In a recent blog post, Internet search giant Google said that it will discontinue the sales of its Nexus One handset – which, when launched in January, was considered a potential iPhone challenger – via its website once the current stock of the phone is exhausted.

In its blandly titled post, “Update: Nexus One changes in availability,” Google said that once the company sells the final batch of Nexus One, the handset “will no longer be available online from Google.”

Adding further that “customer support will still be available for current Nexus One customers,” Google also disclosed that the phone will “continue to be sold by partners including Vodafone in Europe, KT in Korea, and possibly others based on local market conditions.”

The Google-branded $529-priced Nexus One was an ambitious attempt on the part of company to transform the smartphone market by selling its handset directly to customers only via its website, with not much customer support.

Despite the fact that the handset initially received rave reviews and was termed as a signature Android-based phone powered by the Google-created operating system, the handset apparently struggled to find a market.

Talking about the recent Google decision and the not-so-encouraging customer response to the Nexus One, NPD Group analyst Ross Rubin said: “With only a small percentage of handset sales going through the Web, it was difficult for the Nexus One to gain much momentum.”