Edible Apple

Say what you will about Android, but there’s no denying that Google’s Nexus One smartphone, which is manufactured by HTC, is by far the most aesthetically pleasing Android phone on the market.

As it turns out, though, HTC was not Google’s first choice when they went shopping around for a manufacturer.

In a published interview with the Swedish publication Sydsvenskan,Bert Nordberg of Sony Ericcson revealed that Google had originally approached them about manufacturing Google’s first foray into the smartphone market. That proposition, however, didn’t weigh too heavily on Sony Ericcson executives, with Nordberg emphasizing that Sony is extremely conscious of brand dilution and that that they wish to remain focused on producing their own phones under their own brand.

Was this a smart play? Who’s to say, but there’s no denying that the buzz and hype that accompanied the release of the Nexus One has seemingly done more to bring HTC into the mainstream than anything else they’ve ever done. While Sony isn’t exactly in dire need of strong name recognition, the place it holds within the smartphone market could certainly use a boost.