In a cloudy future, Google likes EVO 4G as Nexus One substitute
In what could hardly be described as surprising news, Google has now added another possible substitute for the carrier-deficient Nexus One, this time steering potential Sprint customers to the upcoming EVO 4G. Hot on the heels of its decision to scrap the direct-to-customer approach of selling Android smartphones and embrace carrier involvement instead, Google has also mirrored its earlier decision to pave a path for Verizon users to the Droid Incredible.
The EVO is without a doubt a more powerful device than the Nexus One hardware-wise, thanks to the 4G innards, but could face issues down the road without timely updates due to HTC's SenseUI replacing the stock Android build. Of course, with the Nexus One nearing its six-month anniversary, an eternity these days for smartphones, there's no guarantee that T-Mobile and AT&T customers will be able to snag one for much longer.
It'll be interesting to see how Google's web store evolves over the coming months as it transitions from a place for tech savvy customers to easily get an unlocked Android phone into a more general information center meant to promote devices from other manufacturers regardless of the carrier. To be honest, this should be a more successful approach to take on Apple, since Google will be able to devote its time to tweaking Android instead of trying to keep up to spec with the myriad of new devices coming out from HTC and other partners.
