Google were always taking a risk by trying to sell the Nexus One direct to consumers rather than through more traditional carrier partnerships, and it looks like that risk hasn’t paid off. According to analytics specialists Flurry – who you might remember from previous Android-related stats – Google has sold just 135,000 Nexus One handsets after 74 days of availability.

In comparison, Flurry point to the original iPhone and the Motorola DROID, which sold 1m and 1.05m respectively in their own respective first 74 days of availability. Of course, both of those devices were launched with strong carrier partners and in-store availability, while the Nexus One was offered with T-Mobile USA and online-only.

Does that make the Nexus One a sales failure?  Or has the smartphone fulfilled its task: to act as a halo product for Google and spur on their other hardware partners to offer improved devices with newer versions of Android?  Let us know what you think in the comments.

[via Business Insider]