When a product is as popular as Apple’s iPhone, there are sure to be competitors. When a company is as big in technology as Google, it is sure to try and compete. Unfortunately for Google, their foray into the smart phone business has not been as successful as they had hoped – leading them to discontinue sales of their Nexus One phone on the web store they designed to sell it.

With sales lagging far behind those of the iPhone – in a 74 day period, the iPhone sold 1,000,000 units to the Android-powered Nexus One’s 135,000 units – it only became a matter of time. Neither Verizon Wireless nor Sprint Nextel have any plans to sell the device, instead choosing other phones that operate on the Android operating system. T-Mobile U.S.A. is currently the only major operator offering the phone – with a discount for a two year plan.

Andy Rubin, Google’s vice president of engineering stated that the Android operating system has exceeded their expectations with a potential to become the #1 or #2 system available. He went on to comment that though the operating system has done well, the web store has not and that many customers prefer a hands-on experience before purchasing a phone. Google has stated to website will continue to operate as a showcase for other phones using the Android operating system.