Why can’t Google get Android smartphones right?

Remember back in January when Google was going to reinvent the smartphone market and give the Android market a serious iPhone competitor all at once by selling its own Android device — the Nexus One — in an unlocked version on a Web store? Pow! A superphone (as Google’s execs called it) would invade the world by offering a better device than what had come before and be available to anyone anywhere.

At the time, I couldn’t tell if the folks at Google were smoking too much pot, smoking crack, or in a sugar high from their Odwalla fixation. At best, the Nexus One was a me-too device that didn’t stand out from the crowd, despite the bizarre mania that sites like Engagdet and Gizmodo had over its megapixel rating (honestly, is that why you buy a smartphone?). And the Web store approach was a throwback to the late 1990s — e-commerce is not exactly an advanced concept.

More critically, the unlocked device could hardly be used anywhere; only T-Mobile ended up formally supporting it, despite early promises by Verizon Wireless and Sprint that they would, too (remember: never trust a carrier’s promises). Plus, the fact that you needed a separate version of the Nexus One for each carrier meant that it was in fact a locked device, despite what Google claimed.

Fast-forward to last Friday: Google is killing its Web store for the Nexus One. It’s also doing the opposite of what it said: Selling the phone through the carriers’ stores.

Android has a lot of potential, but boy is Google is showing itself to be a paper tiger outside of its actual search business. HTC and Motorola are making compelling Android smartphones (though not with sufficient business capabilities) that are gaining market share — something the Nexus One failed to do. Although some pundits say Google’s decision to sell the Nexus One puts it in direct competition with its mobile operating system’s hardware partners, I can’t believe that those companies take Google seriously as a hardware competitor. I sure don’t.

I do give Google kudos for realizing its implementation (and probably strategy) around the Nexus One was a failure and moving fairly quickly to end the failed effort. That’s a sign of maturity. But I’m a bit worried about the Android platform, given Google’s weak stewardship.

The Nexus One debacle is hardly Google’s only mistake. Its original SDK program infuriated developers. The Android Market is a haven for fake apps that are essentially Trojan horses. Its early operating system versions were clunky, and the Android OS still doesn’t support multitouch through and through or encryption at the device level — two fundamental must-haves for smartphones.

Its open source strategy isn’t creating distinct value over proprietary competitors and may be hurting Android. There’s a fork in the UI — HTC’s Sense UI overlay and the plain-vanilla Android — that could hinder developer adoption and success. Maybe the soon-to-be-released next version (2.2) of the Android OS will support — and perhaps even run — Flash, but that’s just adding more icing on a too-thin cake.

Google has a long history of throwing stuff up against the wall and seeing if it sticks. Often, the goal seems to be to confuse competitors or waste their resources in responding, not to create a long-term product line. That strategy won’t work against the iPhone or BlackBerry, Android’s two main competitors. And two-for-one deals and $50-with-rebate deals will increase the Android market only so far.

At the end of the day, the platform needs to be stronger, more cohesive, and well-managed. Google is doing none of those things. Google should kill the Nexus One and stop pretending it knows how to develop a lead-the-market reference design. Instead, it should get serious about the Android OS and take active, strong leadership that not only puts it on par with the BlackBerry and iPhone as a must-have but also pushes it a step ahead in one or more key areas.

C’mon, guys: Treating Android like another throwaway Web service is wasting everyone’s time. Get in the game for real, or step out of the ring.

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This article, “Why can’t Google get Android smartphones right?,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Gruman et al.’s Mobile Edge blog and follow the latest developments in mobile computing at InfoWorld.com.