Google's Nexus One sales slow with cheaper competition on the way

Google has sold just 80,000 of its Nexus One handset after one month on the market, according to reports - much lower figures than were expected for the phone which was intended to rival the iPhone.

According to technology news site The Register, the 80,000 units estimate comes from a Dow Jones report which takes data from Flurry, mobile market analysts. The analysis contrasts the Nexus One's first month of sales with the iPhone's not inconsiderable 600,000 unit first month; although as The Reg points out, the marketing strategy behind the two launches differed somewhat, with Apple spending a small fortune making the iPhone the most desirable thing in a hundred mile radius, whereas Google opted for the word-of-mouth route.

If you're going to rely on word of mouth, though, it probably pays to get your customer service running smoothly; and early reports of customer complaints, poor support and the odd bug won't have helped Google to shift any more units.

Meanwhile, HTC, the company which makes Google's handset is rumoured to be bringing out a copycat version which will retail at a lower price than the Nexus One. Codenamed 'Bravo', the handset will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress next week, and is expected to have a pretty similar line-up of features to the Nexus One, but with a price-tag which could be as much as $100 (£64) lighter.