iPhone outsells G1 6-to-1

Apple’s iPhone trounced Google’s G1 handset in the fourth quarter, if recent sales estimates are to be believed.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley polled mobile phone retailers on iPhone and G1 sales, and used the data to put together estimates on total sales.

Google released the G1 in the fourth quarter, selling an estimated 300,000 handsets in the US.

By contrast, Apple sold 1.75 million iPhones to US customers in the fourth quarter, outselling the G1 by six to one.

Tech bloggers reacted to the news as ‘not unexpected’.

Dan Frommer, of Silicon Alley Insider, writes: “Apple’s iPhone offers a much better consumer experience, especially for multimedia and third-party software features.

“The Google G1 didn’t go on sale until late October, while the iPhone was on sale the whole quarter.

“And the iPhone has the benefit of AT&T — the top U.S. carrier during Q4 — as its sales and marketing partner, not T-Mobile — the no. 4 U.S. carrier during Q4.”

Despite the G1′s failure to transform the marketplace as Google had hoped, there’s still time for the Android operating system to take the world by storm.

“We’ll have a better idea of Android’s potential in about a year when multiple phone makers and carriers — including Motorola (MOT), LG, Sony Ericsson, etc. — are selling Google-powered devices,” concluded Frommer.