Google’s flagship device, Galaxy Nexus and other devices in the Nexus lineup have been quite a hit with the world of Android users. While Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S were initially through carriers or non-Google retailers, Google has been selling the Nexus One device directly through its site. The device was sold as unlocked. Now, it seems that Google plans to expand on this strategy.
What Google really wants, according to a report, is to collaborate with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and then sell the devices procured as a result of this partnership directly to the consumers, rather than bringing in the role of third-party carriers or retailers. In a bid to do so, Google will be offering these OEMs an early access to newer builds of Android.
These devices will not be locked and hooked to any given carrier and will be unlocked. However, they will be available at full retail price, which may feel somewhat hefty to some users. The thing about carrier-launched devices is that the user doesn’t have to pay the price in one full payment. In this new marketing strategy by Google, the one-time hefty price may turn off a few customers.
Google also seems to be working to limit the role of wireless carriers in the Android platform. Wireless carriers have been exerting some, if not significant, effect on the Android software and its apps. That, Google plans to stop. And for this reason precisely, Google has plans of directly selling its devices to the customers.
Apparently, this new strategy is not limited to Android smartphones alone. Google also has plans of adopting a similar move for Android tablets. However, for now, Android tablets are not yet a hit and Google will first have to create a sufficiently large market for these tablets.
Source: WSJ
Courtesy: The Verge
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Google has been selling the Nexus One device directly through its site.
The device was sold as unlocked. Now, it seems that Google plans to
expand on this strategy.