Google's Nexus One

Microsoft has certainly faced its own struggles in the mobile phone market, so maybe it's not really worth listening to what the company thinks about Google's newly-announced branded phone, the Nexus One. On the other hand, Microsoft should have a pretty good clue at this point about what doesn't work in the mobile market.

And Robbie Bach, president of the entertainment and devices division at Microsoft, thinks that Google may be headed off course with its branded phone. Speaking to Bloomberg News at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, Bach said that the Nexus One could alienate handset makers and lead them to drop Google's Android platform.

“Doing both in the way they are trying to do both is actually very, very difficult,” Bach told Bloomberg. “Google’s announcement sends a signal where they’re going to place their commitment. That will create some opportunities for us and we’ll pursue them.”

Bach isn't the only one voicing that potential pitfall, with analyst Michael Gartenberg telling Bloomberg that Google will "have to convince their licensees they’re not in competition with them.”

But in a story in The New York Times this week, representatives from Sprint, Motorola and Verizon -- at least on the surface -- downplayed any potential conflicts with Google.

Nonetheless, the mobile battle continues with Apple, Microsoft and Google each positioning in unique ways.

Based on Bach's comments in the Bloomberg piece, it appears that Microsoft plans to steer clear of offering a Microsoft-branded phone, focusing on supplying the operating system for a wide variety of handset makers. That differs from the approach that has been wildly successful for Apple, and now is the direction that Google is headed.

Can Microsoft stay relevant in mobile with that strategy?