Tom Krazit writes: "Google's mobile ambitions took a hit Monday as two key parts of its Nexus One strategy failed to come to pass.
First off, Vodafone announced it will be the sole point of sale for a locked Nexus One phone in the U.K., bypassing the Web store that was [at the] heart of the Nexus One initiative...
And perhaps more damaging to its interests at home in the U.S., Google has backed off plans to sell a version of the Nexus One for Verizon's network...
Google declined to make executives available to discuss the impact of the Verizon and Vodafone announcements. But it's now safe to call the Nexus One a flop...
It seems the Nexus One was a reflection of two things essentially Google: an unquenchable thirst for innovation and an inherent belief that the company's engineers can do things better than anyone else can do them. For the most part this has served Google well, creating an economic engine in Web search and fueling relatively successful expansion into e-mail, Web office documents, mobile operating systems, Web browsers, and perhaps personal computers if Chrome OS comes to pass.
But Monday's developments show that outside forces can put a heavy check on Google's ambition. As if that wasn't enough, Samsung announced a deal to install Yahoo search on its Android phones and Motorola also announced Monday that it is replacing Google's location-based service offering on its upcoming Android phones with one powered by Skyhook Wireless, a company that uses a combination of GPS and Wi-Fi hot spots to get a fix on location."
