partnered with LG. After Hurricane Sandy delayed the announcement speculation reached fever pitch, and Google finally unveiled the Nexus 4 on October 29 2012, to go on sale the following month.
Most people were surprised by the switch to LG, but it was an OEM on the up. The LG Optimus G was proving very successful and showed that LG was capable of producing high-end smartphones. The Nexus 4 was based on it and it would be the most successful Nexus to date.
The Nexus 4 was based on the Optimus G and it would be the most successful Nexus to date.
A 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels, an 8MP camera, and support for wireless charging. This was a cutting edge device with an interesting and eye-catching, shimmering glass-backed design. It would also be sold directly through the Play Store and through carriers and retailers. So far, so good, but the real reason the Nexus 4 was to sell so well was the price.
This was a device capable of holding its own in flagship company and Google was selling it for $299 for the 8GB version and $349 for the 16GB version. Within a year, August 27 2013 to be exact, the price was dropped further to $199 and $249 respectively.
You can find out what we thought at the time in our Nexus 4 review.
According to estimates Google had sold 3 million Nexus 4 handsets by the middle of 2013.
Nexus 5
LG was retained as manufacturer for the Nexus 5 which landed on October 31 2013. Google repeated the trick of offering a high end smartphone with near-flagship specs for a knock down price. The Nexus 5 combined a 4.95-inch full HD 1080p display, with a lightning fast 2.26GHz quad-core processor, and 2GB of RAM. It featured Android 4.4 KitKat and won instant plaudits for being a silky smooth performer at an affordable price.
A phone of this caliber for $349 (16GB) or $399 (32GB) was impressive and it sold well through the Play Store. In January this year Google CFO Patrick Pichette called it a “very strong” performer. We certainly liked it, as you can tell in our Nexus 5 review, but we don’t know how many handsets Google has sold. What we can say definitively about the Nexus 5 is that on release it was the best phone you could buy for $350 by a very long stretch.
There’s been some argument about the purpose of the Nexus smartphone line over the years. It may have started as a reference design and a handy device for developers, but there’s no doubt the appeal has widened beyond that scope. It has never been heavily marketed and it doesn’t come close to competing with the big Android OEM flagships in terms of sales, but it has certainly exerted an influence
