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Search engine giant Google says it will no longer sell its Nexus One smartphone through its web store.

Instead, it will sell the device through retail outlets.

In a post on its official blog, Google said the web store, which opened in January this year, had not lived up to its hopes.

Google Engineering vice-president Andy Rubin said in a blog post that the web store had "remained a niche channel for early adopters".

Mr Rubin added: "It's clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone."

The move is being seen as a turnaround in Google's strategy, which was intended to bypass network providers and their outlets which traditionally sell mobile devices.

BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said: "They clearly have retreated from the model of sort of revolutionizing the method in which we acquire our smartphones."

Laptop Magazine called it a "lesson learned".

The phone will still be available online for a short period, just until Google gets the Nexus One physically into traditional retail stores.

It is a slim, touchscreen phone built in partnership with Taiwanese manufacturer HTC and it runs Google's Android operating system.

The Nexus One is seen as a move to ensure Google remains relevant as people search the web using mobile phones rather than typing queries into a PC.

Google makes the lion's share of its revenue by selling adverts linked to those queries.