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Sundar Pichai Says Google Will Be 'More Opinionated' About Nexus Design (theverge.com)

Posted by msmash on from the dazzling-handsets,-stock-Android dept.

Jacob Kastrenakes, reporting for The Verge: Google intends to take more control over the Nexus line going forward. During an interview at the Code Conference today, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that his company would "be more opinionated about the design of the phones," particularly where Google sees a need to "push the devices forward." That sounds like he could be referring to Google's desire to highlight new technologies with its Nexus devices. [...] But what Pichai focused on during the interview was software. We're used to getting stock Android on Nexus phones, but Pichai says that could change. "You'll see us hopefully add more features on top of Android on Nexus phones," he said. "There's a lot of software innovation to be had."

7 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. Odd... by xlsior · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The whole POINT of Nexus has always been to provide -stock- Android experience, without shovelware and other 'enhancements'. Seems an odd departure.

  2. Be more opinionated about your damn software by Tough+Love · · Score: 4, Interesting

    How about fixing that stunningly lame cut and paste half effort? How about letting phone screen rotate all four directions and don't lock the home screen to vertical? How about doing a million little fit and finish things to make Android better instead of butting your head into the business of phone builders?

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    1. Re:Be more opinionated about your damn software by cdrudge · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Rotating in all directions? Quite frankly if you need to hold your phone upside down then something on the phone is misdesigned.

      At the end of the day, my phone sometimes doesn't have quite enough juice to use just before I fall asleep. So I need to plug it in to use it while lying down in bed. The charge port is on the bottom of the phone so I either need to have the cord stabbing me in the chest holding the phone right side up, or if I flip the phone 180 degrees, the home screen is upside down.

      So, in this situation, what is misdesigned?

  3. Feature list by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 5, Interesting

    1) Replaceable battery
    2) Lifetime AOSP support
    3) No Binary Blobs
    4) FM Radio
    5) MicroSD
    6) Wireless charging
    7) Ara

  4. Re: Could we stop using "Going forward"? by Threni · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'll reach out to them and see what they say.

  5. Will they stop going backwards? by ukoda · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Prior to the Nexus 6P I had brought each new model since the Nexus One but I have stuck with the Nexus 6 as the 6P was a step backwards. I see no need for a fingerprint reader, what real world advantage does it offer? From what I see it weakens security by opening a new attack vector. On the other hand I see QI charging as one of the best things to happen to phones in recent years, no more mucking around vs risking a flat battery. Removing QI from the 6P was a deal breaker for me.

    The linked article does feel like a fluff piece, lacking anything worth remembering.

    1. Re:Will they stop going backwards? by jareth-0205 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It *is* an extra attack vector though, since there is now two ways to get into your phone (password and finger) rather than one. Super-convenient, admittedly, but a security gap nonetheless. There's a legal distinction that might cause an issue too - you can't be compelled to give over a password, but information *about* you like your fingerprint is fair game so you can be compelled to provide that.

      In some ways fingerprints are terrible security tokens - you leave your token recorded on any surface you touch!