Related
http://newstrendstoday.com/nexus-1-...the-3g-screen-problems-on-the-nexus-one/03117
Some users say they have trouble calibrating the touch screen on the Nexus One, the Google smartphone.
The first steps of Google and their Nexus One on the smartphone market does not seem as peaceful as what the Internet giant could wait. After linkage problems encountered on the 3G network T-Mobile in the United States, some users are pointing the finger at the screen of their device.
Android forums on Google, as stated by our colleagues from Engadget, there are reports of problems calibrating the touch screen One of the Nexus. They would start to feel the phone and he would put it to sleep, then on again to resolve them. Google provides to address these problems, they come from a software bug will be resolved by a patch. If the material is concerned, HTC, manufacturer of the Nexus One, might have to intervene under the warranty.
For its first week of marketing, Nexus One has sold 20 000 copies in the United States. A rather low figure who led Google to drop the $ 100 price of the device.
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http://www.nytimes.com/external/gig...m-should-google-kill-the-nexus-one-60352.html
Google this morning postponed the launch of two Android handsets in China in a clear indication that the company’s rift with Beijing threatens its booming mobile business. Meanwhile, the Nexus One has seen lackluster sales amid widespread complaints of technical glitches. So with Android’s future in China uncertain, and problems mounting with Google’s decision to build and sell the ideal Android phone — the Nexus One – is it too early to wonder whether Google will pull the plug on its flagship phone?
Google indefinitely pushed back the launch of two handsets slated to debut tomorrow from China Unicom, dramatically upping the ante in its high-profile showdown with the Chinese government. As Om noted last week, China accounts for more 638 million wireless users, and handset sales are expected to grow by 21 percent this year alone. And the market could be especially ripe for Android given its support by some key players in the region: members of Google’s Open Handset Alliance include operators China Mobile and China Telecom as well as Huawei and ZTE.
While a governmental crackdown could lead to versions of the open-source OS that are far less integrated with Google’s mobile apps, the escalating conflict means that Google will be unable to control the evolution of Android in China. And it surely closes the door on any potential Chinese sales of the Nexus One — throwing yet another roadblock at the struggling handset.
Google appears to have overreached in launching its own branded handset. The search giant was clearly unprepared to deal with the customer service issues that inevitably arise in the retailing business, and splashy headlines of customer backlash are tarnishing its highly respected brand.
The company has obviously overestimated demand for an “official” Google phone, selling just 20,000 handsets in the first week it was out, and its strategy of competing against its handset and carrier partners has limited upside and risks losing the widespread support that has fueled Android’s growth. It may be unfair to predict doom for a handset that came to market just two weeks ago, but it’s becoming clear that taking on the role of mobile retailer was a mistake for Google. It’s too early to predict that Google will kill the Nexus One, but it’s not too early to wonder whether it should.
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Ive been a techy most of my life. Ive been on nerd bomber and geek forums since 97 followed every bit of Tech I could get my hands on since that time.....I am having a miserable time trying to find another piece of consumer electronic with this many "news sources" hell bent on seeing it fail.
Not windows ME , Not XBOX 1 , Not Nextel , Not Wii....nothing.
Im baffled as to wtf is going on.
I thought I was the only one who noticed all the negative attention google is getting. I freakin love this phone. There is nothing that will make me think this isn't the best phone I've had, ever.
It's not about the quality of the phone
rockky said:
It's not about the quality of the phone
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So what is it ?
Is fanboyism that strong ?
Are people THAT pissed at Google for not giving it away free and saving them from telecoms...or
Are Apple/MS/Palm lining writers pockets ?
Im by no means saying Google isnt having a multitude of problems. On 2 big fronts right now....but the tone of these articles is blatantly biased.
Perhaps people are scared of something different. Google is the punk kid to Apple's primp and proper 'young adult'. They must be heathens.
Huh?
its about Google completely miscalculating the process of selling this product via their site.
Its about Google releasing a product not ready for consumption.
Its about a failed marketing ploy....(ie: a lack of, ...trying to create a mystique and engender a word of mouth wildfire.....backfiring, as the word of mouth has been primarily about the issues with the device.
What does fanboyism have to do with any of this?
Personally, I don't think I would "listen" to a website review and analysis that can't even form a proper sentence. That first article was seriously hard to read, and didn't make sense for about 50% of it.
None-the-less some of the tech community loves to hate the phone. Fanboys, or whatever may have you, they are not being fair or balanced in the coverage. Granted, we are a biased community, but we are also one of the most critical as well. I haven't seen such love for a phone on XDA ever! Usually, we are all sitting around saying we can't wait for it to be properly unlocked so we can flash some crazy cooked ROMs so the phone doesn't suck too bad. Instead, many are wondering whether it is even worth rooting the phone(and eventually flashing custom SPLs) because stock already is so damn good!
Here is the deal, IMO, given that Android is bursting onto the scene right now, and starting to hit that tipping point, just ignore it! By the end of this year, over half the available smartphones on the market will be Android. And that is the real reason for the outcry. There is a lot of money at stake, and many tech publications have owners/sponsors they need to keep happy. Google is not known for being a very profitable advertiser for websites(great for small sites, but big ones make much more money off a true sponsor), and Google doesn't and isn't willing to do that.
But those sites will, given time, have to come around. If they do not, they run the very real risk of allienating their following, and in turn losing out on advertising dollars because they are no longer the hot site. Engadget, and the such, have to keep on top of and out in front of the trendy wave, or they are screwed.
rockky said:
Huh?
its about Google completely miscalculating the process of selling this product via their site.
Its about Google releasing a product not ready for consumption.
Its about a failed marketing ploy....(ie: a lack of, ...trying to create a mystique and engender a word of mouth wildfire.....backfiring, as the word of mouth has been primarily about the issues with the device.
What does fanboyism have to do with any of this?
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I'm not talking about Engadget perse an obviously biased review... im talking about say the average daily return of say a google search of Nexus One which brings predominantly a litany of commentary of.the problems google and.customers are having with the device.
That is NOT good and is NOT fanboyism.
For its first week of marketing, Nexus One has sold 20 000 copies in the United States. A rather low figure who led Google to drop the $ 100 price of the device.
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I'm pretty sure Google only lowered the price for an upgraded plan on T-Mobile because of the network issues that were occurring on their service. That statement from the article is misleading because the original prices are still in place aside from a $100 reduction for upgrading on T-Mobile.
I've also noticed a lot of negative publicity, more so than other things. I think with something this big, there's bound to be more scrutinizing going on than usual. You've got the best hardware spec'd phone releasing on the market, on the newest Android platform (basically ready for mainstream consumption), with Google selling it (of all companies).
On the 20,000 N1's sold.
I dont see Google giving up on the N1.
The day Vodafone sold 50,000 iPhones in Europe, the tech-press was quick to jump on comparisons with the 20k N1 sale figure. This is so wrong, it ain't even funny.
The online sales model is
a. New
b. Untested
c. Unique
On account of #a and #b above, Google would not have pegged a very large demand figure for the first month of the N1. The strategy they've adopted will take time to settle in, and I'm sure they're prepared to do that. The N1, as they've repeatedly stated, is the -first- in what will be a long series of phones, and the N1 online sales figure will be viewed as a test case by Google, not as an indictment of the model's success/failure.
Agreed, Google has not hyped up the N1 as much as they ought to have done. As others have pointed out before, the Moto Droid's marketing campaign has done much more for Android than the N1's launch has done, and for that, Google alone is to blame. Forget comparisons to phones of a fruity nature, the N1's launch and subsequent marketing is disappointing even against other Android devices.
Here's something for the tech-press to chew on though.
What would've happened, had Google launched this (admittedly) superphone for $179 in brick-and-mortar stores, whether their own or in T-Mobile's and other networks' stores? What would the number have been then?
I don't see where you're getting the idea that everybody is hell bent on seeing the Nexus One fail.
I've had "nexus one" in the news and weather widget since day one, so I get just about anything with those two words in it as a news article. Yes, there are a few iPhone fan boy web sites out there that just wont admit the N1 is a great phone. But by and large, after the first week, and after other writers have had time to spend with the N1, they always like it, and a few have even dumped their iPhones for it.
The rest (and vast majority) of the articles out there are pointing out Google's major miscalculations with regards to the launch, shipping, and especially support of the Nexus One. They just weren't ready.
Now, since Google and the Nexus One are getting SO much press attention, any little problem the phone encounters, whether it be HTC's fault, Tmo's, or Googles, is getting sent out on BLAST.
It's Google that screwed up. Not the Nexus One. And nobody is calling for it's death, save for a couple loser fan boys.
From what ive seen and heard (like my tech podcasts) lots of people are 'reviewing' the phone with out actually getting their hands on it to test it for themselves. There does appear to be a significant amount of bad press for what seems like no real reason.
Oddly on the GDGT podcast they talk about the nexus one, the first 30seconds of the review they talk about how awesome the phone is and its the best thing they have used since the iphone, and then they spend the remaining 30minutes of the review highlighting all of its faults?! Odd!
Nevermind, think its probably just die hard iphone fan bois coming up with negative press. bah.
There is definitely some biased reviews out there from people obviously bent on not showing the whole truth or just completely stating b.s.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/187147/what_google_must_learn_from_its_nexus_one_troubles.html
When the Nexus One was announced, I was disappointed, since there were just a few improvements over existing Android devices. The fact that Google was selling the device directly over its Web site seemed to be much ado about nothing, given that buyers had to sign a T-Mobile contract to use it. Plus, it's not as if Web sales is a new idea.
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Didn't know buyers had to sign a contract to use the phone. That's interesting.
This is the best phone i ever had. My friends with iphones are shocked by how good it is. Iphone become a history on nexus release. Paid reviews will be popping everywhere against Nexus one.
I never had any problems. Market forces do not want google succeding in delivering a better product than existing technologies of windows and iphone.
You would listen to any lie, and all of them are proved wrong by good people in youtube videos.
Thanks Google and HTC for making such a wonderful phone.
I was suprised how Engadget is attacking it and google...Stopped respecting their news now.
britoso said:
I was suprised how Engadget is attacking it and google...Stopped respecting their news now.
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I haven't visited the engadget site since their review. That review was ridiculous; Especially the browser test. Therefore, I will no longer give them my ad revenue generating views.
htcmagic said:
This is the best phone i ever had. My friends with iphones are shocked by how good it is. Iphone become a history on nexus release. Paid reviews will be popping everywhere against Nexus one.
I never had any problems. Market forces do not want google succeding in delivering a better product than existing technologies of windows and iphone.
You would listen to any lie, and all of them are proved wrong by good people in youtube videos.
Thanks Google and HTC for making such a wonderful phone.
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This has been my experience also. I've had die-hard apple fans gush over my nexus one. No joke. People see it, ask to play with it, and then they want it. Now, if google would only allow family plan upgrades.... I've had multiple friends who have family plans say that they would order it without hesitation if they could use their upgrades.
britoso said:
I was suprised how Engadget is attacking it and google...Stopped respecting their news now.
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britoso, i thought i was the only one. I was following their coverage of nexus launch and where so ironic and nasty about the phone, i couldn't believe it either. I have unsubscribed from their rss in google reader. They are not worth the read for me.
Aslo lots of people proved them wrong about the browsing speed on youtube compared to iphone.
britoso said:
I was suprised how Engadget is attacking it and google...Stopped respecting their news now.
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You won't understand unless you are experiencing the problems. I am not a Engadget fan at all but this time I am very glad that they covered it and put some pressure to Google. I am really frustrated about the touch screen issue.
I would of had ordered the nexus one the day it came out, but had issues with tmobile. Because no one at tmobile had a clue what was going on, and trying to fix my account, so i could order the phone for a reduced cost is not googles fault its tmobiles! i talked to 11 different people including 2 supervisors. they all are to dumb to look at my paperwork in the system to realize i got an upgrade 12 months prior when i got my g1. the people at tmobile store are to dumb to update the system. oops!!!!
i received the phone 5 days after the inital release, thought it was bs to pay 379, but thats what i paid for the g1 and its half of the hardware in the n1. i took it out of the box, started it up to make sure it worked. then rooted it!!!!
there may be a glitch here or there, which is not a big deal. its a brand new version of android, which no other phones have currently. so obviously there will be a few complaints. but when thousands of people are using a new device, they happen to find a few more problems then a few hundred. its just common sence.
those people that have an issue take a chill pill, this phone has great hardware on it, and has a great operating system. my phone has better hardware on it then some of my friends labtops...... and what did i pay..... 279 compared to what they paid for their labtops....
so regardless of what people say, i am a big fan of android!!!! have been since the day i picked it up and found out it was a linux kernal. thats the reason i bought my g1. but it was laggy, and slow, and didn't have a headphone jack. i had to wait a year for the n1 to come out, but it finally did. so everyone that has an issue with the N1 then go f*** yourself!!!!! ill be waiting happily for android 3.0 to come out!!!!
SANTilt said:
I don't see where you're getting the idea that everybody is hell bent on seeing the Nexus One fail.
I've had "nexus one" in the news and weather widget since day one, so I get just about anything with those two words in it as a news article. Yes, there are a few iPhone fan boy web sites out there that just wont admit the N1 is a great phone. But by and large, after the first week, and after other writers have had time to spend with the N1, they always like it, and a few have even dumped their iPhones for it.
The rest (and vast majority) of the articles out there are pointing out Google's major miscalculations with regards to the launch, shipping, and especially support of the Nexus One. They just weren't ready.
Now, since Google and the Nexus One are getting SO much press attention, any little problem the phone encounters, whether it be HTC's fault, Tmo's, or Googles, is getting sent out on BLAST.
It's Google that screwed up. Not the Nexus One. And nobody is calling for it's death, save for a couple loser fan boys.
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Maybe I need to capitalize the N in nexus one. Because my widget and going online has pointed to almost exclusively negative statements about the N1.
There was an explosion of articles based on Engadgets reviews...there was another explosion after that ridiculous screen test ...then another batch with the 3G issues.
Very few places are givig the N1 a fair shake. Ars technica , Diggnation/Kevin Rose , Leo Laporte being the only ones I can name that seemed either unbiased or admitted any bias.
Engadget , Boygenius ,TechCrunch,PC ,World etc have given some bizarre reviews and baseless feedback.
http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/03/26/t.mobile.hd2.may.be.runaway.success/
Although selling 21k units at launch isn't THAT impressive, the fact that it sold out is pretty impressive. T-mobile either purposely kept a short supply of them to create marketing buzz when it sells out, or they miscalculated the demand for the phone and didn't stock enough.
Whatever the case is, the HD2 is being well received here in the states.....I've gotten compliments on it here and there as I've been out and about. A lot of people saying 'I hear its better than the iPhone.' I pull out my iPhone and I tell them 'it is'.
mystik610 said:
http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/03/26/t.mobile.hd2.may.be.runaway.success/
Although selling 21k units at launch isn't THAT impressive, the fact that it sold out is pretty impressive. T-mobile either purposely kept a short supply of them to create marketing buzz when it sells out, or they miscalculated the demand for the phone and didn't stock enough.
Whatever the case is, the HD2 is being well received here in the states.....I've gotten compliments on it here and there as I've been out and about. A lot of people saying 'I hear its better than the iPhone.' I pull out my iPhone and I tell them 'it is'.
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i wonder why? i mean there hasn't been not as much commercials as the nexus1? and the nexus 1 sold about 20k in 1 month i think?
well myself loves the HTC brand first one was the 8525 aka the brick lol....this one with some custom work will be great it think
shu8i said:
i wonder why? i mean there hasn't been not as much commercials as the nexus1? and the nexus 1 sold about 20k in 1 month i think?
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The Nexus 1 is an excellent device...and really represents the best technology that's available for mobile phones. As a device its great, but from a marketing/distribution perspective, its a flop. Google has had an enourmous amount of success in the software/digital/web marketspace. 'Google' is a household word now and the word 'google' itself has become an adjective for looking something up on the internet. 'Google it'. Android is really taking off and showing a lot of promise, and is posing enough of a threat to Apple and Microsoft , and are forcing them to react. Apple is reacting in the form of lawsuits, Microsoft in the form of WP7.
The problem with the Nexus 1 is that google tried to apply concepts that led to their success in the software arena to the software/digital arena to the hardware arena. A lot of the success of Android is attributed to its open-source nature...its ability to grow and evolved without being inhibited to a closed platform. They tried to apply a similar concept to the Nexus 1 by trying to circumvent carriers and selling the phone directly through their website. They believed that carriers inhibit the growth of mobile devices.
In the end, they overlooked the importance of being able to go to a store and experience of phone first-hand. The beauty of the AMOLED screen is something you can only appreciate if you see it in person. They also overlooked the importance of having actual people marketing, selling, and flat-out educating people about the device. They can only sell so many units by relying on the tech-savvy folks who would go out of their way to follow and research the device online.
Beyond that, the market is saturated with Android phones, and by putting Android on so many platforms, they end up indirectly competing with their hardware partners (ie droid outselling the Nexus 1). This is in stark contrast to the iPhone, where they alone sell only 1 version of the iPhone and mobile OSX themselves. Why do you think the iPhone's sales figures look as good as they do?
http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/rehashplus/post.htm?id=63019568&scid=rvhm_ms
Gen 3 (Nexus One) came out mere weeks after the Milestone, using state-of-the-art technology not proven in the market. A shock to Motorola, certainly a shock to me, and I bought the Nexus One immediately when the specs were confirmed. How did it leapfrog Motorola's efforts? Probably because whoever made the Nexus One did not need to justify anything, project profits, etc. The only thing they needed to do was to make the Nexus COOL and to make it the bee's knees.
By all estimates, the Nexus One was a failure. Just because it had small sales numbers, limited distribution by telcos. But anyone who wanted it can buy it. For most people outside of the US, it's expensive like hell because it has none of the telco subsidy bull****. But it has no locks, no telco overlays, no badly customized custom user interfaces, it's easy to root, to hack, and to make it the phone of your dreams. It's the best handset I ever owned. Ever. Speaking of today, of course.
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The bolded really hit home.
I sincerely hope Google doesnt flat out give up on it. That they do have a sequel that will be available to all carriers. Nexus One pushed everything forward and back to back with the Droid legitimized Android as a premiere (and to many) THE premiere mobile OS. The amount of powerful handsets that have been dropped the last 7 months is ridiculous and only due to Android. Otherwise we'd still be stuck on Winmo 6.5 , an iPhone with no retina display or multitasking ,or a dead WebOS. Regardless of sales figures the Nexus one was the most important handset to drop this year.
Sadly because of those low sales figures Im not sure if we'll actually see a pure Google Nexus 2.
All these phones without colored trackballs have me worried too =-O.
p.s leave some comments...I tend to support bloggers/writers who can write without gross bias. This guy also happens to love N1.
Generally agree, except for the part of "By all estimates, the Nexus One was a failure". Low sales number don't equal failure. Look at PS3, they just broke even on that thing, and they sold A LOT.
Besides, google never planned to make money on phones. They are not htc. They don't make phones. They plan to make money on the OS and partnerships with manufacturers who want to run Android (+ google ads).
People forget that Nexus One, although branded as google phone, is actually an htc headset.
DarkDvr said:
Generally agree, except for the part of "By all estimates, the Nexus One was a failure". Low sales number don't equal failure. Look at PS3, they just broke even on that thing, and they sold A LOT.
Besides, google never planned to make money on phones. They are not htc. They don't make phones. They plan to make money on the OS and partnerships with manufacturers who want to run Android (+ google ads).
People forget that Nexus One, although branded as google phone, is actually an htc headset.
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It didnt shake anything up.
Most people have no Fn clue wth a Nexus One is.
Sales figures were laughable.
Thats what people will measure it by.
As a piece of technology it was massive success. Considering the BRUTAL bias and flat out bogus reviews it received , the 3g, wonky soft buttons , and MT problems you'd expect it to be a total dud.It was anything but.
xManMythLegend said:
It didnt shake anything up.
Most people have no Fn clue wth a Nexus One is.
Sales figures were laughable.
Thats what people will measure it by.
As a piece of technology it was massive success. Considering the BRUTAL bias and flat out bogus reviews it received , the 3g, wonky soft buttons , and MT problems you'd expect it to be a total dud.It was anything but.
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True, but I think we have to understand that goal was never to sell millions of Nexus Ones and make tons of money. N1 is kinda like a Android demo phone. Something that manufacturers and interested developers/users can try and see where Android is going, what it really is. That's the real goal, not to sell it as a regular money-making gizmo.
I think in that sense, N1 was a huge success. Think about it. Manuf. and developers tried it out, and loved it. Proof is that immediately manufacturers like htc, motorola and samsung (not even mentioning logitech, gm, cisco...) jumped on the bandwagon, seeing the potential in it.
I think the real hardware "money makers" were always intended to be Evo 4G, Galaxy S, some lower-end android phones that AT&T is launching.. Those are your standard gizmos whos success you can measure in sales numbers.
G1 -> Nexus One are special, their success is not to be measured in sales, but in exposure and future developments.
I have yet to handle any phone that feels as solid and expensive as my Nexus One.
I'd love to get my hands on a Nexus Two.
It doesn't even have spec rumors yet and I want it. I love the openness of it and that it's the one that gets Googles focus. Love it!
There won't be a nexus two.
Google is sitting on a pile of Nexus Ones and is trying to unload them anyway they can. It's painfully obvious retail hardware is not a business they want to further pursue.
Your best bet for another phone as open as the nexus will be the next developer phone, or something from Nokia's brand.
Google, give me a Nexus Two with the following:
4.3" Screen (720p-ish resolution)
Next-gen processor (hummingbird? or one of those duel-core cpus?)
768+ MB of RAM/ROM
Front Facing camera (VGA is fine)
8+ MP regular camera
Optical trackpad (see blackberry)
Hardware back, menu, home, search buttons
HDMI out
8GB internal storage (16 would be nice too )
Google have never actually said that the Nexus One was a failure right? They said that the Web Store is a failure as it didn't meet their expectations. The Nexus One not selling so many units is because it was only available on a failing web store. When Google announced they were closing the web store they said that Nexus One's will be sold in retail stores, they didn't say they are discontinuing the product like how Microsoft have with the Kin phones.
And Google have said that the reason the Nexus One didn't appear on Verizon and Sprint was because Google changed the sales model early on (choosing to close the web store but announcing it much later) and as the networks were going to get equivalent phones to the Nexus One, Google and the networks decided to pull out. I reckon the reason why the Nexus One was delayed so much on the Vodafone network was due to the fact that Google were changing their sales model.
However the Nexus One did achieve a goal of pushing manufactures to produce high quality phones. The Nexus One specs are now like a minimum for all future smartphones.
The nexus one was being produced at the same time as all the other HTC lineup, it's actually the lower end of HTC current snapdragon line.
Had google not bid on this specific model, we would proably be seeing this exact phone Labeled T-Mobile MyTouch HD or something without and unlockable bootloader.
do you guys honestly think google expected to sell millions of nexus one's when all they did is throw up a few ads on a few websites? they didnt do any primetime TV ads, nothing. you honestly think that google didnt do that on purpose? no way would they have expected huge sales with that kind of marketing platform (or lack thereof). they wanted a develper phone, and that's what they got. of course if they bought primetime TV space like apple does, then they would have sold a lot more. i dont see how people fail to see this logic.
JCopernicus said:
There won't be a nexus two.
Google is sitting on a pile of Nexus Ones and is trying to unload them anyway they can. It's painfully obvious retail hardware is not a business they want to further pursue.
Your best bet for another phone as open as the nexus will be the next developer phone, or something from Nokia's brand.
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If that'd be true in any way, u'd see discounted prices and specials for N1.
Do you? Cause if you find one, I'd love to be proven wrong (my friend wants nothing but N1 now).
DarkDvr said:
If that'd be true in any way, u'd see discounted prices and specials for N1.
Do you? Cause if you find one, I'd love to be proven wrong (my friend wants nothing but N1 now).
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They still have an investment in them, they're not going to willingly lose that money.
My comment was directed at their current strategy of selling them in "retail stores all over the place".
RogerPodacter said:
do you guys honestly think google expected to sell millions of nexus one's when all they did is throw up a few ads on a few websites? they didnt do any primetime TV ads, nothing. you honestly think that google didnt do that on purpose? no way would they have expected huge sales with that kind of marketing platform (or lack thereof). they wanted a develper phone, and that's what they got. of course if they bought primetime TV space like apple does, then they would have sold a lot more. i dont see how people fail to see this logic.
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EXACTLY. You guys are jumping on a bandwagon of "N1 was a fail". It's completely wrong. Stop believing stuff that some trolls write on a forum.
It's extremelly shallow to think that all things that are released are released to sell as many as possible. Or that pure "items sold" would give you an idea of how successfull item was.
There are many, many cases of special edition cars, stereo systems, you name it. Some items are designed and sold for a different purpose. To increase awareness, to hit a small portion of the market. To create a sense of "rarity" or "urgency", etc etc.
Want proof? Ok. Remember the GMAIL model. First year or two you could ONLY get gmail by INVITE. If you didn't know, google wrote a book on "Virus Marketing". Creating a sense of rareness, coolness and priviledge towards a certain item. It works, they're not idiots. They are doing the same thing with N1. Just enough marketing to sell them, but not enough to sate people with the idea. Think about it.
In a way, you're holding a rare (or soon to be), barely advertised, special edition Android 2 phone. Don't complain that not everyone bought one. It was never meant to be.
Besides.. don't be naive. If google (one of biggest web advertisers in the world) would want to REALLY advertise their phone... Trust you me, they'd advertise the BEJESUS out of it. They'd sell millions worldwide. That's just not their goal.
JCopernicus said:
They still have an investment in them, they're not going to willingly lose that money.
My comment was directed at their current strategy of selling them in "retail stores all over the place".
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Changing from online sales to store sales does NOT equal failed product.
Even if google indeed got dissapointed with online sale model, it doesn't mean that N1 is an epic fail, as quote from first post states.
I never said it was a failed product, they've already turned a profit on it.
Changing your primary business model shows your product wasn't a great success.
JCopernicus said:
I never said it was a failed product, they've already turned a profit on it.
Changing your primary business model shows your product wasn't a great success.
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Correct but the product that wasn't a success is the Google Web Store, not the Nexus One.
The Web Store failed, the Nexus One didn't.
Sarg92 said:
Correct but the product that wasn't a success is the Google Web Store, not the Nexus One.
The Web Store failed, the Nexus One didn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is more in general, and not directed specifically at you, Sarg, but at some of the similar comments along the same lines.
I'm pretty sure Google was aware of these things prior to selling the N1:
1 - Most people in the states buy phones subsidized from the carriers
2 - Most people don't want to shell out almost $600 for a phone
3 - The economy kinda sucks
Why would they proceed, knowing the above, if they intended the N1 to be as successful as the iPhone?
Perhaps, just perhaps, Google is aware of a small but serious community of people who love technology and want the latest and greatest. Perhaps Google's goal all along was to target a select few and push the development of the OS, the apps, and the general market for Android devices.
To me, the N1 is really like phase 2 or 3 in a lengthy strategic plan that is, in all aspects, going rather well.
1 - Secure an OS (Purchase of Android)
2 - Develop and market and OS (Release of G1)
3 - Grow the base
a - Advertise Androidb - Put out more Android devicesc - Release a killer device to spur OS, app, and marketshare development4 - Drop more serious Android devices (and we're seeing a ton now)
5 - World domination
The indent feature on 3a, b, and c didn't work quite like planned, but c'est la vie. You get the idea.
th0r615 said:
Google, give me a Nexus Two with the following:
4.3" Screen (720p-ish resolution)
Next-gen processor (hummingbird? or one of those duel-core cpus?)
768+ MB of RAM/ROM
Front Facing camera (VGA is fine)
8+ MP regular camera
Optical trackpad (see blackberry)
Hardware back, menu, home, search buttons
HDMI out
8GB internal storage (16 would be nice too )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could imagine with Gingerbread coming in October, and the fact that the Dev 2 phone (myTouch) doesn't fit any of the requirements, that we'll see a pretty updated Dev 3 phone designed specifically for Gingerbread.
That's would make logical sense to me anyway.
I wish nexus one had more storage (4GB or higher) because it can't rely on memory card as it may fail. In addition, more storage can let me store more music on the phone itself and free the memory card for video.
Generally I am happy with nexus one and I think the migration from WM is a right decision.
Why do manufacturers pump out so many phones, with none making a real name for themselves? It seems like if HTC released maybe three phones, and every network could have them, they would get some momentum, and a franchise product; a "Name" for themselves. Because no manufacturer does this, I don't think there will ever be an Android to stand up sales wise with the iPhone.
Imo, back in June, HTC should have used the Evo name and ran with it:
Evo
Evo Compact (the Incredible)
Evo Shift
Then once a year or even bi-yearly, the whole line is updated for all carriers with sequential numbers added to the end, ala apple. Does this not seem like a better model? It must not be I assume, because it's not what is being done... but I feel like with the Evo and Incredible being such great phones they would really gain significant traction had they had similar names, and been available on all networks... Instead there is Evo, Incredible, Atria, Thunderbolt, Pyramid, etc. Really confusing.
well..
verizon is trying that with the "droid" name... notice how many have that? they have put a lot of branding to that brandname... "droid"
TMobile has the brand "mytouch"
rumor is ..
sprint will work with the "EVO" branding. EVO and EVO Shift.
Yeah, thats true, and I guess I might would add the shift to my above lineup, so they have a keyboard model... but what I meant, and i just realized I didn't make it obvious in my post was, why do they send basically the same phone with a slightly altered design and different name to different carriers, as opposed to releasing one line up to all?
Edit: So from rereading what you said, it seems like the carrier has a big say in what the name of the phone is? Or is it up to the manufacturer?
i would guess.. that the carriers have a large say in the names.
why would they make a few changes? again this is my guess.
it is a marketing thing... for PRICE specials....
if all 4 carriers had the exact same phone... then they loose some "identity". think of Yukon, Suburban, Escalade, Tahoe.
also..if one carrier has one on sale then the others will have to match the price. If not then the customers might feel a little cheated.
if different name or slight look change, the no longer have to match the price. Most dont know that they are the same; again look at the SUV example i gave.
Think about when Walmart has a Samsung LCD tv on sale.. it is model XY2100. Best Buy has the same samsung LCD XY2100B. they have the exact same specs, but the Best Buy has a chrome panel. Sorry no price match.
I 2nd this big time.
I'm in complete agreement with this OP, and in fact was thinking the exact same thing the other day.
Android has such a confusing and fragmented ecosystem that's it's not funny. I believe this is a result of the "young & wild" thinking behind the business model of the original Open Handset Alliance that Google helped form during Anrdroid's inception. Google came forth with a set of rules, but were perhaps a little too loose on their requirements. They made a set of hardware parameters that Android phones "should" utilize. And in a desperate attempt to become relevant during the iphone craze of the last few years, said "have at it, go build some Androids".
I understand the thinking behind such a model, as not everyone needs, or can afford a high end device i.e., Evo, Incredible, Droid X etc. Some people want to spend $100 or less and have a data enabled phone without giant touch screens, and 5+ MP camera functions. They just want to text, and download ringtones etc, as this is economically viable.
This model has some major pitfalls however, being that; 1) With marketing ploys like Verizon's "Droid", & 2) A new low end Android phone coming out every month -
Android as a whole becomes more and more anonymous and confusing to the average consumer. A lot of people are already walking around asking, "What the hell is Android anyway?" They know they want a smart phone, or maybe even the ubiquitous iPhone like all of their friends and family have... They hear about Android, and how cool and open it is, then go to purchase one from ATT, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Tmobile, Etc... WTF, who to go with, and now, which phone! Wait, what do you mean I can only get the Galaxy Captivate on ATT? Why can I only get the Evo on Sprint, and the G2 on TMO?
Not a very fluid purchase, and then to find out that your precious phone won't be receiving the latest OS updates becomes the nail in the coffin.
This is the biggest thing I've noticed about Android since purchasing my Evo in June. If I didn't have some technical know how, and the support of XDA, my Evo would be near obsolete already. However, I am not the "average" consumer, I love to hack things. Most people want a good phone that will last a year or two, and not have to feel buyer's remorse every few months when a better and faster device hits the shelves.
You could make the same argument about Apple devices with their yearly refresh, and most technology for that matter but I feel the impact of this phenomenon may be greatest with Android... It's almost as if the marketing gurus at all the big telco's want to cram as much of this stuff out into the public, before we realize what's going on, and don't want it anymore.
I love Android, and my Evo is a good phone (not great), but I clearly see behind their marketing fluff, and their poorly disguised ecosystem if you can call it that.
Don't even get me started on the failure that is the Android Market.... Ugh...
What a messy, clusterf¨©k. An unorganized, unregulated, bloated piece of $Free.99 garbage. Google seems to actually encourage "free w/ads" apps over developers making GOOD apps, and getting paid for them!
Not to mention the lack of security, repetition, and licensing infringement that runs rampant throughout. This may seem off topic, but it all ties in to the lack of standardization that plagues Google, and Android as a whole.
If I were Google's CEO, I would clamp down fast in a clear and concise manner with Motorola, HTC and LG etc, and call for better hardware standardization, less marketing fluff, and actually give Devs a reason to want to get involved with the Android market. One way of doing this would be to stop selling old hardware (read, crappy) repackaged in a new phone.
Granted, Android sales are huge right now, but if they stay on this rocky path, the Big G may soon find themselves in a sales plateau, if not on their way to a canyon. They set out to be different, which is good, but sometimes different ends up being strange.
to cater to everyones needs
Most people I know usually refer HTC brand as the Cadillac of phones.
And @Mitch...like apple dont have 1000's of pointless and useless apps and without a option to refund.
Touche' Phatman,
I wasn't trying to rant or complain, so sorry if I did. I've had a mixed experience with my phone, (and it shows.)
Touch>Touch Pro>Touch Pro 2
Sent From My HTC Evo 4G On The Now Network From Sprint Using Tapatalk Pro!
I've been talking a lot with my friends about this who are also Android users. I know there are a lot of opinions about the Pixel, so I thought it would be interesting to make a thread to check back on in 6 months from launch to see how things panned out. At the end of the day either Google is correct with this phone, or the community was right in predicting the change. I figured 6 months is enough time to get the phone in the pipeline and where a price cut would be susceptible if one were to occur.
Here's my analysis:
Existing problems:
1. Pixel phone contains basic vanilla Android at the same price as an iPhone and Samsung with feature filled software skins.
2. Apple and Samsung both have established their product in the marketplace, unlike the Pixel. Samsung didn't get any real traction until the Galaxy S3/Note 3.........three generations in.....this is Pixel's first.
3. The biggest competitor (Galaxy/Note 7), both have expandable SD card storage and water resistance that the Pixel does not.
4. Only exclusive on Verizon, which allows only a small population to get it subsidized. (Both Apple/Samsung sell contract subsidized phones for BOTH Verizon and Sprint which creates a lower barrier to entry).
5. Google assistant which is one of its selling points, I don't see a huge immediate use for it unlike a better camera, or water resistance. There is a variant of this type of technology already out. It's called "SIRI" for iPhone and "S-Voice" for Samsung. It's been out for years and I don't know anyone personally who uses either on a daily basis. (or at all)
6. There are no "frills" to this phone. I keep saying that, however; the typically buyer of iPhone/Samsung do not know anything about the internals or the hardware. (How else would Apple get people to buy $3,000 laptops ? It's not the hardware they are buying). The phone is just too plain for mainstream appeal. Next time you see someone with a Samsung ask them if their bootloader is locked........then ask it in Japanese....you'll get the same response.
Pixel is taking aim at "mainstream", yet offering very little in terms of "frills" that mainstream typically likes yet charging flagship pricing. There is already a significant conflict in this strategy.
It's obvious based on the chart I uploaded Google's competency is not hardware unlike Apple......which would explain a lot. While I love Android, it's a small revenue of their overall revenue. Most likely, they are looking to diversify from just search and add to the bottom line as well from the smartphone market. It's very bold to try and compete against Apple that gets 53% of their overall revenue from iPhone alone, when Google has very little experience in that area (hardware).
Prediction:
In 6 months (or less), the Pixel phones will get price cuts to the same price as the 5x ($379) and 6p ($499). The phone won't be a flop and Google will keep it, but the price point was set too high. I don't think the phone is a total bust, but I do think with 99% certainty that this was priced too high to be competitive........Google just doesn't know it yet
Google right now can't even manage a proper messenger app (messenger, hangouts, allo.....seriously which one am I supposed to use Google ?), canceled Project Ara, canceled Google Glass, etc.......there's a lack of direction with the company needless to say.
Edit: Google search for Pixel compared to iPhone and Galaxy S7 (I left out Note 7 due to exploding battery interest) which has fallen off a cliff since the Pixel debut.
great post =) I agree with you
Well written. Very clear.
For me there is also a design problem.
The material design is too white and hurts my eyes especially in the evening. A dark theme is needed. So I am using Aquamail and not Gmail and apps with a dark theme. And black layers.
Maybe the Chinese will produce a better and cheaper phone. Who knows.
Maybe G is heading to a closed system ?
Or it could be the repeat of Google Pixel C with temporary "developer" discounts before the price goes back to list price. They don't seem to be too bothered about shifting stock.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA-Developers mobile app
According to The Verge websites interview with Google's hardware chief, Google knows the first generation Pixel phone won't sale in volumes and expects to gain little market share, apparently there is long term strategy behind the scenes with the release of these first Pixel phones. Here's a quote from that article.
"We certainly arent going to have enormous volumes out of this product. This is very first innings for us." Googles metric of success for Pixel wont be whether it picks up significant market share, but whether it can garner customer satisfaction and form retail and carrier partnerships that Google can leverage for years to come."
http://www.theverge.com/a/google-pixel-phone-new-hardware-interview-2016
As for the cancellation of Google Glass and other Google hardware, that was done by the recently hired Google hardware chief so he could bring all the hardware teams together to focus on same objectives, so it appears Google now has a sense of direction, thanks to this new hardware chief aka ex-Motorola president. Here's a quote from another interview, just for reference.
"When Osterloh, 44, came on board in mid-April, he brought Google hardware groups into one division, shuttering projects he didn't see contributing to Googles future. Now the engineers and designers from Google Glass, Chromecast and Pixel all work together. Keeping them separate, he says, made it hard to drive toward the goal of portfolio strategy and focus."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-google-s-first-real-threat-to-apple-s-iphone
In order to gain customer satisfaction they need to have customers, and the feedback everywhere I look is that they've already caused dissatisfaction with their prices and therefore won't have a solid customer base - especially after alienating so many Nexus owners with the ludicrous six-week Nougat delay and the dropping of the Nexus line.
dahawthorne said:
In order to gain customer satisfaction they need to have customers, and the feedback everywhere I look is that they've already caused dissatisfaction with their prices and therefore won't have a solid customer base - especially after alienating so many Nexus owners with the ludicrous six-week Nougat delay and the dropping of the Nexus line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As much as I love the Nexus and it's contributing users, they probably don't make up enough market share for Google to care. Most Nexus owners are phone enthusiasts, who make up a very small percentage of the smartphone market.
Some Pixel phones are already sold out in the Google Store, so people are buying them. It remains to be seen if it will be enough for their "Customer Satisfaction" goal but from their interview, they don't seem to feel the need to sell a whole lot in order to make that goal, at least initially.
mikeprius said:
I've been talking a lot with my friends about this who are also Android users. I know there are a lot of opinions about the Pixel, so I thought it would be interesting to make a thread to check back on in 6 months from launch to see how things panned out. At the end of the day either Google is correct with this phone, or the community was right in predicting the change. I figured 6 months is enough time to get the phone in the pipeline and where a price cut would be susceptible if one were to occur.
Here's my analysis:
Existing problems:
1. Pixel phone contains basic vanilla Android at the same price as an iPhone and Samsung with feature filled software skins.
This is called Bloat to me basic vanilla Android is a huge plus
2. Apple and Samsung both have established their product in the marketplace, unlike the Pixel. Samsung didn't get any real traction until the Galaxy S3/Note 3.........three generations in.....this is Pixel's first.
Even though Samsungs are some of the most bloated locked down devices and iPhones are not Android devices Google with Pixel branding I just a continuation. I do agree more Samsung Devices and iPhones will be sold but so what?
3. The biggest competitor (Galaxy/Note 7), both have expandable SD card storage and water resistance that the Pixel does not.
My new phone will have 128Gig do I really need more, unlimited cloud storage for photos will help too
4. Only exclusive on Verizon, which allows only a small population to get it subsidized. (Both Apple/Samsung sell contract subsidized phones for BOTH Verizon and Sprint which creates a lower barrier to entry).
I am not American but they do sell SIM unlocked devices in the States do they not?
5. Google assistant which is one of its selling points, I don't see a huge immediate use for it unlike a better camera, or water resistance. There is a variant of this type of technology already out. It's called "SIRI" for iPhone and "S-Voice" for Samsung. It's been out for years and I don't know anyone personally who uses either on a daily basis. (or at all)
I owned 16 smartphones since the iPhone and not once did lack of water resistance bother me and I had zero devices with water damage. Google Assist can not see me using it often but only time will tell
6. There are no "frills" to this phone. I keep saying that, however; the typically buyer of iPhone/Samsung do not know anything about the internals or the hardware. (How else would Apple get people to buy $3,000 laptops ? It's not the hardware they are buying). The phone is just too plain for mainstream appeal. Next time you see someone with a Samsung ask them if their bootloader is locked........then ask it in Japanese....you'll get the same response.
First to get Android updates, first device with Qualcomm 821, first with official daydream support, and yes at least some say this will have the best camera
Pixel is taking aim at "mainstream", yet offering very little in terms of "frills" that mainstream typically likes yet charging flagship pricing. There is already a significant conflict in this strategy.
Why do you think they are gearing this for the mainstream, they never had in the past?
It's obvious based on the chart I uploaded Google's competency is not hardware unlike Apple......which would explain a lot. While I love Android, it's a small revenue of their overall revenue. Most likely, they are looking to diversify from just search and add to the bottom line as well from the smartphone market. It's very bold to try and compete against Apple that gets 53% of their overall revenue from iPhone alone, when Google has very little experience in that area (hardware).
Google builds nothing they are contracting HTC to build the Pixel, Pixel XL. Nobody expects them every to sell more of the current Pixel phones than Apple sells
Prediction:
In 6 months (or less), the Pixel phones will get price cuts to the same price as the 5x ($379) and 6p ($499). The phone won't be a flop and Google will keep it, but the price point was set too high. I don't think the phone is a total bust, but I do think with 99% certainty that this was priced too high to be competitive........Google just doesn't know it yet
Google right now can't even manage a proper messenger app (messenger, hangouts, allo.....seriously which one am I supposed to use Google ?), canceled Project Ara, canceled Google Glass, etc.......there's a lack of direction with the company needless to say.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who knows about the price I do know the 32 Gig Nexus 6p was selling for $600 Canadian (I do not know what American pay) and in 6 months I can not see Google pricing the Pixel XL 32Gig lower. Sell more than Samsung and Apple no not believes this will every happen but different people by Samsung and Apple. People that generally never visit XDA and they are happy with whatever bloat Samsung and Apple gives them.
Maybe they are trying to create the equivalent of surface devices like Microsoft? I have no clue how that helps either of the companies. Maybe the idea is to just create a premium brand Google running Android even if every device sold loses money. Kind of like what Acura has to do with the NSX. It's an attempt to push the brand into a premium device discussion.
However, I definitely don't see anything that premium in the device. I don't see anything that premium in an iPhone either except that the lemmings have decided it is a premium product so like the unreliable Mercedes Benz cars out there, they retain resale value. At some point it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
To achieve a perception of being a premium product like Apple products, Google probably has to fire most of the tech guys running the hardware division and hire a real marketing team. The Oct 4 presentation was astonishingly lackluster. Same amount of glamour as a BlackBerry presentation. Bunch of geeks thinking just because they have a search engine cash cow, they must know everything else there is to know about the business world.
Honestly what the Nexus/pixel and allo/duo/messenger/hangouts mess should teach us is that these guys like going back to the drawing board way too often. This is not a mature company and will abandon loyal customers without hesitation if someone decides that's the cool thing to do. Project Fi customers, you will be next.
So in a nutshell don't over analyze Google, it's just a bunch of high school kids doing experiments in a Chemistry Lab. At some point there will be purple foam and a few explosions.
And there is no point hitching yourself to this wagon. Don't buy anything Google tries to market as premium. They don't have the discipline to maintain a message. Eventually everything they sell will be priced like a commodity.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA-Developers mobile app
might want to modify the thread title's date. It's currently "10/5/16-4/5/16"; I'm pretty sure you meant "10/5/16-4/5/17"
First device with SD821? Not.
Google/Nexus phones were successful, because they targeted a specific niche that no one else did; devs/enthusiasts/folks who wanted to tinker and modify their phones completely and without restrictions.
Pixel phones have NOTHING that is "niche" driven; they are just like Apple/Samsung/who ever, with nothing really unique(S Pen, etc) to attract anyone really..
Sure, they will get the curious newbie/Iphone/Samsung lovers, but, those folks already have alot of choices, and those choices have alot more "features" that those folks want.
So, I cant fathom how this device will be anything more than a novelty, especially at that ridiculous price point..
mikeprius said:
I've been talking a lot with my friends about this who are also Android users. I know there are a lot of opinions about the Pixel, so I thought it would be interesting to make a thread to check back on in 6 months from launch to see how things panned out. At the end of the day either Google is correct with this phone, or the community was right in predicting the change. I figured 6 months is enough time to get the phone in the pipeline and where a price cut would be susceptible if one were to occur.
Yadda, yadda, yadda............................................[emoji23]
.
Google right now can't even manage a proper messenger app (messenger, hangouts, allo.....seriously which one am I supposed to use Google ?), canceled Project Ara, canceled Google Glass, etc.......there's a lack of direction with the company needless to say.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great post! Lots of info there. [SARCASM] You might have a bit too much time on your hands though. [emoji1] [/SARCASM]
khanam said:
Honestly what the Nexus/pixel and allo/duo/messenger/hangouts mess should teach us is that these guys like going back to the drawing board way too often. This is not a mature company and will abandon loyal customers without hesitation if someone decides that's the cool thing to do. Project Fi customers, you will be next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO, Nexus/Pixel is not a mess, they are simply trying to gain market share other than the developer/techie community. I would bet that they will end up partnering with all of the major carriers to sell the phones subsidized, Verizon just got the nod for release day because it is the biggest. The pixels will also come down in price from the play store as well.
As far as the Duo/allo/hangouts/messenger thing, from what I've been reading they are trying to market hangouts to the enterprise side of the mobile market. I never really used it for anything other than video calls now and again. Duo is much more convenient for video calls, although I wish they would have just incorporated it into the dialer kind of how FaceTime is on iphone. I don't know what to think about allo. It doesn't handle sms, and it doesn't do anything that other already established apps do as good or better.
I'm just going to wait it out to see if the price comes down, or if my carrier gets it. If not, oh well, I will explore other options at that time. After all I'm still paying for my N6 through January...
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
mikeprius said:
1. Pixel phone contains basic vanilla Android at the same price as an iPhone and Samsung with feature filled software skins.
2. Apple and Samsung both have established their product in the marketplace, unlike the Pixel. Samsung didn't get any real traction until the Galaxy S3/Note 3.........three generations in.....this is Pixel's first.
3. The biggest competitor (Galaxy/Note 7), both have expandable SD card storage and water resistance that the Pixel does not.
4. Only exclusive on Verizon, which allows only a small population to get it subsidized. (Both Apple/Samsung sell contract subsidized phones for BOTH Verizon and Sprint which creates a lower barrier to entry).
5. Google assistant which is one of its selling points, I don't see a huge immediate use for it unlike a better camera, or water resistance. There is a variant of this type of technology already out. It's called "SIRI" for iPhone and "S-Voice" for Samsung. It's been out for years and I don't know anyone personally who uses either on a daily basis. (or at all)
6. There are no "frills" to this phone. I keep saying that, however; the typically buyer of iPhone/Samsung do not know anything about the internals or the hardware. (How else would Apple get people to buy $3,000 laptops ? It's not the hardware they are buying). The phone is just too plain for mainstream appeal. Next time you see someone with a Samsung ask them if their bootloader is locked........then ask it in Japanese....you'll get the same response.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. If you asked a user what was the difference between Touchwiz and vanilla Android, until Material Design the only thing they said was: Samsung looks nicer. Because Holo was ugly. But Material design changed that, so now basic Android is not ugly anymore. As for the gimmicks, a casual user will only use a fraction of the TouchWiz "features", and a vanilla Android user will not be missing any of those "features".
Pixel ha nice round icons, and a praised camera. You can consider it sold.
2. From the above linked interview this is the first step to establish Pixel as a product for the masses and not just for the techies. The are planning to sell 3-4 million units (good look with that). But even that's at least one order or magnitude below of the quantity Samsung and Apple sell. Google never bragged how many units they sold, you can't find official statistics, but it's obviously "not a damn lot", that's for sure.
3. And the iPhone does not have an SD card slot. The Galaxy S6 was a mistake for Samsung in every aspect, because they took away three things in one step: SD card, removable battery and custom roms. So there was a huge uproar, much bigger if they only played with these feature one at a time.
I too prefer an SD card, coming from Samsung phones, it was given, yet after one year using a mere 32GB phone I still live. So it's not a make/brake condition for me when buying a new phone.
5. It's a gimmick like Samsung's air gestures, keep awake when reading, knock twice on top to scroll to the top. You use it once then forget it. I bet for a week or two everybody will play with the assistant then forget it.
Compared to that Google Now cards are very useful, I use the Time to work, Time home card every day, and it helps avoiding the construction that kills the city, and to decide when it's totally beyond reason to leave home.
6. There are no real "frills". There are only those that some marketing think tank succeeds in convincing you that you actually need it. The camera is a frill enough to sell it, so it's the speed. Having the hardware from the start Google could optimize it a little to be better than the other manufacturers.
It is a mess. I compare it to the failures Apple had right after the Lisa, nonsense sales prediction with a exorbitant price point.
They can partner with as many carriers as they want over there (America, the world isn't just that) or try to subsidise phones.
Worldwide subsidisation of phones is impractical. And outside America the prices are even worse.
Highway 55 said:
IMO, Nexus/Pixel is not a mess, they are simply trying to gain market share other than the developer/techie community. I would bet that they will end up partnering with all of the major carriers to sell the phones subsidized, Verizon just got the nod for release day because it is the biggest. The pixels will also come down in price from the play store as well.
As far as the Duo/allo/hangouts/messenger thing, from what I've been reading they are trying to market hangouts to the enterprise side of the mobile market. I never really used it for anything other than video calls now and again. Duo is much more convenient for video calls, although I wish they would have just incorporated it into the dialer kind of how FaceTime is on iphone. I don't know what to think about allo. It doesn't handle sms, and it doesn't do anything that other already established apps do as good or better.
I'm just going to wait it out to see if the price comes down, or if my carrier gets it. If not, oh well, I will explore other options at that time. After all I'm still paying for my N6 through January...
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure why they abandoned hangouts for consumers - it was quite an all encompassing product for most of us between everything it handled - it just needed some tightening and polish but we finally had SMS, Voicemail, Video calling, IM, IP Calling all in 1. Now i have too many apps - when i instead want to simplify my life. No one likes to have something they were finding useful suddenly lose features - that just reeks of big brotherism - someone else deciding whats best for me instead of considering my own inputs.
On the pixel/nexus thing though - the way they should have done it is kept the nexus line alive and added a pixel or 2 phones with slightly more premium features but at a slightly higher price, then next generation a little higher price and so on.
That would have given all of us time to adjust and experiment. You do not just increase prices and abandon the nexus line without warning. That feels like them deciding what is best for us - like apple does. Give consumers choice, price products appropriately and allow them to cross bridges on price, features etc.
This abandoning nexus and replacing it with a non vanilla high priced pixel move is too sudden. That is why it feels like they do not listen to consumers and instead impose their vision on us. Who would like that? I chose to abandon iOS to have freedom - but the more they take those away from me - the more i look at Google and say, well this is not what i wanted. Locked bootloaders - does that not go against the very foundation of Android?
Another point - this AI push through Allo/Assistant is slowly going to convert you into a data contribution toward an engine - do you actually need to pay extra to lose your privacy - should that not happen in such a way that you get a discount on other products (i.e. your phone for example) which act as the conduit for your revealing your choices to the central database/skynet?
unfortunately, the mopes who sit in the production/sales meeting, only care about looking good to their bosses/making their bosses look good, and raise profits for shareholders..
They talk about how much Apple/Samsung charge for their phones, and sell 20 times more than Google does, so they figure, hey, lets just copy their business model, and we will look like heros.
Customers needs/wants get pushed to the back of the list, and market share/greater profits are all that matters..
And yeah, it sucks that we can now pay more for another "me too" phone, and, at the same time, surrender even more of our privacy, while paying through the nose for another Apple Clone..
No thanks, never a Pixel phone for me, at ANY price..
mixedguy said:
As much as I love the Nexus and it's contributing users, they probably don't make up enough market share for Google to care. Most Nexus owners are phone enthusiasts, who make up a very small percentage of the smartphone market.
Some Pixel phones are already sold out in the Google Store, so people are buying them. It remains to be seen if it will be enough for their "Customer Satisfaction" goal but from their interview, they don't seem to feel the need to sell a whole lot in order to make that goal, at least initially.
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Nexus no..it's a small segment. Android as a whole for Google is a very small amount of their revenue. Clearly the release of the Pixel is designed to make it a more considerable source of revenue for Google. They are not very diversified at the moment. All their money is in search.
AstroDigital said:
Who knows about the price I do know the 32 Gig Nexus 6p was selling for $600 Canadian (I do not know what American pay) and in 6 months I can not see Google pricing the Pixel XL 32Gig lower. Sell more than Samsung and Apple no not believes this will every happen but different people by Samsung and Apple. People that generally never visit XDA and they are happy with whatever bloat Samsung and Apple gives them.
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The United States there are 4 primary carriers (there are others, but the big 4 are AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile). Before all 4 carriers did this, but 2 still do and that is offer 24 month contracts to be signed for a subsidized phone. So for example a $800 iPhone can be bought at Verizon or Sprint for $200-$300 depending on the model, current or past, etc, etc. That's how iPhone was able to be made available in mass. There's no way the people in the US could buy these phones outright at their current cost in large populations. It's outside many people's affordability.
All these products full price are out of the affordability for nearly everyone, so either they use the contract or use payments. With exclusive Verizon, everyone will do payments or buy outright (smaller population)......many people still use the contract that I know, taking this off the table for one carrier reduces accessibility.
Also, 2 of the 4 carriers in the US are CMDA technology not GSM so unlocked phones are limited. My carrier is CMDA so I cannot buy Xperia, One plus 3, or Axon 7. If I could, I'd have bought the One plus 3. Instead I'm stuck with the Nexus or some "whitelisted" device.
istperson said:
1. If you asked a user what was the difference between Touchwiz and vanilla Android, until Material Design the only thing they said was: Samsung looks nicer. Because Holo was ugly. But Material design changed that, so now basic Android is not ugly anymore. As for the gimmicks, a casual user will only use a fraction of the TouchWiz "features", and a vanilla Android user will not be missing any of those "features".
Pixel ha nice round icons, and a praised camera. You can consider it sold.
2. From the above linked interview this is the first step to establish Pixel as a product for the masses and not just for the techies. The are planning to sell 3-4 million units (good look with that). But even that's at least one order or magnitude below of the quantity Samsung and Apple sell. Google never bragged how many units they sold, you can't find official statistics, but it's obviously "not a damn lot", that's for sure.
3. And the iPhone does not have an SD card slot. The Galaxy S6 was a mistake for Samsung in every aspect, because they took away three things in one step: SD card, removable battery and custom roms. So there was a huge uproar, much bigger if they only played with these feature one at a time.
I too prefer an SD card, coming from Samsung phones, it was given, yet after one year using a mere 32GB phone I still live. So it's not a make/brake condition for me when buying a new phone.
5. It's a gimmick like Samsung's air gestures, keep awake when reading, knock twice on top to scroll to the top. You use it once then forget it. I bet for a week or two everybody will play with the assistant then forget it.
Compared to that Google Now cards are very useful, I use the Time to work, Time home card every day, and it helps avoiding the construction that kills the city, and to decide when it's totally beyond reason to leave home.
6. There are no real "frills". There are only those that some marketing think tank succeeds in convincing you that you actually need it. The camera is a frill enough to sell it, so it's the speed. Having the hardware from the start Google could optimize it a little to be better than the other manufacturers.
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While I can laugh at most people who become enamored with gimmicks, that's what sells. The stupid air gestures, and whatever toggles Samsung has that people flock to. They have no idea what chip is in their phone. Same goes for iPhone.
Everything else you are saying are your own personal preferences, not what mainstream people want. Majority of society is easily distracted by shiny gimmicks, engages in herd mentality buying decisions, and want instant gratification........these people are not "astute buyers" by any means, but they are the people who open their wallets and purses to buy these products.............it's pathetic but that's how the market is. Samsung and iPhone meet all these "needs". Pixel does not.
mixedguy said:
According to The Verge websites interview with Google's hardware chief, Google knows the first generation Pixel phone won't sale in volumes and expects to gain little market share, apparently there is long term strategy behind the scenes with the release of these first Pixel phones. Here's a quote from that article.
"We certainly arent going to have enormous volumes out of this product. This is very first innings for us." Googles metric of success for Pixel wont be whether it picks up significant market share, but whether it can garner customer satisfaction and form retail and carrier partnerships that Google can leverage for years to come."
http://www.theverge.com/a/google-pixel-phone-new-hardware-interview-2016
As for the cancellation of Google Glass and other Google hardware, that was done by the recently hired Google hardware chief so he could bring all the hardware teams together to focus on same objectives, so it appears Google now has a sense of direction, thanks to this new hardware chief aka ex-Motorola president. Here's a quote from another interview, just for reference.
"When Osterloh, 44, came on board in mid-April, he brought Google hardware groups into one division, shuttering projects he didn't see contributing to Googles future. Now the engineers and designers from Google Glass, Chromecast and Pixel all work together. Keeping them separate, he says, made it hard to drive toward the goal of portfolio strategy and focus."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-google-s-first-real-threat-to-apple-s-iphone
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The Google glass and other hardware that they were experimenting with does make sense b/c it was untested and they were looking at pioneering a new potential product. There's no existing prior benchmark. That has more leeway including cancellation which I understand. I think long-term it is a good idea Google has more control over the hardware and not just software because there has been too much fragmentation across the board in devices and with other Google products.
With that said, smartphones have been out for many years now, with the saturation really beginning to take hold in 2009 and forward (where more and more people were rapidly buying smartphones). There's enough data they could have made a more intelligent analysis on how to price the product (which I suspect is way too high).