Google Edition Tablets?

[strausd]

With LG saying that they do not have plans to make a Nexus 5, although rumors previously pointed to them, some people have argued that the Nexus is a dying brand. And with the introduction of Google Edition phones, there is more reason to speculate on this. Whether or not Google Edition phones will be the new "Nexus" is yet to be seen.

If the Nexus brand as a whole were to be taken over by Google Edition devices, that would mean there would need to be Google Edition tablets. So do you think we might be seeing Google Edition tablets anytime soon?

 

[B...]

I always thought Nexus 7 was a Google tablet. I guess not though. What would be the difference?

 

[hallux]

I always thought Nexus 7 was a Google tablet. I guess not though. What would be the difference?

It is a Google tablet, built by Asus, sold by Google.

What the OP is talking about is that Google may do with tablets like they seem to be doing with phones, find one that has good hardware and build quality and release a "Google Edition" that is the same device but a vanilla Android build.

 

[strausd]

I always thought Nexus 7 was a Google tablet. I guess not though. What would be the difference?

It is made by Asus, like the Nexus 10 is made by Samsung and the Nexus 4 by LG.

Essentially what I am talking about is the potential for Samsung, Asus, and others to create their own tablets with their own branding. No hardware design input from Google whatsoever. Then, team up with Google for the software only to release a Google Edition of, for example, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

 

[Assault]

It is made by Asus, like the Nexus 10 is made by Samsung and the Nexus 4 by LG.

Essentially what I am talking about is the potential for Samsung, Asus, and others to create their own tablets with their own branding. No hardware design input from Google whatsoever. Then, team up with Google for the software only to release a Google Edition of, for example, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

These "Google" edition phones running vanilla Android are designed for developers. Samsung and HTC, along with Google are just trying to cash in on their successful phones, being able to sell them direct via the Play Store. Will this keep happening? If the phones are successful, probably. But is this much different than what is happening now?

 

[strausd]

These "Google" edition phones running vanilla Android are designed for developers. Samsung and HTC, along with Google are just trying to cash in on their successful phones, being able to sell them direct via the Play Store. Will this keep happening? If the phones are successful, probably. But is this much different than what is happening now?

Well Google has been pushing for better quality tablet apps and for developers to show tablet apps off. So I think it is a definite possibility. But will it interfere with Google's Nexus brand?

 

[Assault]

Well Google has been pushing for better quality tablet apps and for developers to show tablet apps off. So I think it is a definite possibility. But will it interfere with Google's Nexus brand?

I don't believe so, since Google contracts out phones and tablets to meet their specific requirements. I dont believe the S4 and One will carry the Nexus branding since they weren't contracted out. I have a feeling that Google brick and mortar stores will soon pop up, but in order to do so, they need more than just a few products. This may be a way for them to increase inventory without associated development costs. Just a guess. Or I'm loco.

 

[beaniemyman]

although i like the nexus tablets but i dont think we would be seeing the "google edition" of other android tablets. the non-nexus android tablets have their own UIs and features to offer which helps to raise the number of sales, if all the tablets offer the same theme and features, we won't need these many tablets.

 

[strausd]

although i like the nexus tablets but i dont think we would be seeing the "google edition" of other android tablets. the non-nexus android tablets have their own UIs and features to offer which helps to raise the number of sales, if all the tablets offer the same theme and features, we won't need these many tablets.

This exact argument could be made against Google Edition smartphones, yet they are being made. So in my mind, this argument is completely invalid as it has already been proven wrong by the Google Edition S4.

 

[mattopotamus]

With LG saying that they do not have plans to make a Nexus 5, although rumors previously pointed to them, some people have argued that the Nexus is a dying brand. And with the introduction of Google Edition phones, there is more reason to speculate on this. Whether or not Google Edition phones will be the new "Nexus" is yet to be seen.

If the Nexus brand as a whole were to be taken over by Google Edition devices, that would mean there would need to be Google Edition tablets. So do you think we might be seeing Google Edition tablets anytime soon?

IMO nexus devices will still have their place. You are talking about 2x the price for the google edition

 

[strausd]

IMO nexus devices will still have their place. You are talking about 2x the price for the google edition

But that is only one option. There is nothing stopping them from coming out with other Google Edition phones at different price points.

 

[mattopotamus]

But that is only one option. There is nothing stopping them from coming out with other Google Edition phones at different price points.

If the s4 google edition is any indication, all that follow will just be flagship phones at the unlocked price. That is not very appealing. IMO if they did anything else, they would lose support from manufactures. Imagine if they were selling the google s4 at $399. I am sure samsung would be eager to do their own thing.

By selling the phone at the unlocked price they are just getting customers that they otherwise would not have. This appeals to people who like a nexus phone and had no interest in the s4. Now that they can get the s4 guts they are interested, and the price may or may not be a factor. It is a win for everyone involved by making the price so steep. It takes a niche market and creates and even smaller niche market. I would venture to say the people who buy this phone also own a n4.

As others have mentioned, it would confuse customers if it was heavily marketed, and if it was any cheaper than the unlocked price everyone would just buy the google edition if they could not subsidize.

 

[strausd]

If the s4 google edition is any indication, all that follow will just be flagship phones at the unlocked price.

Well that sounds like a giant assumption. There has only been one GE phone to come out, and you are going to base everything else on that one example?

The HTC One is rumored to have a GE phone. Yes, it is a flagship. But that still does not prove that all GE editions will be above $600.

If the Nexus series continues to sell like the Nexus 4, and the GE S4 sells worse, it might lead Google to rethink their pricing strategy. Maybe even start subsidizing GE phones themselves like they essentially do with the Nexus 4. And based on the audience reaction at the GE S4 announcement, they definitely won't sell as many as the Nexus 4. So I think it will be a clear indication to Google on what they need to do in order to sell more of these phones that run Android the way Google intended.

Sure, they could still only come out with flagship devices above $600, but there is absolutely no evidence of that. Basing an entire argument off of one example is hardly an argument at all. Especially when that one example could lead Google to rethink pricing.

 

[mattopotamus]

Well that sounds like a giant assumption. There has only been one GE phone to come out, and you are going to base everything else on that one example?

The HTC One is rumored to have a GE phone. Yes, it is a flagship. But that still does not prove that all GE editions will be above $600.

If the Nexus series continues to sell like the Nexus 4, and the GE S4 sells worse, it might lead Google to rethink their pricing strategy. Maybe even start subsidizing GE phones themselves like they essentially do with the Nexus 4. And based on the audience reaction at the GE S4 announcement, they definitely won't sell as many as the Nexus 4. So I think it will be a clear indication to Google on what they need to do in order to sell more of these phones that run Android the way Google intended.

Sure, they could still only come out with flagship devices above $600, but there is absolutely no evidence of that. Basing an entire argument off of one example is hardly an argument at all. Especially when that one example could lead Google to rethink pricing.

I understand that. I just think with the price so high, every phone they sell is a win. If they subsidize a phone to a niche market they are sure to lose money. I wonder if Samsung just has a massive overstock of s4s and this is what they decided was best. Otherwise they would just sit unsold.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

some people have argued that the Nexus is a dying brand.

Given that the two most recent Nexus devices have completely transformed the brand from their original purpose as a developer platform into a mainstream smart phone (whilst selling orders of magnitude more than the previous iteration) I completely disagree with the premise on which your whole post is based.

 

[strausd]

I understand that. I just think with the price so high, every phone they sell is a win. If they subsidize a phone to a niche market they are sure to lose money. I wonder if Samsung just has a massive overstock of s4s and this is what they decided was best. Otherwise they would just sit unsold.

On the bright side a 32GB HTC One Google Edition was just announced for only $600.

Given that the two most recent Nexus devices have completely transformed the brand from their original purpose as a developer platform into a mainstream smart phone (whilst selling orders of magnitude more than the previous iteration) I completely disagree with the premise on which your whole post is based.

Total amount of sales are still nothing compared to carrier phones like the GS4 and HTC One.

And now we have some confirmation that Nexus devices will continue:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/30/google-says-nexus-family-will-continue/

 

[blackhand1001]

Unlike the nexus phones where there were tradeoffs made to meet the price point, the tablets are pretty much high end. At the time of release the nexus 7 was the best 7 inch tablet out and the nexus 10 didn't cut any corners at all from a hardware perspective. It had a good front and rear camera, the fastest cpu out at the time, 2gb ram, good build materials (all soft touch), great speakers, class leading screen, and a whole plethora of sensors and features. It wasn't like the galaxy s4 vs the nexus 4 where you were sacrificing some hardware features for the pure android experience.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

Total amount of sales are still nothing compared to carrier phones like the GS4 and HTC One.

The Nexus brand has never had sales in that order but sales numbers have never been a primary goal. Ever. In fact if Nexus was that successful it could be severely damaging to Android as a whole.

 

[strausd]

The Nexus brand has never had sales in that order but sales numbers have never been a primary goal. Ever. In fact if Nexus was that successful it could be severely damaging to Android as a whole.

You continue to take everything out of context. And now it just seems like you are looking for posts of mine to continue doing the same. You know, there is a word for that kind of action. It starts with T and rhymes with bowl

But we can continue if you'd like. You said earlier that some of the more recent Nexus devices have transformed the brand from a developer brand to more of a mainstream brand. You said yourself they have been selling "orders of magnitude more" as reasoning behind this brand transformation. But the problem is, just selling more than a previous generation means nothing. And then here you are trying to downplay their sales. Pick a side man, pick a side.

Their sales are in no way damaging to Android as a whole. In fact, the Nexus brand aims to keep Android on track, not damage the ecosystem. That is the point of a developer phone. And why Google said they make the Nexus devices as sort of a device for manufacturers to aim for and beat. If anything, a growing Nexus brand will make Android even better as it will get rid of all the laggy skins, gimmicky features, and useless bloatware. It gets back to the vision that Google has for their mobile operating system. But if you think running pure Android on a smartphone is damaging to Android as a whole, well you just go on and keep thinking that. Clearly Google thinks it is a good idea, or they would not have released Google Edition smartphones of other manufacturers hardware. Google clearly sees this as an opportunity to grow pure Android because they believe it will help the Android image, and I completely agree with them. It is because of manufacturer and carrier bloatware that makes Android look and perform worse than that of pure Android. So these "Nexus Experience" phones along with a growing Nexus brand will only help Android, not damage it. But keep on thinking whatever you want.

 

[onthecouchagain]

When is the new nexus 7 expected to be revealed? Rumor or otherwise?

 

[SlCKB0Y]

You continue to take everything out of context. And now it just seems like you are looking for posts of mine to continue doing the same. You know, there is a word for that kind of action. It starts with T and rhymes with bowl

That was not my intention and I can assure you i'm not stalking you!

Their sales are in no way damaging to Android as a whole. In fact, the Nexus brand aims to keep Android on track, not damage the ecosystem. That is the point of a developer phone. And why Google said they make the Nexus devices as sort of a device for manufacturers to aim for and beat. If anything, a growing Nexus brand will make Android even better as it will get rid of all the laggy skins, gimmicky features, and useless bloatware.

I completely endorse the example that Google is trying to set with the Nexus line and personally, I will not purchase any Android phone which does not get it's updates directly from Google.

The problem is that it's a fine line. Google needs to sell enough Nexus units to demonstrate to the OEMs that there is a viable market for stock Android devices. The issue I see is that if Nexus devices sell too well and end up directly competing with products from companies such as Samsung and HTC, they risk alienating the OEMs on which the Android hardware market has come to rely.

 

[strausd]

When is the new nexus 7 expected to be revealed? Rumor or otherwise?

Rumors point to June 10 to try and take some attention away from WWDC.

The problem is that it's a fine line. Google needs to sell enough Nexus units to demonstrate to the OEMs that there is a viable market for stock Android devices. The issue I see is that if Nexus devices sell too well and end up directly competing with products from companies such as Samsung and HTC, they risk alienating the OEMs on which the Android hardware market has come to rely.

You said a growing Nexus line could be damaging to Android. But really it would only be damaging to OEMs who make Android devices. To Android as a platform, it would be a huge benefit and would reduce fragmentation and make a better overall user experience. I think there is a distinction there that needs to be made.

 

[mattopotamus]

Rumors point to June 10 to try and take some attention away from WWDC.



You said a growing Nexus line could be damaging to Android. But really it would only be damaging to OEMs who make Android devices. To Android as a platform, it would be a huge benefit and would reduce fragmentation and make a better overall user experience. I think there is a distinction there that needs to be made.

Android is successful b.c the OEMs. If you take them out of the equation android would be hurt massively. Pure android appeals to a very small group. For example, a google edition s4 will be way harder to resell than a feature full touchwiz s4. Most consumers are all about the features regardless about what us forumers want.

 

[strausd]

Android is successful b.c the OEMs. If you take them out of the equation android would be hurt massively. Pure android appeals to a very small group. For example, a google edition s4 will be way harder to resell than a feature full touchwiz s4. Most consumers are all about the features regardless about what us forumers want.

Let's not take things out of context. I was responding to someone else saying that a growing Nexus brand will be damaging to Android, when in fact it promotes pure Android, the way Google intended. This means less fragmentation, no laggy skins, no useless bloatware. How is that damaging?

A growing Nexus brand will only be damaging to the business side of OEMs who make Android devices. It will be only be damaging to the Android divisions of companies like HTC, Sony, Samsung, etc. But it surely will not damage the operating system in any way, only promote a better user experience because it would mean more people will be using Android the way Google envisioned it.

But there was no mention of damage to the business side to Android, just a mention of damaging to Android. There is a huge difference here you seem to be missing.

 

[mattopotamus]

Let's not take things out of context. I was responding to someone else saying that a growing Nexus brand will be damaging to Android, when in fact it promotes pure Android, the way Google intended. This means less fragmentation, no laggy skins, no useless bloatware. How is that damaging?

A growing Nexus brand will only be damaging to the business side of OEMs who make Android devices. It will be only be damaging to the Android divisions of companies like HTC, Sony, Samsung, etc. But it surely will not damage the operating system in any way, only promote a better user experience because it would mean more people will be using Android the way Google envisioned it.

But there was no mention of damage to the business side to Android, just a mention of damaging to Android. There is a huge difference here you seem to be missing.

Gotcha, i definitely did take that out of context then. I agree with what you just wrote.