Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

arstechnica.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 265 posts

Re: Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

#141

Post by numo16 »

berkut wrote: post #71
martinald wrote: post #3

This is getting really interesting. Between this, the Nexus 5 and the various Lumia's a $649 iPhone is starting to look very, very expensive. Smartphones at the moment seem to have got 'good enough'.

This. I've just bought a Lumia 520 as a play phone / replacement while I send my HTC One back to be repaired (due to it continually rebooting / crashing - I'm otherwise generally very happy with it). I had an iPhone 3GS and 4S as well before the HTC One, so I've tried the three main platforms. Windows Phone is actually very nice for the basics of webbrowsing, sending texts, calling, etc. It has its faults (limited ap…

As a daily Windows Phone user, android user, and former iOS user, I'm curious to hear what apps you think are missing? I moved from my iPhone to Lumia and am only missing a google hangouts app (due to google choosing not to support the platform).

Re: Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

#142

Post by mpg33 »

JohnTHaller wrote: post #73
mpg33 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

macs are also a premium price compared to PC's....not sure how comparably this is

True, which is why Apple commands a relatively small share of the PC market and why the entire Mac desktop/laptop and OS X business is only about 12% Apple's total revenue (last I checked last year anyways). The Moto G is $179 and is, honestly, quite a bit of phone. Compare that to the iPhone 5c which is $549, over 3 times the price. Macs are about as much of a premium over PCs (comparing entry level hardware costs,…

Yes, Apple did get an large share of the market simply by being first to the "fully-touch-screen phone market" with the first iPhone. It depends on how Apple views this. Will they start introducing sub $200 (no contract) products?

Personally I wouldn't buy a 5C over a 5S....

Re: Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

#143

Post by glesica »

gcb1 wrote: post #93
glesica wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is actually why I've got a Moto G on order. This will be my first smart phone. Before I heard about the Moto G I always assumed my first smart phone would be a Nexus device, because I refuse to sign a carrier contract and I would rather have a dumb phone than carry around something that cost $600 in my pocket every day. But with the Moto G, I get a cheap-ish device with all the features that actually matter to m…

hope you don't plan to travel. nexus 5 would work on most network. also get ready to be disappointed with the camera. even the motoX gets owned by old nokia phones. the sad thing about google/moto only churning out low end phones, is that we now will have to give in to weird rooting/unlocking if we want basic features, like a simple sd card or removable battery. i dread the day i have to abandon my old nexus and star…

Well I don't have an old Nokia, I have an old Samsung slider with a 2 MP camera, so for me there's nowhere to go but up. I, and I think most other people, are pretty easy to satisfy in that department anyway.

Also, travel? Like, around the US? I think I'll be fine, plenty of people seem to get by with AT&T just fine, right? And when I go overseas I have no one to call, and usually don't want to be contacted (that's part of the whole "vacation" thing) so I consider lack of overseas support a feature :)

Re: Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

#144

Post by Touche »

katemcintyre wrote: post #139
justin66 wrote: post #5

If Google's plan is to leave the high-end of smartphones to its Android "partners" and stake out the low end with Motorola, that seems pretty smart. Its partners get to keep the high-margin hardware business that Google doesn't need anyway, Google puts a floor on how bad the low-end phones can be and still make it to market. And yeah, Google isn't in the position of competing with companies that it needs.

> And yeah, Google isn't in the position of competing with companies that it needs. Why not? Motorola's Moto X is pretty high end and Google is spending $500M on just advertising it this year[1], beating Samsung's and Apple's ad spending. In watching a couple of hours of primetime TV in the US, I usually see 3 to 4 Moto X ads, and almost the same number of Windows 8/Surface ads. However, sales seem to be quite sluggi…

The Lumia phones are not fast. Fast scrolling, sure, but apps take 3-4 seconds to open and don't stay in memory very long.

Re: Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

#145

Post by sliverstorm »

TillE wrote: post #127
coldtea wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like you are confused. This is a tech site in which we're discussing technology, pros/cons of devices, etc. Not some religious forum promoting humbleness and gratitude.

HN saw a problem with snide negativity, and has decided to solve it with mindless optimism and nasty remarks towards anyone who expresses criticism. See the Amazon drone thing. It's not a good solution.

Unsolicited comments telling people why they are going to hate their new device, particularly when they are side reasons rather than core functionality, isn't healthy criticism. It signals to me that the criticizer is looking for any and all opportunity/excuse to talk down about the device.

Re: Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

#146

Post by Touche »

numo16 wrote: post #141
berkut wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. I've just bought a Lumia 520 as a play phone / replacement while I send my HTC One back to be repaired (due to it continually rebooting / crashing - I'm otherwise generally very happy with it). I had an iPhone 3GS and 4S as well before the HTC One, so I've tried the three main platforms. Windows Phone is actually very nice for the basics of webbrowsing, sending texts, calling, etc. It has its faults (limited ap…

As a daily Windows Phone user, android user, and former iOS user, I'm curious to hear what apps you think are missing? I moved from my iPhone to Lumia and am only missing a google hangouts app (due to google choosing not to support the platform).

Last time I used it there were no podcast apps that would update/download in the background. That's an entire category.

Re: Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

#148

Post by mhb »

dangrossman wrote: post #98
mhb wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to do that. Which plan?

There's only one family plan on the T-Mobile site now, called Simple Choice. It's $80/mo for 2 lines with unlimited talk + text + web (500MB at 4G per phone then slower speed), and $10/mo for each line after that. There's no contract or credit check, and you either bring your phone or buy one from them -- unsubsidized but payment plans available.

For $30 per month per line (no contract), there's also:

100 minutes talk, unlimited text, first 5 GB at up to 4G speeds.

Plan is only available for devices purchased from Wal-Mart or devices activated on T-Mobile.com.

Re: Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

#149

Post by Touche »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #30
Macha wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the Mac market share compared to PC market share shows which is far more dominant.

A sustainable business with larger profit margins is usually better to have than one with smaller profit margins. Also, a business with clients who have deeper pockets is better than a business dealing with those who have less disposable income.

Apple didn't become the most valuable company in the world on a strategy of niches though. And they won't stay there if they go that way.

Re: Google’s $179 Moto G puts every single cheap Android phone to shame

#150

Post by hayksaakian »

mortehu wrote: post #138
skelsey wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go here: http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/sim-card . Check your device, and once you know which SIM type you need, click the "Add to Cart" under "Phone". I literally just did this, so the timing of this post is nice. Even more nice is that they are waiving the $10 SIM card fee right now. You buy the actual plan after you get the SIM and activate it. I don't know what they charge for activation, if at all.

So it's not available to current T-Mobile customers unless you want to change your number, then?

Move your number to Google voice

Then you can use your unlimited data for calls (if I'm not mistaken)

Post reply on HN