Google Launched Its First Ever Smartphone 13 Years Ago Today: Here’s How Much A $1000 Investment Back Then Would Now Be Worth

Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google’s Android operating system dominates the global smartphone industry, thanks to a wide range of options available, starting right at $100 and going all the way up to $1,600.

Android’s success has been one of the key drivers for Google’s growth – the search giant acquired Android Inc. in 2005. Founded by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White, Android was initially designed to compete with BlackBerry Inc. (NYSE:BB).

However, the iPhone arrived on stage in 2007 and changed the face of the smartphone industry forever. Google quickly adapted its Android operating system to offer a touch-first experience.

The Beginning Of An Era

Unlike Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google adopted an open-source model to lure smartphone makers away from the then-dominant operating systems – Nokia’s Symbian, and Microsoft’s Windows mobile.

This strategy took a few years to take off, with various companies like HTC, Motorola, LG, and Samsung taking the lead at different points.

However, it would take Google three more years to show what its vision of an ideal Android smartphone is like.

Fast-forward to Jan. 5, 2010, Google launched its first smartphone ever – the Nexus One. Developed along with HTC, the Nexus One was launched as a showcase of Google’s vision.

The Google Nexus One was praised for its design and build quality. Its hardware was also ahead of the iPhone at the time, with a slightly taller display that was far considered better than the competition in terms of clarity.

Not just that – the Nexus One was also faster than most Android smartphones available back then and its unique design coupled with the trackball on the chin made it stand out from the crowd.

See Also: If You Invested $1000 In Apple When It Announced NeXT Acquisition To Bring Back Steve Jobs, Here’s How Much You’d Have

From An Experiment To A Serious Brand

Google launched eight phones under the Nexus brand.

Although the Nexus brand is now dead, it has been replaced with a more premium Pixel line of devices.

Google now makes phones, tablets, smartwatches and even truly wireless earbuds, as it looks to offer an alternative to Apple’s primary products.

Now, let’s look at how Google stock has fared since the company launched its first phone 14 years ago.

Google stock…