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No Verizon Partnership For Google's Nexus One
starglider29a writes with news that Google and Verizon Wireless have abandoned plans for a partnership that would bring the Nexus One to the carrier's network. "Without a Verizon partnership, Google loses access to the carrier's more than 90 million customers, potentially blocking the phone from gaining more widespread popularity. The breakdown of the deal signals Verizon may view Google as a competitor rather than a partner when it comes to Nexus One sales, which are probably at less than half a million since the phone's January debut, said BGC Partners's Colin Gillis." A Google spokesman said, "We won't be selling a Nexus One with Verizon and this is a reflection of the amazing innovation happening across the open Android ecosystem." In a brief blog post, Google recommends a similar, Android-based phone from HTC for customers who want Verizon service.
Google's idea was great, but it doesn't work in the current carrier-controlled (and I don't mean this in a conspiracy-theorist way) market. The phone is just too expensive up front to compare with carrier-sponsored models that get their price dilluted into your monthly service payments.
Nothing lasts forever but the certainty of change.
The HTC Droid Incredible has a better reputation anyway: its faster, and has HTC's UI enhancements not present on the HTC Nexus One...
So why should Google put its name directly on an inferior phone through Verizon when there is a better HTC phone available soon on Verizon's network?
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What does Google think the Nexus One is it's version of the iPhone? I own a Nexus One and I love the device, but Google is being morons the way they are holding onto it. I should be able to call my carrier for support, especially since Google is absolutely clueless on how to give customer support.
It's one out of dozens of Android phones, each model with it's own features and price ranges.
Steve Jobs has been quaking like a motherfucker (and not in the fun way) if the reports of his Google tantrums are true...
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
Let's keep in mind that Google is pushing the Android platform. The Nexus One phones are just a part of that push. Of course they want to sell a lot of Nexus One's (and reap the cash rewards of that success), but they'd rather see a Verizon Moto Droid be sold than an iPhone.
Great!
Basically they are reaffirming that Android is not to become a "hegemony". Google is there to provide only visionary products to push the manufacturers.
The Nexus One is not intended to be a phone for the masses. It was made as a proof of concept for the Android OS. It's purpose is to act as a standard reference point. Remember how over the last 2 years, every phone has been compared with the iPhone? Google's goal is to get everyone to compare new phones to the Nexus one. It is Google's goal for all Android phones to be AT LEAST AS GOOD as the Nexus One--the idea being that, "since the Nexus One is good, so this new Android phone must be great!" After a year, when all the Android phones get to be a little too good, Google will develop the Nexus Two, or whatever they plan to call it, which will act as the new reference point.
So NO. Verizon will not get the Nexus One. The Droid Incredible is better anyway, and Google is getting their OS out in the wild.
Apple has (for all intents and purposes) one phone on one carrier.
Some of us live in Europe, you insensitive clod!
All intents and purposes. Not intensive purposes.
I suggest you look at Apples sales numbers. I dboubt that Jobs is shaking at all.
Planning yes. Shaking I doubt it. It is hard to be terrified when your sales are up and you have Billions in the bank.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
As a former Sprint customer, I can say with certainty that they're network is utter shit.
You say SAY that all you want, but it just means you don't know what you're talking about. Network quality depends MIGHTILY upon where you are. In some places, Sprint is the best, in some, the worst. The exact same can be said of the other big three in the U.S. I went from Verizon to Sprint and my call quality went up, and I've never had a dropped call since, although that also depends partly on the handset you're using.
bingo. Android marketshare is going way up, and all apple has is hype. Now that they've locked down the codebase, they're slowly bringing the DRM to the masses. Patent infringement lawsuits are a sure sign that apple knows they're fucked real soon.
Apple is a master of spin, not unlike MS, but when you try to bring policies like the RIAA (restrictions of what you can do with something you purchase) people are eventually going to adapt and just move on altogether.
It's one out of dozens of Android phones, each model with it's own features and price ranges.
Steve Jobs has been quaking like a motherfucker (and not in the fun way) if the reports of his Google tantrums are true...
Contrary to common misconception here on Slashdot, iPhone far, far outsells *all* Android handsets combined.
One thing that people often bring up is Android's rate of market share growth, as though this growth is sustainable. The first problem is that such growth is, by its very nature, unsustainable. If it were, there would be trillions of Android phones in no time. The other problem is that few people look into the reason for the growth. With Droid, Nexus One, and Incredible, Android handsets are finally at a point where they are at least somewhat respectable competition for the iPhone in the mass market, so it's natural the number of units being sold would increase at a rate faster than before.
The notion that Apple, or Steve Jobs, are "quaking like a motherfucker" is absurd. iPhone is the leader. And even if Android makes it onto more total phones, the market is fractured, which will still leave Apple in the top spot between Android handsets and iPhone for a long time to come. This is the same dynamic that has Apple as the number four (sometimes number five) PC maker in the US, even with only around an 8% market share. Further, Apple is number one in terms of profits. In other words, HP and Dell would rather trade places with Apple, than the other way round.
In the smart phone market, companies like HTC and Motorola may see increased profits due to increased sales of Android phones, but each and every one of them would similarly trade places with Apple in a heartbeat if they could. If Android is bound to knock Apple off its perch, it's going to take many, many years.
So, do explain why you'd think that anyone in Apple's position would be "quaking"?
You've got to be kidding me. Because he sat on the board in the past he's never allowed to build a competing device?
I wouldn't go that far. However, he was still on the Apple board at the time Google introduced Android.
This ain't rocket surgery.
...the iPhone is still not on Verizon, nor is it likely to be in the near future. Verizon, like Apple, is all about control.
Of course, it has nothing to do with the fact that Verizon does not have a GSM network, meaning that Apple would have had to build two different models of iPhone--one for the US market and one for the rest of the world--and that iPhone users couldn't use their phones internationally if they chose. No, it must all be about control...
This ain't rocket surgery.
Huh. iPhone is the leader? I think maybe you should try explaining that to RIM. Their 40+% marketshare might disagree.
Beyond that, you claim the growth is unsustainable. This is a relatively new and evolving market segment. A lot of share has been ceded to Google by MS and Palm, but so far only 'potential' share has come off of RIM and Apple. You think it's impossible for them to lose any ground? They can grow forever but Google can't even keep growing through the end of the year? I sense bias.
Oh and the Apple profits that you vaunt are a direct result of gouging the consumer. Margins like that can't proceed from high quality hardware. Apple sells mediocre crap and an image brand for heinous markup. Only so many people will be duped by that, which is why Apple has a completely flat line of market share in the computing world. They've been at 'around an 8% market share' for years .
I support the Slashcott and will not be reading or commenting from 2/10/14 to 2/17/14. Beta is steaming pile of dog shit
Switching to a different country is far more difficult than switching to a different U.S. wireless carrier.