We’ve seen before how bad buzz can sink a product, even before it launches. Google too knows full well the negative impact an unimpressed tech blogging corps and angry Tweeting customers can wreak on a brand as it launched its first mobile phone offering, the Nexus One, in the U.S. earlier this year. The Nexus One set for its European release on April 30th. Will Google handle this launch more smoothly, or will it suffer the fate of its American brother?

In January, we took Google to task for hanging up on its US Nexus One customers. The major problems were buggy 3G, a pricey tariff and non-existent customer support, the latter of which was conducted online only, resulting in a fierce Twitter storm of angry tweets. You would think that Google would have fixed these bugs by now, but apparently they haven’t. In fact, they appear to be giving up entirely on Nexus One in the U.S., moving on to their new phone, the Incredible, to be released in the US on April 29th.

Another major issue was the scant marketing. People couldn’t tell why it was any better than the iPhone, so why spend more money for the unproven brand?  You can’t fault consumers here. Google’s Nexus One advertising scheme, or lack of, really left a lot to be desired. It seemed odd that Google was launching Nexus One with such little marketing support a new handset in an already crowded market, tech bloggers noted. There are random YouTube videos touting the Nexus One, however.

In terms of the European launch, it’s still too early to tell. There are tons of Twitter retweets of stories about the phone’s release, but it doesn’t seem to have registered with potential consumers yet. There is no discussion about the phone on Facebook, for example, and there are no signs of a centralized social media advertising splash from Google, or from carrier, Vodafone UK. (Vodafone UK is handling customer service queries via its Twitter feed, the vast majority want to know if it’s really a better deal than the iPhone.)

One promising sign is the new tariff – Google and Vodafone are not insisting consumers buy the phone exclusively online, as Google did in the U.S. You can go to any Vodafone retailer and check it out first. Another factor is the price: Vodafone is offering the phone free with a two-year, £35/month contract. Already, the Twitter crowd is pleased with that move.

One thing we will be keeping our eye on is the simultaneous release of the Incredible in the US and the Nexus One in Europe. We have our doubts. Much like in January, Google is releasing a product with known bugs and a bad rap. What’s more, the company has invested almost nothing into building the hype as the Twitterverse buzzes with anticipation.

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