Agree with a lot of this, though 'overpriced for the design' is all relative to what the buyer will pay for it. We constantly see comments online is these forums that the iPhone is way overpriced for it's design/specs, yet Apple moves more of them than any other phone. I think your assumption that every consumer approaches smartphones with the same perspective as your own, someone admittedly far more tech savvy than the typical consumer, is where your argument falls down. If it was all just about how pretty a device looked, we'd see a lot more of the G6s and S8s moving off the shelves. I can't recall exactly where the stat came from (Kantar maybe), but one of the Android podcasts I listen too stated that S8/S8+ sales are actually lagging behind S7/S7 edge both vs last year AND right now.
Found the story:
iPhone 7, 7 Plus remain top sellers as Galaxy S8 sales disappoint in the US
And to be clear, I'm not trying to turn this into a 'iPhone is better because it sells more' discussion, just trying to illustrate that what the general consumer wants usually doesn't equate to the observations made here by a bunch of tech enthusiasts.
Brands carry a lot of weight and Google is one of the biggest, most recognizable. I'd assumed since the Pixel was originally announced that Google was focusing on the long play and ultimately wanted to develop a top down ecosystem similar to Apple's, controlling the entire stack. Doing so would take years--building the infrastruture alone would be a huge investment and I just figured it wasn't about turning an immediate profit so reports of low sales numbers wasn't a concern, especially since low availability has probably been the biggest limiting factor. They priced the phone high because that's ultimately the segment where they want it to live. Discount it now and trying to move the price up later would never fly with consumers.
But the latest rumors are really confusing. Spreading productions/design of your two flagships phones across different manufacturers---how is any of this different that what they did for years with the Nexus program? They also show zero interest in living in the tablet market, which is fine if you ultimately expect Chrome OS and laptop/hybrids to be your solution but again, very little progress seems to be made here. Android TV (I LOVE my Shield TV, btw) looks like yet another platform that's going to languish and die under Google. And wearables? That's funny... I even think Apple, of all companies, showed them up a bit with their focus on AR and making an AR kit available for developers to use with any iOS device, not just specific hardware Google is using (Tango).
Google just doesn't seem to have a clear strategy in mind...or at least, that's the way it looks and I find it frustrating as hell because I think with their services/data advantage, they have the opportunity to build a spectacular ecosystem of software AND hardware.
First look at this year's Pixel XL...
http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/0...ow-bezel-amoled-display-and-squeezable-frame/
They've been saying Google is getting serious about hardware for a long time and the pixel last year is rumoured to have sold around 1-1.5 million units only, and that's with 2 models. That's not even day 1 sales for Apple or Samsung, so how serious are they really ? I think the tech news sites keep saying things like that with little evidence that is actually happening. It seems whilst Google have made the conscious decision to make 'better' hardware materially, quality & design wise, they are seemingly content to be as niche as they were through all of the Nexus days.This part of the rumors makes me sad:
In regard to the smaller Pixel, I tend to think it'll be largely unchanged versus the current Pixel, with the new "XL" representing the cutting edge of Google's engineering and design efforts, while the smaller device will act as a sort of entry-level option.
It lines up with previous rumors that the smaller Pixel will remain mostly unchanged. Not only does that suck, but that's just a puzzling move from Google. I thought they were "getting serious" about hardware.
The G6 design size wise mixed with Pixel software and hopefully same great pixel camera (with hopefully an additional wide angle sensor) and sign me up prompto.First look at this year's Pixel XL...
http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/0...ow-bezel-amoled-display-and-squeezable-frame/
and it has a flat screen! It looks like to has a power button on the right side like the existing Pixels do....sign me up tooThe G6 design size wise mixed with Pixel software and hopefully same great pixel camera (with hopefully an additional wide angle sensor) and sign me up prompto.
They've been saying Google is getting serious about hardware for a long time and the pixel last year is rumoured to have sold around 1-1.5 million units only, and that's with 2 models. That's not even day 1 sales for Apple or Samsung, so how serious are they really ? I think the tech news sites keep saying things like that with little evidence that is actually happening. It seems whilst Google have made the conscious decision to make 'better' hardware materially, quality & design wise, they are seemingly content to be as niche as they were through all of the Nexus days.
Yeah it's the tech world that say it, Google themselves have never said the same themselves. It's been merely implied or projected upon them by the tech world.It wasn't Google themselves that said they were getting serious about hardware?
Even so, it's no excuse for them not to really apply the same updates to the smaller Pixel model. It's really getting shafted if the rumors are true.
The G6 design size wise mixed with Pixel software and hopefully same great pixel camera (with hopefully an additional wide angle sensor) and sign me up prompto.
Yeah it's the tech world that say it, Google themselves have never said the same themselves. It's been merely implied or projected upon them by the tech world.
But yes. The pixel and pixel XL were examples of how to do size differences properly with mostly same hardware and aesthetic with both. If these rumors are true it's a step backwards and would piss me off too.
The pixel and pixel XL were examples of how to do size differences properly with mostly same hardware and aesthetic with both. If these rumors are true it's a step backwards and would piss me off too.
The G6 is 5.7", correct?
If the Pixel 2 XL is closer to 6", it'll be quite a bit larger in footprint than the G6, no? Closer to 6P size?
EDIT: No, the 6P was 5.7" also, but did have dual front facing speakers. The pixel 2 XL could still be larger than both 6P and the G6.
This just makes me even sadder about the regular Pixel 2 rumors.
Yes the G6 is only 5.7", but with the 2:1 aspect ratio the phone feels much smaller, and is easily one handed. My wife has the G6 and it's a super tiny phone actually.
So with Google just bumping it up .03" it will just be a hair bigger, and in my opinion a better size, as the current 5.7" does feel a little too small.
In no way will this Pixel XL 2 be larger than the Nexus 6P, which is super tall due to the dual speakers top and bottom, plus the 6P is a wide phone being 16:9. And the Motorola Nexus 6 is a whale, they don't make phones like that nowadays. So this Pixel XL 2 will just be a little larger than the G6, but still much smaller than the 6P.
Nexus 6P was a beast size wise. Utterly cumbersome in day to day situations.
I feel like I am the only one who liked the 6p size...
Yeah, and we have to learn to remember that measurements for these new aspect ratios have to be read differently.Yes the G6 is only 5.7", but with the 2:1 aspect ratio the phone feels much smaller, and is easily one handed. My wife has the G6 and it's a super tiny phone actually.
So with Google just bumping it up .03" it will just be a hair bigger, and in my opinion a better size, as the current 5.7" does feel a little too small.
In no way will this Pixel XL 2 be larger than the Nexus 6P, which is super tall due to the dual speakers top and bottom, plus the 6P is a wide phone being 16:9. And the Motorola Nexus 6 is a whale, they don't make phones like that nowadays. So this Pixel XL 2 will just be a little larger than the G6, but still much smaller than the 6P.
I would buy that day one!Um....yes please