Google’s Nexus One handset has been heavily touted as the latest ‘iPhone killer’ a handset to rise to the dominance of Apple’s popular plaything and spark the battle of the handsets. In Europe, though, the handset appears to be under major threat before it’s even launched. Google might not be too happy with the turn of events, either, with the threat coming from an unlikely source: the same Taiwanese company that produces the Nexus One.
The rival handset, entitled the Bravo, has similar specifications to the Nexus One, offering the same processor speed, a similar touch screen, and equally impressive camera and identical Google Android software. The Bravo, though, will be pitched at approximately $100 (or £60) less than the Nexus One, and will arrive on the market only a matter of days later.
Another potential problem for Google is the Nexus One being sold only online. While the company has already signed up Vodafone as a UK service provider for the handset, you wont find the Nexus One in any high street stores, while the Bravo will available, and will even be stocked by Vodafone, along with a number of other major service providers. When it comes to the Nexus One, Vodafone has agreed to only handle billing enquiries, and play no role in dealing with the handset itself.
The Nexus One’s early sales stateside have been uninspiring even without the threat of the Bravo, coming in at around 12-13% of total sales of the iPhone early on its lifetime. While this can be attributed in part to the online sales method, Google have also run into problems with an underdeveloped customer service department (unsurprising, perhaps, given that the company are new to this) and many customers preferring to purchase a phone with a pre-arranged service contract.
The Bravo is expected to be officially launched next week, and we will, of course, bring you full on details.
If you’re in America, the Nexus One can be ordered here. If not, you have a little longer to wait, with an Play.com accidentally leaking the launch date at a week from today, February 16th, though this date remains unofficial.
