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Google's Grand Android Plan
CWmike writes with news of a significant change in Google's strategy for Android. According to a Wall Street Journal report, "Google plans to give multiple mobile-device makers early access to new releases of Android and to sell those devices directly to consumers, said people familiar with the matter. That is a shift from Google's previous practice, when it joined with only one hardware maker at a time to produce 'lead devices,' before releasing the software to other device makers. Those lead devices were then sold to consumers through wireless carriers or retailers." JR Raphael adds, "Signs of something big have been brewing in AndroidLand for some time now: First, we've had the increasingly loud buzz about Google's top-secret mission to build an inexpensive Nexus-like tablet. Then, last month, Google opened the door to selling unlocked Nexus devices directly to consumers, eliminating the need for carrier meddling and contract commitments. Now, at long last, we're getting a glimpse at what's likely the final piece of the puzzle."
"just think if you could switch carriers because you have an unlocked phone"
well, eh. I do have.
not much of a grand plan really. I'd reckon most galaxies worldwide were sold unlocked too. US is a bunch of partial payment pussies and changing that is a grand plan I suppose. they should just lobby the government in USA to force network operators to not lock and to use compatible tech and to disclose handset subsidies and real pricing.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
I thought Google tried selling Nexus devices directly to U.S. end users before and declared it a failure after complaints.
I'm not convinced of the likely success of this 'grand plan.' Consumers are used to paying next to no initial outlay for a handset on the understanding that it will be paid for through their carrier agreement and this has been the way for so long now that changing the way consumers view mobile devices and service plans is going to be a mammoth task. Not least for those who cannot justify dropping £400 on a device on the promise of future savings made from not having a fixed-term price plan of 18-24 months.
Besides which, Google have been selling Nexus phones unlocked, direct to the consumer for ages now. I nearly bought an HTC Nexus direct from Google back when they started the project years ago. All this pomp and ceremony because there will be no more Nexus exclusivity? Big whoop. Part of Android's beauty is that OEM customisations allow consumers to vote with their feet.
with apple i can go into one of the 10 Apple stores in the NYC area and have a real life english speaking person look at my device and possibly exchange it on the spot.
google better not do it's regular retail FAIL where warranty/support is some internet forum where you get an answer in 3 days and have to send your phone somewhere hoping it won't get crapped on
Europe is different but here in the US most carriers won't give you a break on the bill. i'm on a family plan and its A LOT cheaper than being on a single line plan so buying contract-free doesn't make sense for me.
This has always been my problem with Android (although I'm a relatively happy Android phone user). If Android is really an open operating system. we shouldn't have to rely on the device manufacturers and network carriers to get software updates for it. If Google wants to compete with iPhone/iPad on customer satisfaction, they should make it so that companies selling Android devices sell them unlocked, and that users can easily install other firmware on them. There should also be an "official" Android release from Google that people are free to download and (using the mandated easy to install new firmware support) install on their phone/tablet. Carriers/manufacturers should be free to put whatever crap they want to on the device at the time of sale, but the consumer should have the ability to easily upgrade the software, and uninstall stuff that the carrier puts on there. Apple has been pretty fair about support older phones with new software updates even when they release newer phones. Android should be the same, if not better. Looking at Android right now, it seems the best bet is to get a device "supported" by Cyanogen, as they seem to be the ones churning out the most updates, and trying to get newer releeases of Android on older phones. However, that's still not a great solution since there's many pleas from people bricking/boot-looping their phones on the forums that it's not something I would recommend to the lay-user.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
Updates are a worry to me as well - although I eventually decided my Android adventure wasn't working with my HTC Desire, I've been looking heavily at the Galaxy Note in the past week or two. Having played with one a lot, I think Samsung have a good grip on the issues I had before, but my main issue is that the device is 6 months old, and yet is only just getting ICS this week. So I have to start my comparisons from catch again when I get one with ICS on to play with - is it still responsive, do the apps still work, does the update overbear the hardware etc etc etc.
The Note should have had ICS 4 or more months ago. Right now, the slow update is a huge negative.
I think the real reasoning behind this is that Manufacturers were probably getting somewhat disillusioned with Google's favouritism for the big Nexus device. It's not hard to see why, either - when HTC did the Nexus One, even though the N1 wasn't a huge success, HTC's other phones (particularly the HTC Desire, which is practically the same phone in a different design) garnered them record profits. When Samsung did the Nexus S, their next phone was the Galaxy S II - another runaway success.
No doubt getting a sneak peek at what's coming allows you to really plan ahead and hit the market with some leading devices. I'm sure LG, Motorola, ZTE and anyone else worth their salt would love a piece of that. Or at the very least, they'd love for Google to stop giving a major competitive advantage to one of their competitors.
+1 IDisagreeSoHeMustBeATrollOrAnAstroturferOrAShill
You've touched on the whole point of this without realizing it. Expanding the nexus program will give people more options for unlocked stock Android devices that are updated frequently. I'm not predicting success, but it holds potential.
The problem with Android is that it is becoming a clustereff! I have an Android phone and Android tablet. I also have an iPhone, and iPad. I prefer the iPhone and iPad.
Here are some issues:
1) lack of updates! We have two android tablets and one android phone and the updates just SUCK!
2) apps will not work across devices. I can understand that tablet apps will not work on a phone. But I have phone games where if they run on the tablet the graphics do really funky things and are completely unusable.
3) Why on earth is the chrome browser only on ICS, and not honey comb? There is no excuse.
4) Battery life truly does suck in comparison to my iOS devices.
5) Performance and usability is lackluster. Windows Phone, and iOS devices have superior UI response. This goes back to the architectural design of Android vs iOS/Windows Phone.
Every Android device vendor seems to have their own custom ROM and you can't rely on the fact that they will update it. Basically, as a user, you can be lucky with an Android device or you can be SOL. When people ask me which Android device to buy I usually recommend the device vendor that seems to have the best track record on updates. Check out the following link, it's one of the best visualizations of the state of Android fragmentation I have yet seen:
http://opensignalmaps.com/reports/fragmentation.php Developing for Android looks like a bit of a nightmare but this guy is still surprisingly optimistic considering the legions of exotic devices he has to deal with.
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
the MAIN issue is the Carrier's WON'T give a discount on service if you buy your phone outright
They'll have to give such discounts if they want to compete with the $35 per month plan that Sprint's Virgin Mobile brand offers.
I purchased the GSM Galaxy Nexus direct from Google Play last week Monday. It arrived on Wednesday. Due to a small contract dispute with Sprint, which they resolved with admirable customer service skills, I had to wait until Sunday to have it activated. I'm loving it so far, but admittedly am still in the honeymoon phase.
I went with T-Mobile's web special: 100 minutes talk, unlimited text/data (5gigs 4g speed) for $30/month. For comparison, Sprint wanted to charge me $200 less for the phone, but would not let me keep my plan and the cheapest available was $80/month. Two year contract. So in just five months it will have paid for itself, and I'm off contract and can take this phone anywhere I want on the AT&T and T-Mobile bands to whichever prepaid plan is best for me. Regardless if the phone holds up as well as my last one (Original HTC Touch 4+ years), it was a sound investment and I look forward to continued use.
TL;DR- Thank you Google for providing me with a great phone, at a reasonable price, that made it possible for me to avoid the butthurt that is "subsudized phones".
Let's hope that this fixes or mitigates the one flaw of android: no updates.
Let me precede with this: Android is the superior OS. iOS fanboys and others alike (i'll probably get modded down for this) will argue. But iOS is completely inferior to Android. But this is not to start a flamewar. The one thing where iOS kicks android's ass is updates and compatibility. And notice I said updates: iOS updates and security do not go hand in hand (withness the MYRIAD of exploits for iOS). But again not starting a flamewar here.
But Android gets no updates! Jesus christ. Just now, like 6 months later, are flagship models just a few months ago getting ICS. Make no mistake, if it was a dumbphone, who cares. But these are minuture computers. They need updates for security sake, if anything. Even though iOS isn't secure and has lots of exploits, at least they're patched in the next version. Android? Good luck. And the problem is that we keep more sensative data on our smartphone than our desktop.
Also is the compatibility. Close friend just got the official android phone, the galaxy nexus. And know what? Tetris, made by EA, didn't work a few times. And another app too, dropbox I believe. Not apps by little shit devs who don't have the resources to provide bugfixes. The fact that apps aren't compatible with the so-called official android flagship is pathetic.
I'm ranting because I want Android to fix this. It's a HUGE issue. And I can't vote with my feet because I'll never go back to the iPhone (had a 3GS). It's really like using a toy vs. a real OS*.
* example: iOS doesn't allow Firefox Mobile. Which is a godsend with its ability for add-ons like Adblock on a mobile phone. Or iOS doesn't have the ability to place files in a filesystem so that another application can use a file, like a movie or PDF I put on the phone.
Maybe it's time to fork Android into LibreAndroid.
That time was years ago, and the fork is called CyanogenMod.
Nonsense. Ubuntu doesn't have to know the hardware of every single computer sold to work on all types of software. MS doesn't have to know the hardware of every Windows PC to be able to make an OS that runs on them. A phone/tablet in the end is just a small computer. The hardware on the devices does not vary that much from manufacturer to manufacturer. I think Google should do something like MS does with it's "Designed for Windows" program, so that consumers know they are getting a device that can be upgraded easily. Since Android is open, manufacturers would still be able to go against Google's wishes and load Android on the device, but I think that Google should be pushing them the device makers to make it easier for people to keep the software is up-to-date, and they should be working with consumers to make them look for devices that carry the "seal of approval" so that they can be assured proper updates.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
I thought much of the Android code is GPL'ed. If they distribute early versions of Android to selected developers, wouldn't they also need to give away the Android source code to anyone else who demands it at that time?
The Atlantic would explain that then! Yeah, the ISP subsidised PC market has been around in the UK for quite a while now (I remember it really coming to prominence ~2007) and has remained since then. As thegarbz mentioned, this is now shifting from the low-end laptop market to the tablet market (although they seem to coexist at present), so you can walk into most wireless stores and walk out with a carrier-subsidised tablet now and a 24-month plan in your name.
Nonsense. Ubuntu doesn't have to know the hardware of every single computer sold to work on all types of software.
I can guarantee that Ubuntu will NOT work 100% on every hardware configuration. Good luck getting certain graphics cards to work, fully accelerated. That is the issue with phones. Yes, Android will run on the phones. The trick is that there are proprietary HW drivers that are needed to make the phone work properly. Guess who has the drivers? The manufacturers. Guess who doesn't want to release the drivers? The manufacturers.
but I think that Google should be pushing them the device makers to make it easier for people to keep the software is up-to-date, and they should be working with consumers to make them look for devices that carry the "seal of approval" so that they can be assured proper updates.
Umm....you just outlined the Nexus program in a nutshell. By providing stock systems, it allows for phones to be more easily updated by El Goog themselves....but you still need the manufacturers to provide the drivers for the phones.
Downside: Once you sell people a phone and they see the whole price they might be more inclined to own it longer. With cell providers currently offering upgrades and freebees to customers most people have a new phone in their hands ever two or three years. If people outright buy an Android they might decide to keep that phone for five or six years. That could lead to a level of stagnation.
Upside: Thrifty consumers will pick up on this if Google really commits. It could be a game changer for the US cell market and bring about a much needed round of competitive (hopefully somewhat fair) plan pricing.
Apple is no longer a "computer company" and they certainly do not compete with Dell or HP. They do NOT operate in the same market. If you think they do then you're not paying attention.
Apple does not sell to or support "the enterprise" (or any of the other star trek ships for that matter). They sell gadgets for consumers and support them in a way which is appropriate for consumers. The most you can buy is "front of the line privileges" at an apple store to talk to a "genius." There is no next day on-site service let alone 4-hour service. Countless businesses have tried and failed to use Apple in the enterprise and it always seems to fail on the service and support side.
And what has made Apple so big and powerful? IPhone, IPod and IPad. There has been no "explosive growth" or interest in Apple computers. So, don't try to consider Dell and Apple to be competitors. Ford and Ferrari are closer competitors than Apple and Dell.
Trying to keep Samsung from destroying the other Android makers? Interesting... perhaps more likely. But now that you mention, I think I better understand your HP/Dell reference. It's not so much that Dell and HP trounced Apple in the PC market, it's that Apple, with its own little market was left alone while the commodity PC competition killed each other off. In that sense, you're probably on the mark. But, Android devices and Apple devices *are* competitors and it will be extremely difficult for Apple to section itself a corner of the mobile device market the way it did for PCs.
GP is describing the so-called "Walmart prepaid plan", which is indeed the T-Mobile plan that costs $30 and offers 100 minutes talk and unlimited text/data. You'd find out if you bothered to Google before crying "mod parent down".
And yes, it is really unlimited. They throttle you down to 2G speeds after 5Gb, but you can still download stuff 24/7 at that reduced speed.