Lackluster sales prompted Google to ditch its Nexus One smartphone in the U.S., but its popularity among developers has since soared, and the phones are on backorder, Google said in a Thursday blog post.

Lackluster sales prompted in the U.S., but its popularity among developers has since soared, and the phones are on backorder, Google said in a Thursday blog post.

Several weeks ago, Google announced that developers could purchase an unlocked Nexus One on their publisher page in the Android Market. The $529 phone includes modern hardware and the pure Android software suite. It also comes pre-loaded with Android 2.1, but will as soon as the phone is turned on.

The offer apparently caught the attention of many Android developers.

"We blew through the in almost no time, and they're back-ordered from HTC, who are doing a pretty good job of managing runaway success amid a ," wrote Google's Tim Bray.

Google said it is working hard to re-stock its shelves and asked developers to "stand by."